Let us turn to God's word in the chapter we read Romans chapter 6 and directing you to the words that we have in verses 17 and 18 Romans 6 17 and 18 but God be thanked that you were the servants of sin but you have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you, being made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. Let God be thanked that ye were the servants of sin, very much speaking in the past sense, that ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you, being then made free from sin, you became the servants of righteousness.

It speaks of a people who have clearly experienced a remarkable change, no longer serving sin, but now servants of righteousness, servants of righteousness. And all because of that doctrine that had been delivered to them. And when Paul speaks of doctrine, he's not speaking of doctrine in some cold, theoretical way. I feel that today, maybe, we can say in many circles there's a sort of lip service to the doctrines of sovereign grace, there's a sort of notional Calvinism about, but that will not really affect men in their lives and in their practice. which is what Paul is speaking of here.

Joseph Hart says, doesn't he, in that well-known little couplet, True Religions, more the notion something must be known and felt, and that's what we have in these two verses, the result of a felt religion, a real experience of the grace of God. Often think of what dear Sidney Norton would often refer to, the importance of doctrine, experience and practice. And there was a time when he sent out a little magazine called DEP. I'm not sure if it was before his involvement with the beginnings of the Banner of Truth. or whether it was after a while when he didn't really have that same involvement with that magazine that he decided to send out his little magazine D.E.P. I have seen some old copies of it I'm not in possession of any I don't know if any of you have seen them or possess any but I think that the Letters, D.E.P., could be read well over the words of our text this evening.

Well, let us come to consider these words in verses 17 and 18. God be thanked that you were the servants of sin, but you have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you being then made free from sin he became the servants of righteousness first then the doctrine he says that that form that form of doctrine we find a word from the same root being used when he writes in 2nd Timothy chapter 1 and verse 13 hold fast the form hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me in faith and love, which is in Christ Jesus." What is the form of doctrine? Well, we might think in terms of an outline, a sketch, a plan, or a pattern. Certainly, that idea is suggested by the particular word that's being used, form.

And that outline has now been made known in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's now made manifest by the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. And it is that truth really that is being referred to here in the text. And there are three particular doctrines, we might say, that stand out quite conspicuously in this epistle. There are many doctrines, great profound doctrines, of course, that are found in the epistle to the Romans.

It has rightly been called the gospel as it really is, that little popular paperback, a commentary by Stuart Elliott that was published some years ago, I don't know whether it's still in print, but it's a worthy little volume. It's a commentary on Romans, but he calls it the gospel as it really is. It's a gospel book, and so there are great gospel doctrines, and there are three particular gospel doctrines that I would mention. Of course, when we think of the gospel, we have to think in terms of the the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is His Gospel. It is the Good News concerning the Saviour. And the important question that everyone must answer is, what think ye of Christ?

And we must answer that question today, the Day of Grace. We know that the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment to the Son, because He is the Son of Man, and Christ is the One who in that final day, the end of the day of grace, the dawning of the day of judgment, He will make the final separation between the sheep and the goats. And then every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that He is Lord to the glory of God the Father. There's a sense in which those who are committed to eternal perdition in hell.

There's no unbelief there. They know who Jesus Christ is. But it's too late for them to consider that question, what think ye of Christ? Well, we have to face that question here and now. And of course, we have the Lord himself putting that question to the Pharisees at the end of Matthew chapter 22, how the Lord silences them really, by declaring Himself. In the final verses in there, in verse 41 following, when the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, What think ye of Christ?

Whose Son is He? They say unto Him, The Son of David. He said unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?

And no man was able to answer him a word. They couldn't answer that question. What think ye of Christ? That's the question. No man was able to answer him a word. Neither does any man from that day ask him any more questions. Well, can we answer that question? Can you answer that question? What think ye of Christ? What is the answer we would give if we had to give a reply to such a question as that? And we need to face it.

What do we understand concerning the person of Jesus Christ, the work of the Lord Jesus Christ? His person and the wonder. the wonder of that person, that one who has come as the Messiah, the Christ of God, that one who is the mediator of the new covenant. Without controversy, Paul says, great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

Some ways we have it there in a nutshell, and yet there's so much in those few words that we have there in 1 Timothy 3.16 concerning the Lord Jesus Christ, whose Son is He?

He's the Son of God. He is the Son of God. Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. There is the doctrine of Christ. He is the Son of God, the Eternal Son of the Eternal Father. He thought it not robbery to be equal with God. Because He is equal with God.

But that one who is the son of God is also the son of man. He is the seed of the woman, he is the seed of Abraham, he is the seed of David, he's the son of David. They might answer right when they say Messiah is the son of David. And that reminds us of course that he's a man. He is born of the house of David.

Or he's a real man. And yet the mystery, you see, that to you is man is also God, but he's not two persons. There are two natures, but there's one person. And that one person, all that he is doing is always God-man. Whatever he does, he's God-man. When he's born of the Virgin, when he's a babe in her arms, he's God, as well as man. He never ceases to be God.

But in the incarnation, he has also become a man. It's a mystery. Oh, the first man is of the earth, earthly. The second man, says Paul, is the Lord from heaven. The first man, Adam, was made a living soul. The last Adam is made a quickening spirit. He's as much a man as ever Adam was a man. He's the last Adam. He's that second man, the Lord from heaven. That's his person.

Or what thinking of Christ? Do we love to think upon that? And to meditate upon the wonder of the incarnation. Our God contracted to a span. Incomprehensibly made man, says Charles Wesley. How true it is. But then there's the work. There's a work. And we can't really separate the person of Christ from the work. He came to do a certain work.

He made himself of no reputation. He took upon him the form of a servant. The Father says, Behold my servant whom I appalled, mine elect in whom my soul delighted. I put my spirit upon him. Oh, he humbles himself. And takes upon him the form of a servant. He's made in the likeness of men.

And then being found in fashion as a man, he humbles himself. how he humbles himself as a man even to the death, the accursed death of the cross, the wonder of the work that he came to accomplish, and how he fulfills all the goodwill and pleasure of the Father. When he comes to the end in that high priestly prayer in the 17th of John, I have glorified thee on the earth, I have finished the work. that Thou gavest me to do." What was committed to Him in the Covenant. He's finished the work. What does that mean?

He's accomplished salvation. For all those that the Father gave to Him. Behold I am the children which God hath given me, He says. And what has He done for them? He's accomplished salvation. All their salvation is in Him. This is the wonder of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done. He has come to stand in their very law place, to answer all the demands of God's holy precepts for them. He's lived a life, a righteous life, a holy life. And by His obedience, oh, He's wrought such a righteousness that He can clothe His people with it. He is the Lord our righteousness.

That's His name. but that one who has honored the law in precept has also honored the same law in terms of all its penalties he has borne the punishment that was due to the sinners now we read of him don't we in back in chapter 5 and the language that we have there At verse 19, this is speaking of him, you see, as the last Adam, the second man. As by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. His obedience is the sinner's righteousness. But he has not only done that, as I say, he has also suffered in their room and instead previously there in verse 6 of that 5th chapter. When we were yet without strength in due time, Christ died for the ungodly. All that righteous and holy man suffered as if he were the sinner, because he takes to himself the sin of his people, and nails that sin to the cross, and in exchange he gives them all his righteousness, and all his salvation.

This is the work, and this is the doctrine that we see unfolded here in this epistle. This is that form of doctrine that Paul says was delivered to this church at Rome. He delivered it in his ministry. Remember how at the end he's a house prisoner in Rome and doubtless he had opportunity to minister in that church. It was always his desire to go to Rome. And so he ministered to them. They received his ministry. They heard the gospel at his lips.

But what else does he speak of here? He speaks also, of course, of sin and salvation. Isn't that what the Gospel's about? So simple, really, except he becomes little children. He shall in no wise enter into the kingdom. It's so simple a child can understand that.

It's sin and salvation. And Paul speaks of sin and salvation. He says, doesn't he, here in the text, God be thanked that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you, being then made free from sin ye became the servants of righteousness. They were changed. They were born again of the Spirit of God. They were new creatures in the Lord Jesus Christ. All things had passed away, all things had become new. That's sin and salvation.

And Paul speaks of that. I mean, when we read the opening part of this epistle, the opening words, he begins by defining to them, telling them what the gospel is. We've said this many a time. Look at the opening words. Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, which he had promised afore by his prophets in the Holy Scriptures, that little parenthesis in verse 2, but then, having made mention of the gospel of Christ, he defines the gospel. In verse 3, what is the gospel? Well, it's concerning his son Jesus Christ our Lord. which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead. This is the gospel.

It all centers in who Christ is and what Christ has done, as I was just saying, but it's all to do with sin and salvation. And he says at verse 16 there in that first chapter, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. There's no more Jew and Gentile in the day of grace. The old distinction is gone forever. The gospel is for sinners. And Paul says he's not ashamed of the gospel.

For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith. As it is written, the just shall live by faith. And it's so strange really because in that first chapter he begins by telling us what the gospel is. But no sooner has he told us what the gospel is that he begins to speak then of sin. and what sin is. Verse 18 of that chapter, that first chapter, the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness because that which may be known of God is manifest in them for God has showed it unto them for the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made Even His eternal power and God had so that they are without excuse. Even those who'd never heard anything of the true God, the God of Israel, those of the Gentile nations, God had revealed Himself to them.

In creation they were culpable then in their sins. And he goes on, doesn't he, to speak of all the wicked perversions of man. There at the end of that first chapter. what men have done as a consequence of the sin of Adam and Eve and of course you read on into chapter 2 into chapter 3 and the language that he is using he quotes quotes from the Psalms 14 and 53 there in verse 10 of chapter 3 it is written there is none righteous no not one there is none that understandeth there is none that seeketh after God They are all gone out of the way. They are together become unprofitable. There is none that doeth good. No, not one. And so it goes on.

He speaks of sin. He speaks of sin because we can only understand what salvation is when we know what sin is. He comes not to call the righteous this Lord Jesus. He comes not to call those who think themselves righteous before God. He comes to call poor sinners. He's a friend of sinners. He eats and drinks with the sinners. These are the ones He has come for. He's the Savior of sinners.

Oh, thank God for that. But then, another great doctrine, not just the personal work of Christ, sin and salvation, but also, of course, in this epistle we see so much of that great doctrine of justification by faith. It's throughout, really, but we see it in particular in chapters 4 and 5.

Remember in chapter 4 he speaks of Abraham, who's the father of all them that believe. verse 3 there in chapter 4, what said the scripture, Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt but to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifies the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness that's the faith of Abraham and Abbie goes on at the end to speak of that faith in relation to the promise concerning Sarah bearing a son. And so it was, Isaac was born. But what of Abraham, who against hope believed in hope that he might become the father of many nations?

According to that which was spoken, so shall thy seed be. Being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body, now dead, when he was about an hundred years old. neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb, he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith." Strong in faith, giving glory to God and being fully persuaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform, and therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. What was imputed to him? The promise, the seed.

And Isaac, the son, is a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thy seed which is Christ, we read in Galatians chapter 3 concerning Abram's seed. Oh, it's justification. It's justification by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It's Christ's work. It's Christ's life. It's Christ's death. It's all His obedience. that is imputed to the sinner, and so the sinner in Christ is accepted in the high courts of heaven.

He's justified. He's justified. And so when we come into chapter 5, therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. But I like to move the comma. I think it's in the wrong place. It's not part of the inspired text. we should read it, therefore being justified. Gil says that justification is an imminent act of God, it's an eternal justification.

Being justified, by faith we have peace with God, by faith we come into the experience of what God has done. And what God did in the Lord Jesus Christ, a lamb slain from the foundation of the world, therefore being justified. By faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

All this, this is the doctrine. This is the doctrine. Justification. It's a glorious objective truth, isn't it? It has to do with law courts. And God is the judge, as we read there in Deuteronomy 25, in the opening verse. What is the duty of the judges in Israel? They are to condemn the wicked, they are to justify the righteous.

But the amazing thing is that in our Lord Jesus Christ, God is able to justify the ungodly. Ungodly sinners stand in Christ as righteous. That's the amazing, the amazing thing. All the wonder of the doctrine then that is being spoken of here in our text. That form of doctrine which was delivered you. And how was it delivered? How was it delivered? It was delivered through preaching. That's how it was delivered, through preaching.

After that John was put in prison, we're told in the opening chapter of Mark's Gospel, aren't we? John, the forerunner. John is put into prison, then comes Jesus into Galilee, preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom and saying the Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the Gospel.

This is how the form of doctrine is to be delivered to men then. And we read of that ministry of the apostles, don't we? Testifying both to Jews and Gentiles' repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. When Paul addresses the elders from the church at Ephesus, there in Acts chapter 20, he speaks of that, testifying both to Jew and Gentile. the message of the apostles, repentance to God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ.

He says to the Corinthians, I determine not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. What are these men told to do? They are told to go into all the world. They are to go into all the world and they are to preach the gospel to every creature, that's the commission that's given to the apostles and it is Christ who comes and it's Christ who is there in the preaching, it's Christ who speaks in the faithful ministry of the word of the gospel Paul goes on to say as much later, doesn't he? in the 10th chapter He says at verse 13, Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except they be sent?

As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things. And then he says at verse 17, So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. This is why we make much of the preaching. This is why in our non-conformist chapels the pulpit is the central piece of furniture. And the lectern, the reading of the Word, and the preaching of the Word, this is that which was rediscovered at the time of the Protestant Reformation. And thank God for it. It's Christ who comes in the French word. Remember what Paul says to those Ephesians at the end of the fourth chapter in that epistle.

He tells those Ephesians are living there in Asia Minor, Turkey as we would call it. And the Lord Jesus was never there. His ministry was confined to Palestine. He sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, but he's given his apostles that commission to go to the ends of the earth.

And Paul says to them at Ephesus, ye have not so learned Christ, if so be ye have heard him and been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus. How was it that they heard Christ and were taught by Christ? Through the preaching. All the Lord comes by His Spirit in His Word and works mightily and effectually in the hearts of sinners. So there's not only the doctrines, there's also the experience. there's the power of the gospel.

And we see that in what we have in the margin, where we have an alternative reading. You see, the original is so rich, in a sense, there's no adequate way in which it can be conveyed in our English tongue. Because the margin gives us a very different reading to the end of the verse. Instead of that form of doctrine which was delivered you it says that form of doctrine where to ye were delivered where to ye were delivered it wasn't just that the doctrine was delivered to them but they were delivered to the doctrine they were delivered to the doctrine and that's where that word form is interesting because again it doesn't just have the idea of an outline or a plan or a pattern we can also think more in terms of a die or a mould we can think of a foundry and we can think of a pattern shop and how that in the pattern shop they would make the pattern, they'd take the molten metal, they'd pour it into the pattern and the pattern would be reproduced in what came out of the mould. And that's another figure that we have here really. They were delivered to the doctrine. As well as the doctrine being delivered to them, the doctrine had an effect upon them. That was the case with the Thessalonians.

Paul says our Gospel came not unto you in word only but in power and in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance. The Kingdom of God is not in words. The Kingdom of God is in power. This is how God's Word has to come to us. There has to be that gracious working of the Spirit, that effectual call that comes in the Gospel. in that first epistle to the Thessalonians in the second chapter verse 13 Paul says for this cause also thank we God without ceasing because when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us ye received it not as the word of men but as it is in truth the word of God which effectually worketh which effectually worketh also in you that believe the word makes an impression there's a mark left there how important it is how important it is this was Paul's experience wasn't it he knew something of the conviction of sin that man did and now he speaks of his experience in the seventh chapter here what does he say concerning conviction.

Verse 14 of chapter 7. Yeah, verse 14, we know that the Lord is spiritual. He says, but I am carnal, sold under sin. verse 18 I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing for to will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not how this man's experience is being brought out all the time here certainly in this chapter how was it that he was made to feel real conviction under the law of God well he mentions it doesn't he previously in in verse 7 the end of verse 7 he says I have not known lost except the Lord had said thou shalt not covet this is the man who was a Pharisee a proud Pharisee who could say touching the righteousness which is of the Lord he considered himself blameless but how he's found out by that last of the Ten Commandments they shall not covet because whilst he might have been free from any murder or any adultery or any theft he'd never done any of those things but he couldn't stand before the Tenth Commandment covetousness that's not an action, that's an attitude of mind, of heart that's desire. Concupiscence is the word, isn't it, that's used here?

As he goes on to say in verse 8, Sin taking occasion by the commandment wrought in me all manner of concupiscence, all this evil desire that was there in the depths of my heart. I thought righteousness was just something I did outwardly, but what about my heart? Without the law, sin was dead. I was alive without the law once, then the commandment came, sin revived and I died.

We had to experience the law before everybody could experience the gospel. He had to know what it was to have his mouth shut. That's the ministry of the law, isn't it? Whatsoever things the law saith, it saith to them that are under the law that every mouth may be stopped.

And all the world become guilty, and he was guilty. He was a sinner. He was a sinner, and yet, oh, he knew the grace of God. He was a wretched man. And these things were ongoing, he feels these things. Although he's the same man, he's writing really in the present tense in Romans 7. This is the continual conflict, the old nature, the new nature.

Oh, wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? And then I thank God. through Jesus Christ our Lord all there is but that's one way of salvation and what was it then when when the word came to him and he as it were came to the words and there was that imprint upon his soul and what was it? it was the image of the Lord Jesus Christ Just as we can think of a coin being pressed into a die. And in our country, of course, on that coin we would have the head of the monarch, head of the king or the queen. Well, with the believer, it's the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's Christ revealed in me. And that's what he says. to the Galatians, He pleased God to reveal His Son in me, or Christ in you. Christ in you, the hope of glory.

And what is the consequence? Well, then we have to practice. When we've known that grace of God, that experience of the doctrine, what's the consequence? We're new creatures in the Lord Jesus Christ. we bear about the image of the Lord Jesus Christ and through this chapter as we read it Paul will speak again and again of obedience and righteousness and holiness look at the language that he uses at the beginning of the chapter what shall we say then shall we continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein?

Know ye not that so many of us who were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? When we make that profession, that public profession of our faith, in baptism, which is immersion, a washing in water, thorough purifying of the body as it were, but a purifying of the soul in the Lord Jesus Christ.

We're all together identified with him, we're buried with him. And we rise again from the watery grave in newness of life. We're united with him in his resurrection, that's what he's saying, we're different men and women. Very different to what we were.

Of course, when we come to the end of the epistle, after dealing with all these great doctrines all this form of doctrine which was delivered to you is dealing with doctrinal matters right the way through to the end of chapter 11 really and then we come to chapter 12 and we are introduced into the practical parts of the epistle this is you know what is if we know these things if we really embrace these doctrines By their fruit ye shall know them. And so he says, I beseech you therefore, brethren, mark the word therefore, he's drawing a consequence, isn't he? From what he said previously. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Be not conformed to this world. but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God and he gives so much practical advice and we were considering something of it really on Thursday weren't we when we were considering those words in chapter 14 you remember what we looked at there verses what 15 16 and 17 if thy brother be grieved with thy meat he's speaking about the matter of the weaker brother and the matter of diet and eating what one might consider to be unclean meat 1 Corinthians 8, he speaks in more detail about that, you know, those who would go to the market, to the shambles, and they'd buy meat, but they thought then, well, the name of some idol has been prayed over this meat, I can't eat this meat. But Paul said, well, really, an idol's nothing. The meat isn't tainted, because some idolatrous prayer has been prayed over it.

But there are the weaker brother, and he might feel in his conscience, I can't eat this meat. Well, what he's saying is, you know, take account of your brother. Verse 15 in chapter 14, If thy brother be grieved with thy meat, ne'er walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. Let not then your good be evil spoken of. The kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.

That's what the Gospel is, these great doctrines. And these great doctrines that will have a blessed effect upon those who know the truth of them. And so, what we have here then in the verses before us tonight follows that blessed pattern, doesn't it?

There's doctrine. It's not enough to have it before us on the page of Holy Scripture. That doctrine has got to come into our hearts. It's delivered to us. And by the blessed and gracious work of the Spirit, we look for Him to deliver us to the doctrine. And then we're those who are no longer the servants of sin, but we become, by the grace of God, the servants of righteousness well that's the truth that he says before us here in this portion these two verses in this sixth chapter verse 17 verse 18 but God be thanked that ye were the servants of sin but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you That doctrine where to ye were delivered, being then made free from sin in Christ, ye became servants of righteousness. Oh might we, in the good grace of God, know what it is to enter into all the fullness of what God is pleased to set before us, that form of doctrine. the glorious gospel of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. The Lord bless His word to us. Amen.