25. ROMANS CHAPTER 6 VERSES 1–5 - MESSAGES IN ROMANS – DEAD TO SIN SO WHY CONTINUE IN SIN – THE GREAT TRUTH OF WATER BAPTISM
[1]. PART 1 – CONTINUING IN SIN – HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?
{{Romans 6:1 “What shall we say then? Are we to CONTINUE IN SIN that GRACE might increase?
Romans 6:2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it,”}}
Chapter 6 stands between the development of the great doctrines of the faith in the first five chapters and the struggle of a devoted man under the Law in chapter 7 and straight after, the victorious living in the Christian life starting at 8:1.
[A]. LET US SIN SO THAT GRACE MAY ABOUND – IS THAT WHAT IT IS?
{{Romans 6:1 “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase?
This chapter begins with the question that is based on the previous thought of Christian liberty that maybe is not properly resolved because Paul resorts to two questions to counteract any residual impression that we can keep sinning because God’s grace will cover all that. Here is the relevant verse from Chapter 5 – {{Romans 5:20 “The Law came in that the transgression might increase but WHERE SIN INCREASED, GRACE ABOUNDED ALL THE MORE”}}
The superficial reading of that verse is that the Law increased sin but the more the sin, so greater will be the grace of God to cover that. In other words, we have the liberty of sin because grace will cover that sin for us. The conclusion is that we can keep on sinning because grace will cover it all, as God is so gracious. It is a bit like the Catholic practice that one can keep sinning as long as one goes to the priest for absolution with a few “Hail Marys”.
We have discovered one magnificent operation of grace working like this - there was a principle at work that when law was established, so sin increased, because law stimulates sin through the inherited disobedience of the human race passed on from Adam. Where sin increased, so too did transgression and penalty. However God matched that with grace so that where sin increased, grace abounded even more. What conclusion might we draw from those facts?
One might, at this point, raise an objection. God’s grace is good, AND if our sinning promotes grace, then is it not a good thing to keep on sinning that grace may also be increased and keep abounding? By that habitual sinning we are promoting God’s grace among us; is that not so? Is the old sinful nature not augmenting the grace of God so that we should keep yielded to it?
“What shall we say then?” means, “What are we to conclude from what I (Paul) have been saying?” The next follow on question addresses the thought that may be in people’s minds and that is, “Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase?” but what it means is, “Can I continue in sin (for I love my sin), because there is increased grace for me?”
One great danger faced by some is that they know their sins are forgiven in a genuine conversion, but as time goes on, some get careless about their sin, and fall back into it, all the time thinking God has forgiven them, so it is not too bad a thing. That is absolutely wrong.
The converted man/woman ought to have a real consciousness of sin that stabs away at him/her when they have sinned, and not condone what they are doing. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit, who when He came, now convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgement. (John 16:8-11). That truth is not just for the unsaved person but applies to the Christian.
When a Christian sins, the indwelling Holy Spirit convicts of that sin and the person can either harden his ears to the Holy Spirit’s conviction, or turn around and repent. Sin can get such a hold of a person, even the Christian, so that it can be difficult to turn around. This is especially so with sexual sin. A man may leave his wife to go live with another woman and the Holy Spirit strongly pleads with that man but he is resolute in opposing the Holy Spirit, and in time the Spirit’s pleadings falls on deaf ears. Be tender to the Holy Spirit’s voice.
The conviction of the Holy Spirit in the life of a sinning Christian, will point to righteousness and holiness. We know we have failed the Lord and it is like tarnishing the righteousness of God. We feel unholy. The reason for the Spirit’s conviction is to turn us back to the Lord in repentance. The third aspect of the Holy Spirit’s ministry is to convict of judgement. Of course this is essential for the unsaved person, but for the Christian, he too has a judgement waiting. That is our appearance before the judgement seat of Christ, a judgement not for sin but for faithfulness in the Christian life and for rewards. The Lord will never wring out a Christian at the Bema judgement for all sin is forgiven, but what effect has that had on rewards? I would say, “Much”.
The Lord created the world for fruitfulness. So too, the Lord re-created us for fruitfulness in our Christian lives. Creation always relates to fruitfulness. To all created animals of every kind - {{Genesis 1:22 God blessed them, saying, “BE FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLY and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.”}}
To Adam and eve - {{Genesis 1:28 God blessed them and God said to them, “BE FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLY, and fill the earth and subdue it and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”}}
[B]. VERSE 2 – HOW CAN THAT WHICH IS DEAD STILL LIVE?
{{Romans 6:2 “MAY IT NEVER BE! How shall we who died to sin still live in it,”}}
In verse 2 Paul jumps on any objection to the fact. This is another use of the double negative in the Greek giving the sense of the extreme impossibility of any such thing like that happening. There is no way at all a converted man can be living in sin. A genuinely converted person has been redeemed from the sin market, and from the slavery of sin, and liberated to be reconciled with God. How could he possibly return to that when he has died to that way of life. It is dead, gone, buried.
The fact of burial is covered in the next verse. When a man or woman keeps dropping in and out of bouts of sin in wandering away from the Lord, then there could be a question about the conversion of that person. Remember Paul says it can not be that a Christian lives in sin.
A man can not have two masters. He belongs to one or the other. We all belonged to Satan before conversion but now belong to Christ. How inconceivable it is that we could return to the old master of sin again! Stand firm in the faith and do not be moved by temptation.
To live in sin is to be ruled by it; to be under its control. All of us must be careful regarding our walk. The deviation away from the Lord may be very slight to begin with, but it grows larger over time. {{2Corinthians 13:5 “TEST YOURSELVES to see if you are in the faith. EXAMINE YOURSELVES, or do you not recognise this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you - unless indeed you fail the test?”}}
We must also examine ourselves to see we have not slipped from the walk of faith or from loving our Saviour – {{Revelation 2:4-5 “but I have this against you, that YOU HAVE LEFT YOUR FIRST LOVE. Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first, or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place - unless you repent.”}}
When you slip up and sin, then apply this gracious provision of God - {{1 John 1:7-9 “but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS, HE IS FAITHFUL AND RIGHTEOUS TO FORGIVE us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”}}
However as a professing Christian, if you are walking in the darkness, then there is something wrong. Absolutely, by no means, can you do that! May it never be the case! There is one overriding fact here that can not be overlooked in any circumstance and here it is.
As Christians we have died to the sinful nature and have been freed from its grip, that is, we have become separated in death from the whole dominating and enslaving principle of sin’s control in our lives. That indeed is fact. Therefore, because we are dead in that sense, how can a dead person live a life in the former existence? That former life is dead. How can it be possible that anyone continues to live a life in an area to which we died?
[2]. PART 2 – THE OUTWARD DEMONSTRATION OF HAVING DIED AND THEN RAISED AGAIN
{{Romans 6:3 “or do you not know that all of us who HAVE BEEN BAPTISED INTO CHRIST JESUS HAVE BEEN BAPTISED INTO HIS DEATH?
Romans 6:4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life,
Romans 6:5 for if we have become united with Him in the LIKENESS OF HIS DEATH, certainly we shall be also in the LIKENESS OF HIS RESURRECTION,”}}
The first five verses all are connected. We saw how the Christian can not continue to live in sin. May it never be! We are dead to the old life. That dead to sin concept is absolutely connected with our being crucified with Christ and being alive in Him. It is what is demonstrated in baptism. I mean baptism by immersion, for scripturally, there is no other way. Even these Roman verses do not allow for another way.
Baptism by immersion is death, burial, and resurrection portrayed. We will look at these verses.
[A]. VERSE 3 – TO PROVE THE POINT ANSWER THIS – IT IS OBVIOUS
{{Romans 6:3 “or do you not know that all of us who have been baptised into Christ Jesus HAVE BEEN BAPTISED INTO HIS DEATH?”}}
Surely you have to realise this fact, that all Christians have been baptised into Christ (or should have been). We are speaking here of baptism through the waters which will be explained shortly. We have all been baptised into Christ Jesus and therefore, into His death. We have marked our identification as belonging to Him. The baptism of the Spirit, which all Christians receive at conversion, is not the baptism considered here.
Baptism is connected with death. ALL of us who have been baptised through immersion have been baptised unto His death. That means we have entered death with the Lord. As Christ died so DID we. Baptism signifies that.
When the believer enters the water it shows he is going into death. That means dying to the old life. Our old identity as sinners heading for hell, has died. The sinful person through faith was born again but it means he has died to sin (the practice of sin) to be born as a child of God. That is the first step in baptism, going into the water.
When I am baptised as a believer, I am identifying with the operation that happened in me with believing faith. I am baptised because I have been saved; not baptised to be saved. Baptised into Christ's death. I am proclaiming what happened to me at conversion. It is a testimony.
[B]. VERSE 4 – BAPTISM SIGNIFIES WALKING IN A NEW LIFE
{{Romans 6:4 “Therefore we have been BURIED WITH HIM THROUGH BAPTISM into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, SO WE TOO MIGHT WALK IN NEWNESS OF LIFE,”}}
Now we shall explain the matter in those verses. Baptism involves burial and resurrection and when the death just mentioned is added, we have a picture of the work of Christ on the cross. Christ died for sins, was buried and was raised again for our justification. It was the Father who raised Christ from the dead, and that was through glory, and in glory. The Lord Jesus Christ lives a new life, a resurrection life in the presence of His Father. There we have death, burial, resurrection and newness of life.
The Christian now follows the example of His Lord. The waters of baptism demonstrate in the life of a Christian, what His Lord passed through in His passion. It shows that in the act of baptism a person enters the water and there is a burial when the person passes under the water. It all symbolises the death and burial of the person concerned. Then he is raised from the water and that symbolises the new life in resurrection; then he walks in that newness of life, conducting himself in this new quality of life. Then we too walk in the newness of life as our Lord does. This act of baptism declares that a Christian who now belongs to Christ has died to the former way of life; all those aspects of shameful living have been buried, and now he is raised to a newness of life in Christ to live before the Father.
This verse completes the picture of baptism. Verse 3 was the picture of death. Verse 4 is the follow on – burial and resurrection. That provided the complete identification in baptism. We have died to the old life; it is buried; now we are alive from the dead old life of separation from God.
We come to a very important aspect. Verse 4 speaks of newness of life. If this teaching is misplaced then some could say that we take on new life at baptism. That is so wrong. Baptism is the witness of the new life gained through conversion. That means that the timing is important.
We know from the Acts that believers were all baptised as soon as possible after conversion, almost immediately. Only then does the meaning of these Roman verses make proper sense. Conversion and baptism go hand in hand. One follows on from the other.
In my experience with baptism, I can say that the believer who is baptised (especially close to conversion) is a stronger Christian for his faith. He is testifying in baptism what has happened in his life. In effect he says to the world, “The old me died when I trusted Jesus for salvation. The old me is buried and now I am walking in a new life.” That is so strengthening. It is confidence in the Lord. We need to get back to this biblical practice and man’s distortions like sprinkling of children, and baptismal classes before being baptised, and a probation period after conversion before baptism, are all wrong.
I would plead with any of you who belong to churches that don’t practice believers’ baptism in immersion, that you do something about it. We have seen what it means and the importance of it. There was NOT ONE believer in the New Testament who was not baptised in water. (not sprinkling!)
[C]. VERSE 5 – UNITED BY DEATH AND RESURRECTION
Romans 6:5 for if we have become united with Him in the LIKENESS OF HIS DEATH, certainly we shall be also in the LIKENESS OF HIS RESURRECTION,”}}
Baptism shows death and resurrection, and as we have died in Christ, we certainly will be in resurrection with Christ, for as He was raised from the tomb, so we firstly are raised from the old life; and shall be raised with new bodies one day.
Christ died for us and we have died in Him. In this aspect we have become permanently united with Him in His death (shown by baptism). In view of this fact of union with Christ in His death, in the very likeness of His death, as a most certain transaction, then the logical result is that we most certainly will be united with Him in the likeness of His resurrection. That union will continue to be a permanent one. This is a total identification with Christ - death, burial and resurrection - and baptism shows that.
This teaching on baptism is important because it is supporting the argument Paul is making in Chapter 5 in the list of contrasts and the positional importance of grace in the acceptance with God, but beware lest we abuse grace and go back to live a sinful life. Paul is explaining we are dead to that old life and our baptism was testifying to that fact.
The whole of Chapter 6 is a unity and it is not good to split the chapter, as there is a danger in losing the thread. For the sake of length we have to do that.
I will add one more thing. What we do next time is continue to look at “death to the old life”; its consequences and what it SHOULD mean to us.
