Let Your New Man Out
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." -- (Romans 12:1)
When you made Jesus Christ Lord of your life, you became what the Bible
calls a "new creature." Inside, you’re not the same person you were
before. You have the nature of God born into you. But it’s not enough
for you just to have that new nature on the inside. You have to let it
take over the outside as well.
Don’t expect that to happen automatically. You have to make a decision
to bring your body into obedience to the new man within you. You must
determine to do what Romans 6:12 says and "let not sin...reign in your
mortal body."
I know that sounds tough, but remember, you’re not in this alone. You
have a Helper inside you to enable you to carry out that decision. His
name is the Holy Spirit. He’s there to strengthen you. He gives you the
power to put sin out of your life and under your feet.
Make that decisive dedication of your body today--and let that new man
that’s on the inside of you begin to come out!
Romans 12:1
a[beseech] Greek: parakaleo (GSN-3870), to call aside; make an appeal in view of
certain facts. Here it is an appeal in view of the wonderful doctrines of Romans 1-8
and of God’s dispensational dealings with Jews and Gentiles in Romans 9-11. Paul
comes now to the practical application of the gospel to people (Romans 12:1-15:7).
b[mercies] Greek: oiktirmos (GSN-3628), tender compassions. Here; 2 Cor. 1:3;
Phil. 2:1; Col. 3:12; Hebrews 10:28. See note, §Matthew 9:36.
c[present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God] People are now to bring themselves to God instead of sacrifices to the altar as of old. They are now to be wholly the Lord’s as were the former sacrifices.
d[living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God]
Fifteen Commands about the Body
1.Yield it to God (Romans 11:1; Romans 6:13-20).
2.Make it living sacrifice (Romans 12:1).
3.Make it holy (Romans 12:1; 1 Cor. 3:17).
4.Make it accepted of God (Romans 12:1).
5.Make it full of light (Matthew 6:22).
6.Reckon it dead to sin (Romans 6:11).
7.Reckon it alive to God (Romans 6:11).
8.Refuse its slavery to sin (Romans 6:12).
9.Mortify its deeds (Romans 8:13).
10.Refuse to defile it (1 Cor. 3:17).
11.Make it fit temple of Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16-17; 1 Cor. 6:13-20).
12.Make it free from fornication and only for the Lord (1 Cor. 6:13-20).
13.Glorify God in it (1 Cor. 6:20).
14.Keep it in control (1 Cor. 9:27).
15.Put off its sins (Col. 2:11).
e[reasonable service] Rational worship, because performed with the heart, mind, and
soul of intelligent beings, and is in contrast to the worship of idols of Romans 1:25.
SCRIPTURE READING: Romans 6:12-23
Romans 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
A [Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body]
Here sin is pictured as a king or a tyrant, who has the soul passions, spirit faculties, and physical members of man under control, dominating his life. Let him not work or reign in the mortal body; give him no place or grounds for working in your being. Sin does not rule or ruin; sin rules and ruins. Wherever sin is, it will have more or less dominion.
b [obey it in the lusts thereof] Obey sin in its lusts. This further proves sin to be a real spirit person ruling the life. Sin itself has lusts other than the lusts of man. The lusts of sin are in reality the lusts of Satan (John 8:44; Ephes. 2:2-3; 1 John 2:17; 1 John 3:8). The lusts of man are his own creative powers depraved and corrupt (James 1:14; James 4:1,3; 2 Tim. 4:3; 1 Peter 4:2). They make up the basic Adamic nature. The same faculties that yield to sin can likewise yield to God and commit holy acts (Romans 6:13,16,18-20,22; Romans 8:1-13; Col. 3:5-10).
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.
a[Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin] It is
not sin to be tempted; the sin is in yielding (James 1:13-15). While sin exists as
satanic solicitation, it is Satan’s lust and sin, not ours. When we yield, we make the
Devil’s sin our own. The one tempted should obey James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8-9; Ephes.
4:27. When man refuses, regardless of how strong the temptation is, no sin is possible (1 John 3:4; James 1:13-15).
b[but yield yourselves unto God] Yield your will to God. Satan cannot force your
will, and God will not, so the safe and normal thing is to will to do God’s will.
c[instruments] Greek: hoplon (GSN-3696), weapons. Here; Romans 13:12; John
18:3; 2 Cor. 6:7; 2 Cor. 10:4.
Romans 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Romans 6:14
a [sin shall not have dominion over you] God delivers from sin at the new birth (2 Cor. 5:17-18; 1 John 3:9; 1 John 5:1-4,18), so if you become subject to it again, it is because of your choice (Romans 6:13).
b [for ye are not under the law, but under grace] You are not under the law that demands obedience, without giving power to obey. You are under grace that demands the same strict obedience to God, but gives free pardon for sin and power to obey.
Romans 6:15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
Having proved the sinfulness of both Jews and Gentiles and that both must be redeemed alike by Christ through faith and grace, Paul now takes up the argument of the divine method of dealing with sin and the secret of a victorious holy life (Romans 6:1-8:39). The questions come up that if salvation is free and apart from works-if the more heinous the sins the more abundant the grace to pardon, then may we not go on in sin so that the grace of God may become magnified? God forbid.
If our sins magnify the mercy and goodness of God, then the more wicked we are the more God can be glorified. If we thus glorify God, would He not be unjust in casting us off? It is only natural for me to reason this way for all my countrymen and I are involved.
[God forbid] This answers the questions of Romans 3:5, that sin is not necessary to magnify God. If so, then God would be unjust Himself and could not rightly be justified in judging the world.
Romans 3:7
a [For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner] Resuming my argument (of Romans 3:5) if the truth of God is magnified through our lies, or if the faithfulness of God in showing mercy and keeping promise to our fathers is through our unfaithfulness, then why should we be condemned as sinners? Why should we be blamed for something that must contribute so much to the honor and glory of God?
Romans 3:8
a [And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just] The answer to Romans 3:7. And why do you not say, seeing you assume that sin is necessary to magnify God and His pardoning grace, that we will go along with the apostles and Christianity, for it has been reported that they teach the same doctrine of doing evil that good may come. If you believe this slanderous report of Christians, then why persecute them? Those who report such slander are liable to just damnation.
Romans 6:1
a [What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? ... How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?] Questions 32-35. Next, §Romans 6:15. Having proved the sinfulness of both Jews and Gentiles and that both must be redeemed alike by Christ through faith and grace, Paul now takes up the argument of the divine method of dealing with sin and the secret of a victorious holy life (Romans 6:1-8:39). The questions come up that if salvation is free and apart from works-if the more heinous the sins the more abundant the grace to pardon, then may we not go on in sin so that the grace of God may become magnified? God forbid.
Romans 6:21
a [What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed?] Question 39. Next, §Romans 7:1.
b [fruit] Paul uses fruit to refer to good and evil results (Romans 6:21-22; Romans 7:4-5; Galatians 5:22-23; Ephes. 5:9; Phil. 1:11,22; Phil. 4:17; Hebrews 12:11).
c [things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death] Sin has two main results:
1. Present shame and emptiness (Romans 6:21)
2. Future, eternal death and hell, the end of a life of sowing to the flesh (Romans 6:21-23; Romans 8:13; Galatians 6:7-8; Rev. 20:6,10-15)
Romans 6:16 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?
a [Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey] Millions today have not learned these simple facts—that you cannot be a servant of sin and Satan and a servant of righteousness and Christ at the same time; that if you commit sin you are a servant of sin and Satan (John 8:34; 1 John 3:8) and not a Christian; that if you sin, Satan is your master and not Christ and that sin is the service of Satan and righteousness is the service of God.
Romans 6:17 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.
a [But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart] What is God to be thanked for? That you are not saved from sin or that you are?
b [form of doctrine which was delivered you] This refers to the gospel truths Paul is here making clear by his arguments. Here Christianity is pictured as a mold or die, into which people are cast, and from which they are stamped with the image of God and of Christ, and are made the holiness of God by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:11; 2 Cor. 3:18; Ephes. 4:24). They are cast in to the mold of doctrine and the Word of God is stamped on the heart (2 Cor. 3:1-3).
Romans 6:18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
a[free] Greek: eleutheroo (GSN-1659), set free. Here; Romans 6:22; Romans
8:2,21; John 8:32,36; Galatians 5:1.
b[servants] Greek: douloo (GSN-1402), to make a slave or servant (Greek: doulos
(GSN-1401); see note, §Matthew 20:27).
Romans 6:19 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.
a[manner of men] Greek: anthropinos (GSN-442). Here; 1 Cor. 2:4,13; 1 Cor.
4:3; 1 Cor. 10:13; James 3:7; 1 Peter 2:13. Greek writers often used it to signify what
was easy to understand. It means the opposite of the loftiness of poets and the sublime obscurity of philosophers.
b[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] Because of the weakness of your flesh. As you have yielded your physical members to sin and uncleanness, you must now do likewise to righteousness and holiness (Romans 6:19-20).
c[holiness] Greek: hagiasmos (GSN-38). Here; Romans 6:22; 1 Cor. 1:30; 1 Thes.
4:3,4,7; 2 Thes. 2:13; 1 Tim. 2:15; Hebrews 12:14; 1 Peter 1:2.
Romans 6:20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
a [For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness] Again Paul emphasizes the fact that a man cannot be a saint and a sinner; holy and sinful; and cannot serve God and Satan, or be a servant of sin and righteousness at the same time (Matthew 6:24).
Romans 6:21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
a [What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed?] Question 39. Next, §Romans 7:1.
b [fruit] Paul uses fruit to refer to good and evil results (Romans 6:21-22; Romans 7:4-5; Galatians 5:22-23; Ephes. 5:9; Phil. 1:11,22; Phil. 4:17; Hebrews 12:11).
c [things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death] Sin has two main results:
1. Present shame and emptiness (Romans 6:21)
2. Future, eternal death and hell, the end of a life of sowing to the flesh (Romans 6:21-23; Romans 8:13; Galatians 6:7-8; Rev. 20:6,10-15)
Romans 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
a [now being made free from sin] Now, in the present life people are free from sin in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17-18).
b [become servants to God] A change in masters means a change in service (Matthew 6:24).
c [ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life] Righteousness has two main results:
1. Present holiness of life (Romans 6:22)
2. Future and eternal life, the end of a life of sowing to the Spirit (Romans 6:22-23; Romans 8:13; Galatians 6:7-8; note, §John 6:27)
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
a[wages] Greek: opsonion (GSN-3800), recompense, wages. Here; Luke 3:14; 1
Cor. 9:7; 2 Cor. 11:8. Divine justice is under obligation to give sinners their wages or
be in debt to them forever (Luke 12:5; Rev. 20:11-15).
b[gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ] Eternal life is a free gift (Romans
5:15-18; Ephes. 2:8-9; John 10:28). People merit hell, but not eternal life. Jesus
Christ alone procurred it and gives it freely to all who believe (John 3:16; John 6:27;
Romans 3:24).
