INTRODUCTION
At the close of chapter 5, Romans 5:20-21, Paul exulted in the fact that grace abounded in the very places where sin had been the worst. The amount of sin in the world could not quench the grace of God. His grace simply abounded even more. This statement seemed to produce a plausible objection to Paul’s line of thinking. Doesn’t, the objector would say, your emphasis on grace mean that people should just not worry any more about sin? In fact, wouldn’t God be more glorified in forgiving lots of sin rather than just a little? Wouldn’t his grace have to grow even greater if we sinned some more?
Paul’s answer in Romans 6 reveals that salvation involves more than our eternal destination. It radically changes those who are saved. Because of this change, Paul says it is unthinkable that believers would continue to sin. Paul explains this change and the practical results of what has happened to believers in this week’s passage. Believers have died to sin along with Christ and therefore sin should no longer reign over them. They are dead to sin and alive to God, so choosing to sin would be inconsistent and it is unnecessary.
This week’s passage is one of the most important in the New Testament dealing with sanctification, or the believer’s growth in holy living. It is our emancipation proclamation from to sin, opening up for us a new level of freedom in responding to sin and its temptations. Every believer needs to understand this section of Romans. It is difficult to most of us, at least on a first reading, mainly because it teaches things that don’t seem to be our experience. But just as taking God at his word about salvation makes salvation real to us, so taking God at his word about our new nature and the transformation we have gone through in Christ will make that transformation real to us as well.
There are some key words in this passage that help us unlock its message. They are the verbs know, consider, and present. Can you locate them?
The word know is the focus of 6:1-10, consider in 6:11, and present in 6:12-13.
There are some facts we need to know. These facts will lead to a new way of looking at our self and our relationship to God. This will result in new choices which we both can and should make from day-to-day.
I. The sin question, 6:1
The questions is: since Paul says that God is glorified by how much grace he shows (5:20-21), shouldn’t we just so he will have to be gracious even more and forgive our sins?
II. Paul’s response, 6:2-13
In Paul’s thinking there is no way a person could conclude that the gospel encouraged sin. He gives his reasons in what will follow. Three key words in this section help us form the outline and capture Paul’s thoughts of the relationship believers now have to sin.
: verses 2b-10
: verse 11
: verses 12-13
B. Paul’s detailed response, 6:2b-13
1. There are truths to know, 6:2b-10
a. We to sin, 2b
sin:
sins:
b. We were with Christ, 3-4a
What baptism is Paul referring to when he says we were baptized into Christ?
baptism?
Baptism of ?
Baptism into the ?
I think it best to see this not as a reference to water baptism, but to the work of the Holy Spirit at the moment of our salvation in .
Side note:
This chapter introduces us to a relationship that Paul makes much of here and elsewhere. (You were to highlight in yellow the places Paul used the phrase “with him” or “with Christ”). It is our ‘in Christ’ relationship, or what is sometimes called our identification with Christ.
Vs 4 – buried with him
Vs 5 – united with him in a death like his
Vs 5 – (united) with him in a resurrection like his
Vs 6 – crucified with him
Vs 8 – died with Christ
Vs 8 – live with him
c. We were with Christ, 4b-5
We are not left dead. What good would we be?
We’ve been raised to . That newness includes a new relationship to sin.
d. Our old self was with Christ, 6a
“Old self” – all that we were .
Galatians 2:20
2 Corinthians 5:17
“body of sin” – all the sin-prone entities that dwell in my physical body
my
my
my
my
Etc.
“brought to nothing” (“done away with”, “rendered powerless”) – its power over us was so that we would be from its .
e. We are from sin, 6b-7
f. We are to God with Christ, 8-10
2. There are truths to confess, 6:11
Our Christian life has to be based not on our but on the .
The facts Paul has just listed are true whether we feel they are true or not. God’s Word says so. We cannot say, “I don’t feel dead to sin, so I must not be dead to sin.” While you may not feel it, if God says it, it is true.
Paul tells us exactly how we need to respond to these facts. There are two responses:
a. We must consider our self , 11a
“Consider” – to add up a column of numbers and come up with the total
b. We must consider our self , 11b
3. There are choices to make, 6:12-13
1. We must choose whether to let sin , 12
2. We must choose whether to let the members of our body serve or serve , 13
III. The conclusion, 6:14
CONCLUSION