October 22, 2023
Evening Service

As Paul builds his case of salvation through faith, in chapter 5 he explained to us that sin entered the world through one man, Adam, and righteous came through Jesus.  He summarizes his point in the last three verses:

Romans 5:19-21For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous.  (20)  Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, (21) so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

            Paul here states that “where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.”  He is setting us up for the next chapter where he opens with the question everyone is thinking as we can begin to see where he may be going with this.

 

Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?

            What an almost perfect scenario seems to be appearing as Paul teases us with the idea that the more we sin the better it is.  Our greater sin will put on display a greater amount of grace to be given for our forgiveness.  Live our life indulging all type of sin with the intention of giving God the glory for His abundant grace.  It is a win/win for everyone.  We get to do whatever we want and remain good in God’s eyes.  Sounds too good to be true and we all know it is.  Paul now resounding answers his own question and goes right in to the reasoning behind it. (Reread verse 1)

 

Rom 6:2-3 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?  (3)  Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?

            We, who have accepted Jesus as our Savior and are following Him, have died out to sin.  Paul now explains that our death came in the waters of baptism.  He goes on to explain further and this is crucial fully understand the meaning and purpose behind our baptism.

 

Rom 6:4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

            This again is as we discussed this morning something that occurs not physically, but spiritually.  As we are dropped into the water it symbolizes our death to our old sinful self there in the water as we are buried there also.  This symbolizes sin dying upon the cross with Jesus and being buried in the tomb on Good Friday.  The story did not end there for Jesus, not does it end there for us.  We are then resurrected, symbolizing Jesus’ resurrection, to “walk in the newness of life.”  Nothing was the same for Jesus and nothing is the same for us either.  Paul adds:

 

Rom 6:5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,

·        2Co 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

o   You have heard it been said about someone who comes to the Lord that they have been “converted” which means a change in form, character or function.  There is a spiritual change that occurs in us as we arise from the waters of baptism.  A dying out of self and the birth of someone new; a new creation; we are new in the eyes of God.  Our status has been updated.  We have removed our robe of filthy rags and put on the royal robe of Christ. 

·        Gal 3:27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

o   With our baptism, Jesus place His robe of righteousness upon us allowing us into the presence of the Father through Him.

o   Paul continues with this thought:

 

Rom 6:6-8 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.  (7)  For he who has died has been freed from sin.  (8)  Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,

·        With our spiritual death, we are freed from the bondage of our sin.  The price has been paid in full and our account is clear.  We are free from the wages of sin, what we deserve, which is death.

·        Following our death, we are made new and become fully alive in Christ.  Putting off the old and becoming that new creation is Christ. 

·        Col 3:9-10 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, (10) and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,

 

Rom 6:9-11 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.  (10)  For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.  (11)  Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

            Paul put it like this in the Galatian letter:

·        Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

·        The new life we now live is not our own.  We have been bought with a price and are fully yielded to becoming all that God has designed us to be.  We are to become like Him allowing Him to use us to do His will.  To build on this truth, Paul begins verse 12 with “therefore.”

 

Romans 6:12-14Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.  (13)  And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.  (14)  For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

            Therefore, because we have died to sin and live to God, we are not to allow sin to reign within our bodies.  Don’t let yourself become an “instrument of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to as being alive from the dead and your members be instruments of righteousness.”  Don’t let our enemy use you any longer as a tool leading to sin, but let the Lord use you as a tool for righteousness.  We have been changed from something that tears down what God is building; into something God now uses to build His kingdom.  Sin is no longer in the pilot’s seat, God is.

 

 

            I often use this scripture to challenge others to view themselves as a tool in God’s tool belt.  We are there, ready willing and able, to be used in any fashion to assist God in building His kingdom.  He is the Carpenter and I am the hammer He uses.  An example would be loving others.  God loves those around us through us; our words, actions and compassion.  We are His hands and feet to fulfill His Will.  Humbling isn’t it?  Paul now nails this point shut tight as he raises a similar question as he did at first.

 

Romans 6:15-18 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!  (16)  Do 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?  (17)  But 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.  (18)  And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

            By our spiritual death we have been set free from the bondage of sin.  We no longer are required to obey the fleshly desires that led to our death.  We have now become slaves to righteousness.  We have yielded ourselves, sold ourselves as willing slaves to God, to imitate our Savior and His righteous examples He has left for us.  We display our love for Him through obedience; obedience to avoid sin.

 

Romans 6:19-21 I 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.  (20)  For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.  (21)  What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.

            As slaves of sin, we were imprisoned to follow a life of “uncleanness and lawlessness;” which leads to death.  It was not a choice we made, we were born into that slavery ever since Adam and the Garden.  BUT now we have chosen to become indentured slaves of God by our own free will; it is not forced on us we have willingly chosen it for ourselves.  In so doing we also change the ending to our lives.

 

Romans 6:22-23 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.  (23)  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

            Our wages, what we deserve for committing sin, is death; separation from God.  I am so glad Paul did not place a period there at the end of that statement.  If he had, we all would be lost in our sins.  BUT the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Salvation/eternal life is a free gift given to us from the grace (unmerited favor) of God alone. 

 

Eph. 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, (9) not of works, lest anyone should boast.

            We don’t deserve it.  Don’t ask God to grant you justice, justice sends you to your death.  We can’t earn it.  We can never do enough that God “owes” us anything.  We can receive salvation/redemption/eternal life only as a free gift from God.

 He sets us free from sin, why would we want to return to it?

 Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?  Certainly not!  How can we who died to sin live any longer in it!

 

Heavenly Father thank You for the wonderful, undeserved, unearnable gift of salvation.  Thank You for freeing us from the wages of our sins through the redemptive blood of Jesus Christ.  Help me to yield myself to be a tool in Your hand for righteousness.