Seeking God’s Heart- by Bryan Shelley

Entry for March 24, 2008

Today’s Verse: Romans 6:17-18 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. NASB

I can remember when I was a small child growing up in San Antonio, Texas my mother would take me along with her when she went shopping. I don’t remember most of the stores except a couple today. One was the grocery store and I only remember it because it had a funny name, Piggly Wiggley. The other was a fascinating wonderland of a store called Scribner’s. As best as I can remember it was primarily a fabric store, but they had all manner of interesting things that captured the imagination of a kid. Mom did some sewing and that’s where she would go to get her patterns. I remember wondering why one needed a pattern anyway. Why not just cut stuff out and put it on that amazing sewing machine and viola, you have some new pajamas, or whatever? Mom would explain that if you did not follow the pattern, things did not turn out right. In some things, it is a sign of creativity to color outside the lines and live outside the box. In some things, if we don’t follow the blueprint or pattern we don’t end up with the desired destination. In this wonderful couple of verses, Paul is reminding Christians in Rome of the pattern they had been taught. He reminded them that they had been lost in their sin. He recounted that they had obeyed from the heart what they had been taught. Then as a result they became free from sin. Having been granted that freedom from the bondage to the penalty of their sin, they were now bond-slaves (willingly) to God and a life lived in His righteousness. There is a pattern, that form,  to follow in the New Covenant. By God’s grace in Christ we are saved. By obedience to the pattern set forth in scripture we freely receive. This is not where you want to prove that you can draw outside the lines. This is where as willing disciples, you want to follow His pattern.