Book of Romans
Lesson # 14
Romans 6:1- 6:14
By Rev. James May
At the end of Romans chapter 5 Paul teaches us that where sin does abound, grace does much more abound. Sin entered the world through one man, Adam; but now grace and forgiveness for sin has been given to the world through one man who is greater than Adam. His name is Jesus. Because of the righteousness of Christ, we are given grace, and his grace is sufficient to bring us to a saving relationship with God. Grace is greater than the power of sin. Grace is greater than our faults and failures.
If we are not careful it will seem that because of the power of God’s grace, that we have been freedom from the power of sin forever. But we must realize that even grace will have its limits based upon our free will. The one thing that all of God’s power will never overcome is the power of free will that has been given to every man. It’s it God’s limit that he imposed upon himself, and since he is God that changes not, he will not overstep his own law in dealing with man. He refuses to impose his will upon the heart of any man, but requires that every man choose to serve him.
Paul continues this train of thought as we enter into chapter 6, verse 1.
Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
Reading these verses gives rise to wrong interpretations if we do not correctly interpret what Paul is saying. One very wrong interpretation is that many people in the church try to teach that once we are saved, we can no longer commit sin, and that if we do sin, then we were never really saved in the first place.
I have met some misled and confused Christians who taught this very thing, and nowhere in the Bible is this kind of doctrine supported. It is taken out of context and taught by those who have their own private interpretation.
Other people have interpreted this to mean that no matter how much we sin, that once we have been saved, that sin no longer has the power to overcome the grace of God that we have received and that we cannot lose our salvation because grace acts sort of like an ink blotter that continually soaks up the sin and removes the fact that it ever happened, whether we repent of that sin or not. This is what many might call unconditional eternal security.
Then, there are others of us who interpret verse to say that we are not given a free reign to still live in sin; that repentance means that we forsake a life of sin, and choose to live according to the will of God, but that if we do sin, God’s grace is sufficient to forgive us of that sin and the power of the blood of Jesus still cleanses us from all unrighteousness.
The biggest problem that arises in this school of thought is that there are many who assume that since God’s grace is always extended, it gives them the freedom to live as they want and then ask God for forgiveness and all will be well. They presume upon God’s grace, willfully committing sin, believing that forgiveness is theirs even though they don’t repent.
In this discussion tonight, I think it may be helpful to all of us to think about what Paul is trying to say and to really understand what grace, forgiveness, repentance and eternal security is really all about. There is a connecting link between all of these things, and even though that link from grace to eternal security is designed by God to be permanent, we must never discount the power of the free will of man to interfere with God’s plan for its permanent effect.
Paul’s question here is one that he assumes we should all know the answer to and that the answer should be “NO, God’s Grace does not give us the permission, nor the right, to live in sin so that Grace can be extended to us in an even greater measure”. To do such a thing is to negate the fact that God requires holiness of his people. One part of scripture cannot, and will not, discredit another.
In Verse 2, Paul answers this question in no uncertain terms so that there can be no assumption that sin in the life of any man is excusable. We must understand that sin, in any heart, that has not been cleansed by the blood of Jesus, still means death!
Romans 6:2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
If a man is born again, and he is cleansed from sin, and he is made into a new creation in Christ, he has become dead to sin and can no longer live in sin.
What does it mean to be dead to sin? There is a death for sin, a death in sin, and a death to sin. The death to sin is what we want to talk about here. We should be "dead to sin" when we are justified and sanctified in Christ. Justified people are dead to sin because sin is no longer counted unto them to bring condemnation and death. Justification means that they are set free from sin’s power to hurt them. Through Jesus, the power of sin is abolished. Sanctified people are dead to sin because sin no longer is the ruling power in their life. They no longer enjoy the pleasures of sin because they know of its power to destroy. Instead, we count sin as something to be hated, despised and avoided as much as is within us. Sin is no longer looked upon as a friend, but as an enemy. Its power no longer reigns over us, but we have an inward power through Christ to defeat sin.
When someone is dead to sin, they cannot be comfortable living in sin. They may fall into sin, and sometimes even stay there for a while, but they cannot live in sin for long. To stay in sin, and lose that desire to get away from it is the condition that we call backsliding.
Someone asked, “If someone says that they are born again, yet they continually go back into sin, is God’s grace sufficient to save them?”
In order to answer that question, there must be some more clarifications made to this idea of going back into sin.
As I said before, we cannot, or should not presume upon God’s grace. The Bible tells us that no man tempts God, but I’ve seen people who are constantly doing the same thing, time and again, and never changing, because they think that God will automatically forgive them of all sin. Sometimes I hear them say things like, “Well, I know God will forgive me, so I’ll just do what I want and keep asking for forgiveness. It doesn’t matter how long I sin, or how many times, as long as I trust God.” Let me tell you that this is a lie. To believe that we can continue to do the same thing over and over, without true repentance, and still be forgiven is wrong. God knows the heart and his grace and forgiveness are based upon the true condition of the heart, not just the words we speak.
Someone who presumes upon God’s grace and continues in sin, without any true repentance for that sin, should not expect God to forgive that sin. God’s grace is always there, but remember, he won’t overcome your free will. If we willfully, and continually commit sin, without truly repenting, then God knows our desire is to sin, and he will respect our free will. Of course sin that we love doing and have no desire to be free of, is sin that will condemn us and cause us to lose out with God.
Now, if a Christian is continually fighting a battle with a certain sin or weakness, yet in their heart, they hate that sin, and their desire is to be free of it, but somehow, because of the weakness of their flesh, they continue to fail but turn again and again in true repentance for that sin, God will forgive them and cleanse them again and again.
But let me also say, that when a heart is truly repentant of sin, though we may fall into that trap again and again, there will come that point in your walk with the Lord where you will grow in faith, and through the help of the Holy Ghost, you will overcome that weakness and the power of that sin will no longer hold you in its grip. If you truly repent, God knows your heart, and he will do everything he can to help you overcome sin, short of taking away your free will.
We can see this is any number of examples of vices and sins that have a strong hold on people when they are born again. Some may be addicted to cigarettes, or alcohol, or drugs or other things, and though they are born again, the flesh still wants these things in a powerful way. I know that the power of the Holy Ghost can, and often does, deliver people from these things in an instant. But I also know of a lot of Christians who have struggled with these things for a long time.
Likewise, there are people who have terrible tempers and they struggle with anger issues for a long time. I dare say that most of us here tonight may still be struggling with anger even though we have been saved for a long time.
What makes the struggle so hard? For most of them it’s a lack of self-control, a lack of discipline, and a lack of surrendering their will to God’s will, in other words – they need to crucify the flesh and draw closer to the Lord, and allow God to change them through his word and the power of the Holy Ghost. This all comes through the process of daily sanctification as we live holy before the Lord.
Though they love God, they haven’t reached that point of fully surrendering to Jesus. After a time of hearing the Word of God, learning to trust in the Lord, and having to come back to God in tearful repentance enough, they will eventually overcome these things. It could happen quickly, but not all people are on the same level with their faith, maturity in Christ or understanding of how God works in their lives.
I don’t believe there is forgiveness for those sins that we do as Christians as long as there is no true repentance and making every effort to turn away from them. But if we go back to God, in true repentance, for as long as it takes, and as many times as it takes, then God will be faithful and just to forgive us of our sin and make us righteous in his sight. It all has to do with free will and true repentance, and God knows our hearts!
God’s grace doesn’t give us the right to sin willfully. God’s forgiveness is never applied to sin where there is no true repentance for that sin. This holds true in the heart of a sinner as well as a wayward Child of God. By our own free will we can choose to leave the household of God and embrace the God of this world. But it can’t be both ways. We will only serve one master. Only you can choose who your Master will be?
Romans 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
When we are born again by the power of the Spirit of God, we are immediately baptized into Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. This isn’t speaking about water baptism, which is an outward sign of an inward conversion. This is speaking of a spiritual baptism, where we are taken from the pits of sin of this world, given a new heart and made into a new man in Christ, and we then fully immersed in the righteousness and grace of God through Christ.
At that instant we become dead to sin and alive in the spirit. At that instant we are given eternal life. Since we are now dead to sin, and in a mystical, spiritual union with Jesus, then our lives must be spent in living for Jesus and separated from this world of sin.
When we become one with Jesus, through the act of the Born Again experience, then we are also identified with Christ in his death. We share in the benefits of Jesus’ death upon the cross. In Jesus we have peace, forgiveness, righteousness and our sin-debt to God is paid in full. In Christ, our old man is crucified and the power of sin over us is destroyed.
Now, since we are dead to sin, and alive in Jesus, we have willfully placed upon ourselves an obligation to live righteously. We are identified with Christ and our lives are spent in a struggle to become more like Jesus every day.
Romans 6:4 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.
When we are Born Again, the old life of sin is gone forever. It is buried in Christ, covered over by the righteousness of Christ never to rise again. Though this body of flesh may live on for a time, the person who lived on the inside is made new.
Now we are not only identified with Christ in his death and burial, but we are also represented with Jesus in his resurrection, and therefore we arise a new man with a new heart and eternal life through the spirit. Since we are become new creatures, and have new hearts and new spirits, and we now live according to the new principles of light, life, grace, and holiness which are implanted in us, and have entered into a new profession of faith, we are now obligated to live accordingly with a new way of life and a new way of doing all things. Our lives must become examples of holiness, given to becoming more sanctified and filled with righteousness every day.
That’s why a truly repentant and born again Christian will have a change in their life that is visible to everyone around them.
Romans 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Since we are crucified with Christ, identifying with his death; we are also risen with Christ and identified with his resurrection. It’s a package deal.
Romans 6:6 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.
Romans 6:7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
Before we can truly be one with Christ, sin must be destroyed, and paid for. The penalty of death for sin must be carried out. Therefore, when we are crucified by faith in Christ’s crucifixion as our substitute, the power of sin that lived in us is destroyed. From that moment onward we are free from the power of sin to control us or condemn us. We are free in Christ; free indeed!
Romans 6:8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
This is really not a question of “if”, but more of a statement that we “are” dead with Christ. And since it is certain that we are dead in Christ, then it is also equally certain that we shall also be alive in him. We are not only alive in Christ while we are on this earth, walking as his disciples, but we are alive forever more, and we are looking forward to that glorious life in eternity.
We all know that we have a home in that New Jerusalem, in the new heavens, and new earth, and while on this earth, we are a part of the church. We all know that there is coming a day when we will see Jesus as he is, and we will walk with him hand in hand down the golden avenues of Heaven. There we will be in absolute joy and peace for endless ages. This is why we serve the Lord! This is why we must overcome sin! There is going to be a glorious future for all who serve the Lord!
Romans 6:9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
The Bible tells us that it is appointed to every man once to die, and then to face the judgment. Let me tell you that, as a Born Again Christian, you’ve already died, and you’ll never die again. You are alive eternally, alive in Christ, and death has no more dominion over you. Though you may lay this old corrupt body of flesh down, you will never die.
Romans 6:10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
Romans 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Jesus died once for all who will believe in him. Your death is finished at the cross. And now that Jesus is alive, your life is found in him. We are forever alive in Jesus Christ.
Romans 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
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.
Because we are alive in Christ and dead to sin, we must not allow sin to rule over us while we are in these mortal bodies. This body of flesh will always be your worst enemy, for it will constantly desire the things of the world, but your inner man, the spirit man within, must overcome the desires of the flesh.
We must yield our will to the will of God and not the will of the flesh. This body can only bring us to death through its lusts and desires, but the spirit man within will bring us to life.
We are to guard our hands and feet, be careful of what we hear and see, guard our minds and thoughts lest they become instruments of unrighteousness leading us to sin. All that we are must be yielded to the Lord and focus only on those things that give life. That’s our reasonable service to the Lord who has paid the price for us to have the life that we enjoy.
Romans 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Sin can’t rule over you if you don’t allow it. Sin may enter, but it cannot stay. You may fail, but you can’t remain in that condition. You are not under the law that condemns, but under God’s grace that sets you free and gives you life.
A truly Born Again Christian cannot live in sin and enjoy it. But if we aren’t careful, we can allow this body of flesh to rule over the spirit within, and then death can again be the result. Don’t allow sin to rule over you. Live holy unto the Lord.
