Yielding your members as instruments of righteousness means choosing not to let the old Adam use your body for sin, but instead deliberately giving yourself and your body to God for His service.
Les Feldick explains that when Paul writes 'neither yield your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin,' he means do not give in to the old Adam, the old sin nature. The flip side is to yield yourselves unto God as those alive from the dead and present your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. This is an exercise of your free will—God does not force you, but the Spirit urges you to choose obedience.
Romans 6:13 — This is the verse that contains the exact phrase 'yield your members as instruments of righteousness unto God' and defines the two options before the believer.
In Romans 6:12–13, Paul commands believers: 'Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.' The passage presents a choice between two masters. Verse 16 states: 'Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?' Paul also shows the daily reality of this surrender by saying, 'I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily' (1 Corinthians 15:31), and he practiced it by keeping his body under subjection (1 Corinthians 9:27). In Romans 8:12–13, Paul adds that if you live after the flesh you shall die, but if through the Spirit you mortify the deeds of the body you shall live.
Les Feldick teaches that the phrase 'yield your members' is Paul's way of saying 'don't give in' to the old Adam—the old sin nature. He stresses that this command is up to the believer: God is not going to take anyone by the nap of the neck and force obedience; instead, there is constant urging by the indwelling Spirit. The positive side, Les says, is to 'yield yourselves unto God' as those who are alive from the dead, and present 'your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.' In practical terms, Les tells believers to keep old Adam under control and to keep the body under control, just as Paul did. He also uses the everyday illustration of an employee serving his employer: whoever you yield yourself to as a servant is the one you obey. Christian discipline is not miserable self-denial; it is a change of appetites—the things you once loved you begin to hate, and vice versa. A believer can still let old Adam reign in the mortal body, but if he does, God will discipline him, not undo his salvation. Les sees the same battle in Romans 8:12–13: through the Spirit believers mortify the deeds of the old body.
Les identifies the 'sin' in Romans 6 as the old Adam—the old sin nature. When Paul says do not yield your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, he means do not give in to the old Adam and do not let the functions of your body be used for unrighteousness. Old Adam is the source of all our problems, according to Les, and God reckons him as dead.
Yes. Les says the believer is given free will. God is not going to take anyone by the nap of the neck and say, 'You will obey Me.' Rather, there is constant urging by the indwelling Spirit. The implication from Scripture is to choose to be a Spirit-filled believer and not a fleshly-minded believer. Even though both are still believers, the command not to let old Adam reign is a real choice.
Les compares yielding to everyday employment: to whom you yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are. If you are employed by someone, that person tells you what he expects and pays your wages, and you give him your allegiance. In the same way, yielding your members to God means living as one alive from the dead and letting your body serve righteousness. This involves discipline, but it is not giving up things you love—it is a change of appetites.
Les connects Paul's statement in 1 Corinthians 15:31 ('I die daily') with Romans 6:13. The negative side is not yielding your members to sin; the positive side is yielding yourself to God as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness. Paul had to exercise this constant control, even keeping his body under control rather than beating the air. Les also notes Paul was under constant physical pressure and suffering for the gospel.
Not Under Law but Under Grace — What Romans 6:14 Really Means
(Transcribed by TurboScribe. Go Unlimited to remove this message.) Hello, and welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick. An Oklahoma rancher and farmer, Les Feldick has been teaching homestyle Bible classes for 20 years in Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas. Les Feldick's unique style of Bible teaching has made the books of the Bible come to life.
Do Not Give In to Old Adam
Les explains that Paul's 'neither yield your members' means don't give in to the old Adam, the old sin nature, and that the believer has free will to choose.
A Change of Appetites, Not Painful Giving Up
Les teaches that the disciplined Christian life is a change of appetites, not a matter of forcing yourself to give up things you still love.
Yield Yourselves Alive Unto God
Les connects Romans 6:13 with 1 Corinthians 15:31 to show that the positive side of not yielding to sin is yielding yourself to God as alive from the dead.
Yielding Determines Your Master
Les uses employment to illustrate that whoever you yield yourself to as a servant is the one you obey and serve.
Through the Spirit Mortify the Body
Les applies Romans 8:13 to the same principle, showing that believers put to death the deeds of the old body through the Spirit and are led by the Spirit.
Let Not Old Adam Reign
Les shows a believer can still let old Adam reign but says God will discipline such a believer; he also stresses choosing to be Spirit-filled rather than fleshly-minded.
Keep Old Adam and the Body Under Control
Les teaches that the believer must keep old Adam under control, and he points to Paul's example of keeping his body under control; old Adam is the source of the believer's wrongdoings.
Romans 6:13: Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
This is the exact verse in which the phrase 'yield your members as instruments of righteousness unto God' appears; it defines the two options.
Romans 6:12: Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Paul's preceding command sets up the warning against letting the old sin nature reign.
Romans 6:16: Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
This reinforces that yielding is a choice of which master you serve.
Romans 8:12: Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
Paul reiterates that believers are not obligated to live according to the flesh.
Romans 8:13: For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
Les applies this to the same battle against the old Adam.
1 Corinthians 15:31: I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
This is the verse Les pairs with Romans 6:13 to show daily dying to self and the old Adam.
1 Corinthians 9:27: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
Paul's statement about keeping his body under control illustrates the practical discipline of not letting old Adam run the body.
No. Les says God is not going to take anyone by the nap of the neck and force obedience. Instead, the believer is given free will, and the indwelling Spirit constantly urges the believer to choose to yield to God.
Yes, according to Les. A true believer can choose to be fleshly-minded and let old Adam reign, but God will discipline him. Les clarifies that discipline does not mean loss of salvation but is God's corrective action.
Old Adam is Les's term for the old sin nature. It is the source of all the believer's problems and the reason Paul says not to yield your members to sin. God reckons old Adam as dead, but the believer is still told to keep him under control.
No. Les says the Christian life does involve discipline, but you aren't going to give things up that you love because God changes your appetites—the things you once loved you begin to hate, and vice versa.
Watch the Teaching: Not Under Law but Under Grace — What Romans 6:14 Really Means