This section continues Paul’s discussion of sanctification by reminding his readers of their past slavery to sin and their new slavery to righteousness. He wants them to live in submission to their new master, Jesus Christ, and not be entantagled again with the sins that characterized their old life, sins which no longer have any claim over them.
Antinomianism comes from the word comes from the Greek anti, against, and nomos, law. It is the unbiblical practice of living without regard to the righteousness of God, using God’s grace as a license to sin, and trusting grace to cleanse of sin. In other words, since grace is infinite and we are saved by grace, then we can sin all we want and still be saved. It is wrong because even though as Christians we are not under the Law (Romans 6:14) we still fulfill the Law in the Law of love (Romans 13:8,10; Galatians 5:14; 6:2). We are to love God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind, and our neighbor as ourselves (Luke 10:27)) and, thereby, avoid the offense of sin which cost God His only begotten Son. Paul speaks against the concept of antinomianism in Romans 6:1-2: "Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?". We are not to use the grace of God as a means of sin. Instead, we are to be controlled by the love of God and in that way bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22-25).
Romans 6:15, “15What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!”
Sin comes from the Greek word Hamartano which basically means choice. Sin is a choice in the will. Our choices leads to agreements that are made which lead to getting self in bondages. This leads to us missing the mark by running away, which leads to us wondering from the standard of God as revealed in the personhood and work of His sacrifice.
Law comes from the Greek Word nomos which is in the noun masculine sense here describing the Mosaic law, and referring, acc. to the context. Either to the volume of the law or to its contents. Paul is preparing his readers here in v.15 for what he will say in chapter 7. Thus what we see already is that Paul has already placed the Jew and Gentile in terms of the Law itself in his previous chapters but he did it in the framework of community. The Law here then would refer to the Old Covenant while grace would refer to the New Covenant. Paul is comparing and contrasting as he has previously in Romans. Paul uses comparison and contrast to get us to understand that sin is a choice; an action that we commit. This helps us too see that the Old Covenant leads to the New Covenant. The New Covenant isn’t possible without the Old Covenant, so therefore the Old covenant now after salvation leads us into obedience, but that is only after one has actually come into the New Covenant. The Old Covenant is bondage without the New Covenant.
Grace comes from the Greek word charis. It is used here in the noun feminine sense which would mean it is describing an event or place, as the law was previously. Grace can describe goodness, mercy but here it is being used to describe of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues.
What we will see in the next few verses are obedience (v.16) leads to freedom, freedom to righteousness, which leads to heart (vs.17), to right teaching/discipleship (v.17) and sound theology (v.17.).
Romans 6:16, “16Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?”
Paul is comparing obedience to slavery which is sin to slavery which is death to obedience which is righteousness. We place ourselves as believers in Egypt which is spiritual bondage when we choose to make agreements (choices) with Satan. We do not have to sell ourselves back into slavery as believers, because we have become heirs with the Lord. Paul is speaking of slavery in terms the people would have understood.
Slavery was a common in Rome at this time. Most wealthy land owners had tons of slaves. The government of Rome also sponsored slavery and used them in the affairs of the state. Paul’s audience would have known well what Paul was saying about slavery. When we choose to sin as a believer we are opening ourselves wide for Satan to cause havoc in our lives. We are in effect allowing our peace to be stolen from us. Don’t sell your inheritance for a cheap imitation any longer. Choose today that your inheritance as a child of the Lord is worth growing in and developing. Don’t sell yourself short; run the race towards the face of pursuing the high calling of being a child of the living God. You can be obedient now as a believer only through the shed blood of the Lord who gave you newness of life through His resurrection. Come and be invigorated in the mercies of the Lord today by presenting your life afresh to Him.
Romans 6: 17But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.”
Our former life of bondage in sin now as a believer we are to be obedient from the heart. Heart is the house of our spiritual life. Everything we have been taught flows from the reality and condition of our heart. A slave of sin is again the imagery that Paul is using to get us out of spiritual bondage and into spiritual freedom in Him. We are not condemned if we have actually received Him, but we cannot no longer walk in spiritual ignorance because we have the Light of His Spirit inside of us.
Heart comes from the Greek word Kardia which means the life and centre of our spiritual life. The heart is where the Spirit dwells, and where He moves and reshapes our lives. The teaching we receive into our Spirit being in effect shapes our understanding of Him in our hearts. This is why we must be taught properly in order for the teaching to actually take hold and form in us.
Form comes from the Greek word Tupos which means the teaching which embodies the sum and substance of religion and represents it to the mind, manner of writing, the contents and form of a letter. This just shows us how seriously we must guard our hearts as Proverbs 6:23 says for out of it springs forth the issues of life! The issues of life or the teachings we have received is the level that we are going to be able to guard our hearts, because of the form of mode of teaching that we have actually received which would lead to us too actually walking in and declaring forth the righteousness of the Lord as revealed through His Work on the Cross.
Teaching comes from the Greek word, Didache which means in religious assemblies of the Christians, to speak in the way of teaching, in distinction from other modes of speaking in public. The teaching we received is important, because it will dramatically affect how we in turn come to understand demonstrating as the living representation of His Word to the world. Its important that we receive proper biblical instruction in community based upon the Word so that our lives can actually represent His name.
The word committed here comes from the Greek word Paradidomi which means when the fruit will allow that is when its ripeness permits. The teaching that we have received into our hearts in turn into our Spirit self will then be what we have received is what we have done by committing ourselves to that teaching. This is why sound theology affects our hearts. Our study of Scripture increases the level of understanding in our Spirit selves in turn also in our hearts to display forth good works-by leading others to freedom in Him.
Romans 6:18, “18And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”
Freed from sin is what has occurred when you came to believe in Him. You were positional sanctified meaning as far as the east is to the west, He no longer remembers the record of your sin. Yet our sin is still a choice. We have become slavers of righteousness masters to obedience not to sin. Righteousness is how it is possible for us to be obedient.
Romans 6:19, “19I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.”
Paul in the first sentence deflates ego. In our former life in the flesh we presented our members to impurity and lawless which again leads back to v.1 of ch.6 and v.15-16 in ch.6. The Old Covenant is lawlessness because we cannot ever be under grace if we still haven’t come to the conclusion that He declared, “It is finished”. Many of us have the words down right, but in our hearts we think, “Perhaps maybe it was finished.” Yet what He said was, “It is finished” this just shows that it is easy for us to be mislead. It is easy for our hearts to be lied to and then we believe the form of teaching which isn’t able to cause us to be free. We are free from slavery to sin through the blood of the Lord. We can walk in freedom because the New Covenant is grace resulting in righteousness leading to sanctification. Therefore again what we see is the New Covenant leads us to grace, but then the Old Covenant leads us to obedience. The two Covenants work at one and the same time to get our attention, the Old to lead us to salvation, the New to sustain us, and the Old after salvation to lead us into obedience in and through His blood, resurrection, and ascension.
Romans 6:20, “20For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.”
What we were free from? Free in this sense comes from the greek word, Eleutheros which here is an adjective. This then leads us to see either that this word means 1) free, exempt, unrestrained, not bound by an obligation or 2) in an ethical sense: free from the yoke of the Mosaic Law. The problem that we are confronted here is we do have certain ethical requirements upon us as believers such as the Great Commandment. We are free in a sense but not free from the obligation to love Him with all of our hearts, minds and souls. We are freed to love Him but not free to pursue the passions of the flesh. Our obligation and response is to love Him by living an ethical life as a direct outgrowth of our love for Him. We were created to worship Him by enjoying His glory in creation and in the lives of those around us. You are free from slavery from the power of sin but you are only freed because you came out of ignorance, so now you are accountable, because righteousness dwells in your heart through the blood of the Lord, and the work of the Spirit inside of you.
Romans 6:21, “21What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.”
The testimony of our lives is the story of the ocean. Swales have come which have lead us to death, but hope is now found in righteousness leading to sanctification. Paul is again pointing out that bondages lead us to dependence upon the addictions that we often can find ourselves in, but there is hope that is found in the righteousness of what He did on the Cross. There is no need to be ashamed now as believers. Put your past into the watery grave where it belongs. What we need to do is confront the past and then put it to rest. If one continues to bring up the past then who can stand? We come to the table to experience mercy and forgiveness from the Lord in community so that we can be embraced and known.
Many of us are afraid that our bad fruits will be exposed for what they are, bad. Many of us perhaps think that we are bad. Perhaps many of us feel as if we have done everything in life wrong and nothing we do no matter what will matter. How wrong of us to have this attitude. The Lord holds out His hand for us to actually walk and dine with Him, not to condemn us nor beat us over the head. Its time that we set the record straight in the house where His Spirit dwells. Do we really believe in the goodness and mercy of the Lord as revealed through His sacrificial death for us? Are we truly going to depend upon that work to cleanse us and to equip us to serve Him? Are we going to hold onto Him knowing that when the swales come in our lives because its in that’s like those that we are going to need him to see us through?
The end of our fleshly pursuits is death, but since we are not ignorant of what He has done; we have no excuse, therefore we will be accountable for what we have done, because righteousness dwells in our heart through the work of the Spirit in our lives. Perhaps its time that you need to come to Him and let Him cleanse you? Perhaps there is something truly holding onto you in your life right now and you need to confess it to Him?
Let the work of the Spirit do its work within you right now. If you need to repent then repent of the sin that you are being shown or that you know you have committed. We cannot ever confess every sin because we don’t know every sin we have committed. Yet we can confess our sins, repent of them and move forward without condemnation, for He has not condemned us nor given us a Spirit of fear, but a Spirit of adoption as sons and daughters of the One true and living God of heaven and earth. Hallejiuah to the Lamb of God who takes away our sins!
Romans 6:22-23, “22But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Sin is death and freedom is eternal life. Which report are you going to believe today? We have seen what sin has done in our lives. It is a sad story to be sure, but it isn’t the story that you have been adopted into. You as a believer in the Lord are not bound to the slavery you were once part of, because you have been counted as righteous through His blood sacrifice and thus having entered into the family of Messiah are considered my brother or sister in the Lord. There is no death in that only spiritual life and freedom to rejoice in His name.
It is those who haven’t come to salvation through His blood by believing in there hearts in what He did for them, and by confessing with their mouths that He died on the Cross, was buried, Resurrected and Ascended to the Right hand of the Father that are living in the community of death. Paul is once again speaking of the community of faith and the community outside of faith which is death.
Perhaps you have never thought that your neighbor or friends may be living in a community so foreign to you that your mind may be lost here. The death that Paul is speaking of here is the rejection of the free gift of pardon of the sacrifice of the Lord and His work to bring us to Him. Those outside of salvation are placed in the community of death verses the community of life in the Spirit. Everyone is in either in one camp or the other. We are called to be separate from the world, yet still active in the affairs of the world. This means that we have to actually do something in winning those outside of the community and life of the Spirit by bringing those who are in the community of death into the community of the Spirit.
Paul is then comparing in 6:22-23 what freedom is now which is obedience to victory in His name in v.22. Freed from sin just means that we are justified. Paul is then again building upon his previous remarks on justification, but then also building upon them by explaining positional sanctification and separation now from sin. We are slaves to God for obedience. You have your fruit to holiness which is sanctification which is in the progressive sense because we are always to be progressing in the reality of becoming like Him who redeemed us, because we are to be part of the kingdom of everlasting life not of everlasting death.
Our eyes have been opened and now we can live from our hearts because the pattern and teaching we have received is the revelation of His absolute love for us as revealed through His sacrifice. It is in that that we are freed from sin, not to boast of what we have done, but of what He has done in leading us to the new life through His very blood. It is in that that we are no longer spiritual dead, but spiritually alive through His blood to be freed from the slavery we once found ourselves in which was death, but now as slaves to the Lord we are freed to live in the community of the Spirit and thus enjoy eternal life.
Are their things in your own life today that are hurting your life in relation to growth in the community of the Spirit? Come to the Lord today and confess your sins to Him. Once you confess your sins and repented of them you are forgiven. He is a faithful and just Lord, who washes away the sins we have committed as long as we admit them. Yet even if we don’t know them and come with a humble heart asking the Lord to open our hearts to receive the illumination of His light into us, He will always show us where we are weak and need improvement. The key to growth in the life of the Spirit is willingness to move forward by walking in His power. Come and walk as a slave of the Lord. Come and walk in freedom and power of His Spirit. This is the invitation of the Spirit to you today to walk in the Spirit and thus know Him truly.
Pastor David Jenkins
