Benjamin Meade explores the transformation required of a Christian based on Romans 6. He emphasizes that baptism creates a radical "new life" where the old self is buried and a new creation is raised to walk in righteousness. Meade challenges the audience to reject the temptation to abuse God’s grace as a license to sin, urging them instead to choose daily to be "slaves to God" rather than "slaves to sin"

In this sermon, guest speaker Benjamin Meade addresses the identity of the Christian as a disciple of Christ. Drawing from Paul’s letter to the Romans, Meade outlines three human conditions: those in ungodliness who suppress the truth, those under the law which reveals sin but cannot save, and those in Christ who are justified by grace.

Meade tackles a common rhetorical question found in Romans 6: if grace abounds where sin increases, should Christians continue sinning to get more grace? He echoes Paul’s firm "Certainly not," explaining that baptism is a spiritual death and resurrection that renders the "old man" dead to sin. Using his grandfather as an example of discipline and wisdom, Meade explains that living this new life requires the intentional creation of holy habits.

The sermon concludes by contrasting two masters: sin, which pays "wages" of death, and God, who provides the "free gift" of eternal life. Meade clarifies the Greek distinction between opsonia (earned wages) and charisma (a king’s unearned gift), calling the congregation to present their bodies as "instruments of righteousness".

I. Introduction
- Context of the Message: Building on the church's study of discipleship and the recent Easter celebration.
- Influences: Mentions The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis regarding the nature of temptation.
- The Setting of Romans: Paul writing to a young, diverse church in Rome to introduce himself and ground them in their walk.

II. Three Conditions of Humanity (Romans 1–5)
- Ungodliness: Suppressing the truth to follow personal desires.
- The Law: Providing knowledge of sin but creating a cycle of failure (illustrated by the speaker's childhood story of breaking his teeth after disobeying a rule).
- Christ: Justification and redemption through faith and grace.

III. The Conflict of Grace and Sin (Romans 6:1-11)
- The False Logic: The idea that more sin leads to more grace.

The Reality of Baptism:
- A burial into Christ’s death and a resurrection to "newness of life".
- The radical Jewish perspective of baptism as total regeneration.

The New Identity: Reckoning oneself dead to sin but alive to God.

IV. Living the New Life
- Internal Warfare: Acknowledging the struggle between the flesh and the spirit (Romans 7).
- The Role of Discipline: Using his grandfather’s daily routine of study and prayer as a model for creating new, holy habits.
- Instruments of Righteousness: Shifting focus from letting sin reign to presenting the body as a tool for God.

V. Choosing a Master (Romans 6:15-23)
- The Analogy of Slavery: Everyone is a slave to what they obey—either sin or God.

Wages vs. Gift:
- Wages (opsonia): Death earned through sin.
- Gift (charisma): Eternal life given freely by a good King.

VI. Conclusion and Invitation
- The Daily Choice: Leaving the old self behind or rejecting the free gift.
- Call to Action: An invitation for baptism or prayerful support from the elders and deacons.