Welcome Back! Let’s continue our
journey through the book of Romans – “The Romans Road to Righteousness.”
The Roman’s Road to Righteousness (Chapter 6:1-14)
This
week we will begin reading chapter 6, verses
1-14 as we consider being Dead to Sin and
yet Alive to God in Jesus
Christ – Life verses Death…
We
now begin to enter into one of the greatest passages of our studies in the Word
of God! As we continue on our journey through Romans, we will delve into the
Apostles Paul’s excellent exposition of the doctrine of Sanctification – the on-going life
process in which the Lord Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit
makes the Christian righteous. Conformed to the image of God – by God
Himself!
DISCLAIMER: We're going to make our way through
these next few chapters theme by theme, taking the opportunity to thoroughly
follow through Paul's arguments. That said, inevitably what's going to happen
is we're going to cover some verses in which will raise many questions – many
of which will be answered if we'll just wait until the Lord addresses them!
Therefore, please be patient as we move progressively through the development
of Paul's dissertations – verse by verse, chapter by chapter. With that said,
let’s continue…
Since
we began our study of the book of Romans, we have swept through some wonderful
themes such as:
- By way of introduction in the first 17 verses of chapter one, the Apostle Paul provided an overview of the unfolding redemption that is in Jesus Christ.
- The Apostle Paul then launched into a great discourse on the sinfulness of man in chapter 1 verses 18 all the way through chapter 3 verse 20.
- Beginning in chapter 3 verse 21 all the way through chapter 5 verse 21, the Apostle Paul embarked upon a significant discussion of the doctrine of Salvation by “grace” through “faith” alone in the substitutionary work of Jesus Christ on the cross.
Up
to this point, there have been the two major doctrines found
within these themes: Man's sinfulness – Death and God's salvation – Life. Throughout
these two great foundational doctrines, Paul has been stressing the dire
situation of the inevitable doom that man faces because of his “sin” – wicked heart of total depravity.
We
now come to a new development in Paul's thinking and a third
major doctrine begins to emerge. Now that we have been saved out of “sin” into Salvation, what is the inevitable result? We're going
to see the answer to that question in chapters 6, 7
and 8 – the wonderful life-changing
doctrine of Sanctification – the believer’s “holiness” in Jesus Christ.
The
Apostle Paul introduces this next doctrine of Sanctification
by addressing a question that would inevitably come up at this point of his
Gospel presentation:
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? – Romans 6:1
Paul
was very good at anticipating the argument of his opponent – “What shall we say then?” After all,
he had preached the Gospel enough times to know what responses it generated. He
had presented to hostile groups long enough to know how they reacted and he
knew the inevitable antagonist's viewpoint. He also knew the “objections” he
needed to address in continuing his argument effectively… Paul’s
rhetorical question: "Shall we continue
in sin that grace may abound?" is followed by and adamant
response:
Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? – Romans 6:2
In
other words, since more “sin”
generates more of God’s “grace”
then shouldn’t we just continue to “sin”
now that we're redeemed? – “Certainly
not!”
NOTE: This false doctrine is known as
Antinomianism. This is the
very unbiblical belief that says one can willfully continue in “sin” to allow God to receive more “glory” by dispensing His “grace” as a license for unholy
living. Also known as “cheap grace” – this viewpoint is complete and
utter foolishness! Christians are not to use the “grace” of God as a means to “sin!” Instead, the true Christian is to be
controlled by the “love” of
God as a “fruit” of the Holy
Spirit:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love… – Galatians 5:22
Jude
also warned of this “ungodly”
doctrine which turned the “grace”
of God into “lewdness”
promulgated by “certain men”
who were “marked out for this
condemnation” – a solemn
reminder:
For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness – Jude 4
IMPORTANT: Although the true Christian will
continue to “sin” in the flesh
throughout God’s sanctifying work of “grace”
in their life, they cannot remain in habitual “sin” the way they did prior to
conversion due to the convicting presence of the Holy Spirit within the
believer. There is a big difference between stumbling into “sin” and willful disobedience – jumping
in with both feet! While true Christians will
continue to “sin” as part of the struggle with the “flesh,” their
lives are marked by a deep desire to pursue “holiness” and
walk in “obedience” to God's Word – “We
died to sin!” The Apostle Paul will address this
important subject matter in greater detail later in chapter
7…
Next
Paul explains what he means when he speaks about “dying” to “sin”
through a series of four “truth principles”
in which he meticulously works his way through in verses
3 to 14. Here we learn how the
true Christian has “died to sin”
in Jesus Christ.
Principle One – “baptized into Christ Jesus”
Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? – Romans 6:3
We're
not merely a Justified – a
legally declared righteous person – who chooses to do as he pleases.
When we became a Christian, we were brought into an intimate living union with
Jesus Christ! The Bible says we are “baptized into Christ Jesus” – baptizo
– immersed into Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit!
NOTE: Paul is not referring to water baptism
here. He's speaking of an “immersing ministry” where the Holy Spirit of God is
infused into the believer – “baptized
into His death” at the moment of conversion. This
represents an intimate and personal relationship with the
Lord!
Principle Two – “walk in newness of life”
Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin – Romans 6:4-6
Notice
Paul says "even so we
also should walk in newness of life" – this isn't
the "should" of
obligation, it is the "should"
of divine accomplishment. We walk in “newness of life” – now! This
is a tremendous truth. When we are saved by Jesus Christ we are “united together”
in His “death” and we rise to
“walk” in a new life so that
our “body of sin might be
done away with” – we are
made totally different! We “die” in Jesus Christ in order to “live” in Jesus Christ. We are “crucified with Him”
in His “death” in order to
partake of His “resurrection”
and life to “no longer be
slaves of sin” – Praise
the Lord!
The
entire Bible speaks of this “newness
of life” in such beautiful terms:
- Psalm 40 calls it a “new song”
- Ezekiel 18 calls it a “new spirit”
- Ezekiel 36 calls it a “new heart”
- 2 Corinthians 5 calls it a “new creation”
- Galatians 6 calls it a “new creature”
- Ephesians 4 calls it a “new man”
- Revelation 2 calls it a “new name”
Everything
is “new!” We are Called by God, Justified
in salvation to be made Sanctified
through Him – and ultimately at death we are Glorified
with “new” bodies!
Principle Three – “freed from sin”
For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God – Romans 6:7-10
How
do we know that Jesus Christ broke the power of “sin”
when He “died” on the cross?
Because God accepted His sacrifice by raising Him from the “dead” – He
defeated sin and death! And when He rose from the grave, He
proved to the world that He had broken the “dominion”
of “sin” and “death” forever!
When Jesus Christ conquered “death”
He conquered “sin.” It was a decisive,
complete and final victory. Therefore, “death” has no more power or “dominion over Him”
– or us!
The
writer of Hebrews chapters 7, 9 and 10 also explains that when Jesus Christ “died” once and came out of the “grave,” the believer was placed in His “death” & “resurrection” and we too have broken the
power of “sin” permanently in
our lives and it will never again lay tyrannical claim on our lives!
NOTE: This doesn't mean that we are freed from “sin's” presence. “Sin” abounds all around our sin-cursed
world and as long as our humanness and “flesh”
are with us on this side of heaven, we're going to struggle with that nature.
Since we still have some of those old sinful human bents and propensities,
we're going to have some problems. Therefore, Paul’s point here is that as we
have “died with Christ”
this “sin” is no longer ruling
and reigning over us – a very
important distinction!
Principle Four – “alive to God”
Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace – Romans 6:11-14
The
first word in this passage is "Likewise"
which takes us back through the first ten verses. This term "likewise" could be translated "Things
having been thus settled, we now move on" and simply means "now
after all of that is well in mind and in heart, we pursue the next truth."
The
second term is “reckon” and
here doctrine gives way to “faith.”
The word "know"
dealt with the mind. The
word "reckon" deals
with the heart. We “know” it to be so intellectually and
now we believe it by “faith”
– we “reckon” God’s truth. The
people who often run around looking for some kind of external phenomena
– “sign & wonder” – or internal feeling – “liver quiver” – to verify
the reality of Jesus Christ in their life don't have true “faith” – That's actually doubt
looking for proof!
The
word “present”
here in verse 13 brings us to the heart of
this passage which has to do with the will.
You must not “let sin reign
in your mortal body” but you must “present yourselves” as well as “your members as instruments of
righteousness to God” because “you are not under law but under grace”
– AMEN!
In
the Gospel of John, the Lord Jesus Christ also commands us to “do” good – which speaks to the will:
If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them – John 13:17
The
Apostle Peter calls Christians to “holy”
living – which also pertains to the will:
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light – 1 Peter 2:9
And
then Peter follows with this plea to “abstain” – also referring to the will:
Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul – 1 Peter 2:11
As
we've learned through the Word of God throughout our studies, “obedience” is always
founded on “sound doctrine.”
Exhortation never comes in a vacuum! It always comes built on a precept of Divine Truth. And here we have fourteen
verses of solid foundational doctrine in which to further build our Christian
lives upon – Praise the Lord!
In
closing:
The
tyranny of “sin” is total
domination. But in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and our subsequent “death” in Him, the old man “died” and we are no longer under slavery
to “sin” – no longer bond
slaves! There's only one way for us to deal with our “sin” – we must “die” to it! One will either “die” in hell forever paying for their own
“sin” debt or will “die” in Jesus Christ whom has already paid
their “sin” debt – paid in full!
In
salvation our bondage changes from being bound to “sin” to being bound to “righteousness” in Jesus Christ. From the
unceasing, incessant pattern of “sin,”
we are transformed into one who desires God’s “righteousness.”
This is a very important principle to understand. We have “died” to “sin”
– forever! A person who is born
again is translated out of the kingdom of darkness and is delivered from the
bondage of Satan.
The
Apostle Paul also emphatically states to the Ephesians that “we” who were “by nature children of wrath“ also “once walked according to the course of this world”
under the control of the “prince of the power
of the air” – the ruler of the darkness of this world:
And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others – Ephesians 2:1-3
But praise be to God we have been set free! We have come into “newness of life”
in Jesus Christ!
Please continue reading verses 1-14 of
the sixth chapter of Romans.
We are not guaranteed tomorrow – tomorrow may be too late! If you haven't yet made that most important decision of your life, won't you make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior today - before it's too late? Today is the day of Salvation!
If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com
I love hearing from you. Keep reading Encouraging Concepts!
Blessings!
Shane K. Morin <><
Encouraging Concepts
Truth for Today
"Living Life From a Biblical Worldview"Lighthouse Publications <><
