In the preceding chapters of the Epistle to the Romans, Paul has shown that salvation is purely of grace (undeserved kindness). Because we are saved by grace we can know that our salvation is eternally secure. But there are many who do not believe in the doctrine of eternal security (maybe because it seems too good to be true). In the opening verse of Romans 6, Paul presents an objection many people make against eternal security.
"What shall we say then? Shall we [who are now saved and safe in grace] continue in sin, that grace may abound?" (6:1).
You may recall that Paul wrote in chapter five, “But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (5:20). If righteousness is a gift, then would it not be better to continue in sin in order that grace may increasingly be seen? If salvation were by works, this question would never be raised, since one would have to keep on doing good works in order to merit salvation. But if salvation is by grace, then cannot one sin as much as he pleases and will this not actually display grace all the more?
You mothers wouldn’t tolerate this. Can you imagine your teenager saying, “Mom, I’ll keep my room messy so the whole neighborhood can see what a good housekeeper you are”? A boss wouldn’t let the employee say, “The reason I’m lazy is to give you an opportunity to display your forgiveness.” No one respects the beggar who refuses to work, saying, “I’m just giving the government an opportunity to demonstrate benevolence.”
We’d scoff at such hypocrisy. We wouldn’t tolerate it, and we wouldn’t do it.
Or would we? Perhaps we don’t sin so God can give grace, but do we ever sin knowing God will give grace? Do we ever compromise today, knowing we’ll confess tomorrow?
It’s easy to be like the fellow visiting Las Vegas who called the preacher, wanting to know the hours of the Sunday service. The preacher was impressed. “Most people who come to Las Vegas don’t do so to go to church.”
“Oh, I’m not coming for the church. I’m coming for the gambling and parties and wild women. If I have half as much fun as I intend too, I’ll need a church come Sunday morning?”
Is that the intent of grace? Is God’s goal to promote disobedience? Paul answers the question with an emphatic NO. Here is his answer:
"God forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" (6:2).
Should we continue in sin? It would not become us to do so, as the children of God, and it is not necessary for us to do so since we are now “dead to sin.” But who is “dead to sin”? Is it true that any Christian ever experienced a death to sin? Never was there one. Some Christians might tell you that they have died to sin, but don’t believe them (Ask their husband or wife). The death which is mentioned in this passage is said to be accomplished for every believer. All Christians are here said to have died unto sin. How can this be so?
There are three key words in this passage: Know, Reckon, and Yield.
I. GOD WANTS US TO KNOW CERTAIN TRUTH (6:3-10).
A. we must know the truth about Holy Spirit baptism.
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12:13, “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”
In this verse, three questions about Holy Sprit baptism are answered.
1. Who is baptized by the Holy Spirit?
The key word in this verse pertaining to this question is “all.” Who are the “all.” Remember Paul is writing to the Corinthian church; so he is addressing a group of Christians. And these believers weren’t a super-saintly group. Paul told them that they were carnal. But even though they hadn’t reached spiritual maturity, they still were all baptized by the Holy Spirit.
2. When does Holy Spirit baptism occur?
Some people will tell you that the Holy Spirit’s baptism is a second blessing; that it is subsequent to salvation. But if every Christian is baptized by the Holy Spirit, it must occur at the moment of salvation. So every Christian is baptized by the Holy Spirit at the instant they trust Christ.
3. What is Holy Spirit baptism?
It has to do with the forming of the body of Christ (the church) out of living members, and when one is united to Christ, he has been “baptized into one body.” There is no special experience related to Holy Spirit baptism.
B. we must know the truth about the results from Holy Spirit baptism.
"Know ye not [Or are ye ignorant], that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 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. For if we have been planted [conjoined, united, grown together] together in the likeness [oneness] of his death, we shall [be now, and forever] also in the likeness of his resurrection: knowing this [because we know this], that our old man is [was] crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve [be slaves to] sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin [they who have once died to sin, as we have in our Substitute, now stand free from its legal claims]. Now if we be dead with Christ [or, as we died with Christ] we believe that we shall also live with him [not only in heaven, but now]: knowing [because we know] that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him [We are encouraged to believe as much concerning ourselves]. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God" (6:3-10).
By Holy Spirit baptism we are crucified, buried, and raised with Christ. Being joined to the death and resurrection of Christ is that which actually accomplishes our transference from the dominion of the old life to that of the new life. Death to sin becomes then, not a hope, but a reality, because Christ died to sin once and we were joined to Him in that death by baptism. Death means separation, not extinction. So death to sin in this passage means separation from its domain or realm, but not the extinction of its presence. Baptism means association or identification with someone or something. Here it refers to our identification with Christ in His death so that we have been separated from the power of sin and to our identification with Him in His resurrection so that we can walk in newness of life.
As Christians, we have been saved from the penalty of sin; we can gain victory over the power of sin; but we will have to wait for heaven to be free from the presence of sin.
II. GOD WANTS US TO RECKON THIS TRUTH TO BE SO (6:11-12).
Based on this knowledge that God has done in Christ, a command immediately follows which presents our responsibility:
"Likewise reckon ye also to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord" 6:11).
What does the word “reckon” mean? It is one thing “to know”; it is something else “to reckon.” Many people have a general knowledge of the truths of these chapters but never enter into the good of them because they fail to reckon them true in experience. To “reckon” means to consider the facts that God wants us to know to be true and to act accordingly. This reckoning reminds us that we should o longer yield to the urges of the sin principle, to which we have died, but that we should now give ourselves to the will of God, to whom we are alive.
Illustration: You live like you have no money when you have a $1,000.00 income tax refund.
We are not told to reckon the sin nature to be dead; but we are exhorted to reckon ourselves to be dead unto it. Did the death of Christ literally destroy the power of the sin nature so that we have no tendency to sin? No, because the passage goes on to state:
"Let not sin, therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof" (6:12).
III. GOD WANTS US TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION (6:13).
"Neither yield ye your members [hands, feet, tongue, etc.] 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" (6:13).
Max Lucado, in his book In the Grip of Grace, likens living in sin to a prison. He asks, “What does the prison have that you desire? Do you miss the guilt? Are you homesick for dishonesty? Do you have fond memories of being lied to and forgotten? Was life better when you were dejected and rejected? Do you have a longing to once again see a sinner in the mirror? It makes no sense to go back to prison.”
jonathanmcleod@yahoo.com
