Romans 6:17 (CSB) But thank God that, although you used to be slaves of sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching to which you were handed over,

Galatians 2:20 (CSB) I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (CSB) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!

We all have our past's. We all have sins that we did before coming to Jesus. We all now have a choice either follow these sins or follow Jesus. The readers in Rome were commended that they followed the pattern of Jesus. They not only followed it with their head but with their heart. They followed Jesus willingly. Not just out of obedience but out of love. Not just out of law but out of honor. 

There are some today who only do the rituals of the christian life but have forgotten Jesus their first love (Revelation 2:1-7). There are some today who trust Jesus for their salvation but have no faith in Him for their prosperity (Revelation 2:8-11). There are some today who try to live in sin while also claiming to be a follower of Christ (Revelation 2:12-17). There are some today who neglect the proper role of Authority and have giving the wrong authority to the wrong people (Revelation 2:18-29). There are some today claim to be in Christ but are NOT (Revelation 3:1-6). There are some today who have kept the word of Jesus, and have not deigned His name (Revelation 3:7-13). There are some today that neither want more of God or less of satan. They are completely comfortable where there are (Revelation 3:14-21). 

But to each one Jesus says "I will give the victor... the right to eat from the tree of life (2:7), ...protection over the second death (2:11) ... the hidden manna (2:17) ... a new name (2:17) ... authority over nations (2:26) ... the morning star (2:28) ... white clothes (3:5) ... a place in the book of life (3:5) ... a place of importance in the sanctuary of God (3:12) ... the right to sit with Me on My throne (3:21). But all these things are not promised to every Christian, but to those who are victorious over sin, the flesh, the world, and Satan!