CHAPTER 6

1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

God's grace abounded MORE than sin because of two imperial facts: First, God sent the law to expose sin and the penalty of sin, Second, God came in the Person of Christ to expose His mercy to forgive sin!

Shall we then take advantage of God's grace and "continue in sin"?
Paul's emphatic response is "God forbid!"

When we are saved, we come to Christ DYING to self, and desiring to live HIS way!
Baptism is a symbol of salvation.
We die to self, we are buried with Christ, then we are raised up by Him to live a different way!
That way is to live shunning sin!
And, THAT is living in "newness of life"!

In the following chapter we will find that man is not totally "dead to sin."
While we have died to self and the selfishness of sin, we still struggle with the temptations of sin.
Yet, we have the power, by His indwelling Holy Spirit to REFUSE sin and win the struggle. And, we are given an "Advocate" to help us when we do commit sin (1John 1:9, and 1John 2:1).

A truly born again Christian will have feelings in OBJECTION to sin.
He/she will certainly not LIVE in a faction of sin.
But, his/her desire will be to RESIST sin and live FOR Christ.

5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

There is a thought here (vs 5) that the Christian will be raised in the likeness of the Savior at the last resurrection day.
And, that thought may certainly be true.

However, the main thought here rests in the word "planted."
That word comes from the Greek sumphutos.
This word means being sown WITH; becoming intimately connected and similar to.

When one sows peas, they do not immediately spring up and bear other peas.
But, when a person is sown in Christ, he/she immediately is resurrected to live in "newness of life!"
(See Acts 2:38).
THIS is the indwelling power of God!
THIS is the power by which Christ was raised from the dead! THIS power resides in the born again Christian!

Therefore, the Christian is regenerated and will certainly not "serve sin!"
By the continual residence of God's Holy Spirit within, the Christian will ABHOR sin!
Sometimes he/she may FAIL, but he/she will never FALL!

7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
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.

In verse 6 above, the word "serve" is used. In verse 7, the word "freed" is used.
Connecting these two draws the symbol of slavery.
The slave who dies is free from his master's commands!

So the person being born again is freed from his/her former master - sin!
He/she now comes under the mastery of Christ!

Notice the verb usage in verse 8.
This is one of the reasons I like the KJV.
No other translation gives this verb sense.

"..if we BE dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also LIVE with Him."
The verb usage here indicates a present condition that has grown out of a past event.

Have you ever touched an electric wire?
If you have, you probably do all you can to AVOID that contact again!
That is a present condition that has grown out of a past event.

And so, if a person has truly died to self FOR Christ, then he/she will LIVE WITH Christ!
(Again, that may refer to a future event.
However, it most importantly refers to NOW.)

Christ "died once", but He "LIVETH unto God"!
Therefore, we who have died to self FOR Christ "live unto God THROUGH Jesus Christ our Lord."
And, so -- we should NOT allow sin to "reign" in our lives!

No, we cannot be sinless. (See Romans 3:23)
Because we are all sinners all the time.

But, we can certainly sin less!
And, we should not allow sin to "reign" in our life.
Because we HAVE MET Christ, and NOW live WITH Him!

14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
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?
17 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.
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

Sin cannot have "dominion" over the regenerated, born again Christian!
Christians are not "under the law".

The law brings the condemnation of sin.
But Christians are under "grace," which brings the forgiveness of sin.
Does that mean Christians can sin continually?
NO!
Because Christians, by an act of volition, have surrendered to Christ!
Therefore, they are HIS "servants" and seek to "obey" Him!

There are only two kinds of people in the world.
Those who live for sin and bring "death" (separation from God Who is LIFE) to themselves, and
Those who live in "obedience" to Christ and bring LIFE to themselves.

The Christian, having died to self for Christ, is FREED from the slavery to sin, and has become "servant(s) of righteousness."

19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to
uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

Here, Paul brings an emphatic conclusion to the purpose of this chapter.
It is a word of ENCOURAGEMENT!

We ALL have "the infirmity of the flesh."
We are housed in bodies which lust for selfishness.

Yet, if a person has indeed "yielded" his/her whole self to Christ, he/she should serve HIM and not sin.
Before meeting Christ, people sinned excessively, with "uncleanness (before God) and to iniquity unto iniquity."
But now, the regenerated Christians are admonished by our Lord to live a NEW way!
Matt 5:48 says, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

It is an admonishment for encouragement.
The Christian's purpose is to STRIVE for living without sinfulness!
It is the GOAL!
STRIVE to meet the GOAL!

20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The unregenerated man is "free from righteousness" because he is DEAD to Christ!
(See Ephesians 2:1)
But the regenerated born again person is "...quickened (made alive) together with" Christ (Colossians 2:13)!

The only "fruit" from sin is being "ashamed!"
The alcoholic, who accidentally runs over someone, has a sobering shameful meeting with the judge when he is convicted of vehicular manslaughter!

And, those who are drunk on sin will have a sobering shameful meeting with God at the last judgment!

Remember, "the WAGES of sin is DEATH!"
The death of our bodies is a penalty God exacts from us because of sin.
And, it means separation from the living.

But the greater death is to be banished from God eternally.
For He is LIFE, and to be banished from Him eternally is to exist in DEATH FOREVER!

The free "gift of God is eternal LIFE through Jesus Christ our Lord!"
To be surrendered to Him means we will exist in eternity WITH Him!

Have YOU surrendered to Jesus as Lord?
Have you DIED to self and received His precious gift of His Holy Spirit?

Then, LIVE!
Live with the life of Christ, emulating Him in all that you do!

PLEASE CONTINUE WITH US IN BIBLE STUDY TOMORROW.
BACK TO INDEX OF DEVOTIONS