Rom. 6:15-16, “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?”
Rom. 6:17, “But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.”
The saints and believers at Rome believed what Paul spoke to them from their heart. I don’t think it was just that they believed him, but it says that a ‘form, pattern, example’ of doctrine was delivered to them. I believed it was delivered as rhema word. It had to be. Paul confirmed his apostleship and doctrine with signs, wonders and miracles. He spoke living word to them. This living word affected them in their believing even. 1 Thess. 2:13 speaks of the word being received, heard and working in the hearer. This is osmotic obedience. It is obedience rooted in grace and imparted in the revelation of Christ in us. I believe it is our will being diffused and absorbed into His willingness by revelation of Him in us! My willingness becomes His and vice versa. This obedience draws us and grows in us in holiness and unto holiness. I believe this is what Paul says in Romans 6:19, “…even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.” How? Osmotic obedience through revelation.
Osmosis seems to be when a lesser concentration is partaking of a greater concentration until both are equal. We are partaking of Christ in us by hearing and hearing the word until the word eventually becomes us! The Word became flesh. Now, the flesh is becoming Word!
I believe the word ‘obedience’ has had a negative connotation sometimes in church. The connotation being legal, fire and brimstone, “you have to do this or else”, and so on. That has been some of my experience at least.
The Greek word of obedience is a compound word of ‘under’ + ‘to hear’. This is what Paul is describing in Rom. 6:15-23 as well as the first half of Romans.
Under whose authority do I hear?
What do I listen to that compels me to do and be?
If I solely listen to me then I am an anarchist. I am a law unto my self. What I say goes. I listen to no one else. This is also the flesh that Paul describes. Ultimately, the old nature which is called the ‘sinful nature’ is rooted at the garden of Eden when the enemy deceived Eve and Adam willfully sinned. So, the old nature is under the authority of the enemy, Eph. 2:2.
In Christ, that old nature is dead. In Him, I am a creature of His righteousness and substance. First I hear. Then I hear what the word of truth is actually saying according to the quickening of the Spirit of God in me. In hearing this word, I am hearing what the Spirit of the Lord is saying. I am under His authority. I am under His grace.
As He reveals Himself in me, I grow more in this grace that I am under. The grace is Eph. 1:19, “…the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power…”
If I have no power in my life then what am I believing?
This power in us according to faith and grace in Christ Jesus creates His willingness in us. His willingness makes us righteous not works. Walking in His willingness in us is a total contrast than walking presumptuously, Matt. 7:21-29. If His willingness is in me then my walk is not hard to walk. Persecution and tribulation is always there, but the actual walk according to His willingness internally is not a tight rope walk.
We walk and live in the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is their is great liberty. Liberty to serve one another in love.
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