Romans 6:1-14
“It’s not in saying NO; it’s in who you KNOW”
Intro
Vs. 1-2 Grace isn’t the problem
Vs. 3-5 Show them what they’ve won
Vs. 6-10 Wrestling with a quadriplegic
Vs. 11-14 Not living between “Good Friday” and the “Resurrection”
Intro
Having established that our salvation is apart from works, Paul anticipates that some will argue “If you emphasize grace, people will do whatever they want with regard to practicing sin.” Let’s say that you were stealing large amounts of money from your employer who had always treated you right. He catches you red handed and instead of firing you or throwing you in jail he gives you the option of paying off the debt yourself after you have been fired and done jail time or become his son. Now you choose becoming his son and you experience more blessings than you ever imagined. Do you think having been so blessed you would say, “Man, if I’m this blessed receiving what I didn’t deserve, I might as well continue stealing from him, so he will bless me even more?” In chapters 1 through 5 Paul spoke of the positional truth of justification: Which tells us we are dead in sin free from the penalty of sin. In chapters 6 through 8 Paul will speak on the practical truth of sanctification: Which tells us we are dead to sin free from the power of sin.
Vs. 1-2 Grace isn’t the problem
Vs. 1-2 “Grace isn’t the problem”, Paul says. Folks, “You can’t fight sin and the flesh by just saying NO, NO, NO!” In Rom. 2:4 Paul said “that the goodness of God leads you to repentance”. It’s knowing the “goodness” of God that enables you to say NO! Too many Christian live between “Good Friday” and “Resurrection Sunday” believing in the cross but never entering into the power of the resurrection, living in the wilderness somewhere between Egypt and the promised land.
The word “continue in sin” speaks not of an infrequent action but a lifestyle of practicing sin like they did prior to knowing Jesus. Apparently there were those who believed that such a lifestyle of sin was not just for personal satisfaction it was for the glory of God. Paul’s immediate answer to this was an emphatic NO WAY! You can only say No because of who you KNOW! In four words he explains why, “We died to sin!” The rest of this chapter is an explanation of those four words. “We died to sin”; doesn’t mean that “sin is dead in me!” As a Christian I have not reached a place (nor will I in this body) where I cannot sin. The word “died” is in the past tense, something that has already been done which means that Paul is not talking about a gradual change whereby we continue to die until we reach a place where we outgrow sin. Our once dead spirit has come alive by faith in Christ but our souls and bodies have functioned for years under the control of sin. That means our habits; thoughts and actions have all been established under the wrong influence. But now in Christ our spirit is free from sin alive while our souls (the seat of our feeling thoughts and actions), along with its influence over our bodies have been wired incorrectly. Prior to this we had no choice and we did what sinners do, sin! I watched an interview with “Brock Lesnar” the huge MMA fighter who prior to this was a world class wrestler. That’s what it was like fighting against the flesh before being a Christian; even if our heart had wanted to stop sinning it would just force us to do what it wanted. Before, we were dead in sin; now we are dead to sin.
Vs. 3-5 Show them what they’ve won
Vs. 3-5 Paul turns to two visual aids to help us realize this new power over sin, baptism and grafting a plant or a branch saying that every Christian should know this.
Baptism: The idea behind the Greek word for baptized is “to immerse something.” In Baptism we are identifying with Jesus’ death when we go under the water and with His resurrection when we come up out of the water. In baptism as a symbol our former life has been “put under” and what comes up out of the water is “clean,” washed in Jesus, “brand new”. Baptism doesn’t save us, only faith in Jesus does that, baptism is an outward sign that we identify with Jesus in His death and resurrection. In Desert storm chaplains didn’t anticipate such an outpouring of the Holy Spirit as many soldiers gave their life to Jesus. Out there in the desert they lacked the ability to conduct baptisms but one soldier came up with a perfect place to be identified with Jesus, a coffin!
Grafting: The phrase “we have been united together in the likeness of His death” is the process by which a graft becomes united with the life of a tree. Our participation in the death of Jesus makes our participation in His resurrection certain. The “crucified life” is preparation for “resurrection life”. If a drunk dies he can no longer be tempted by alcohol because his body is dead to all physical senses, he can’t see it, smell it or taste it or experience the feeling it would give him. In Christ we have died to sin so that we no longer want to continue in it. Folks, you cannot die with Christ and not be risen with Christ and you cannot be risen with Christ and not die with Christ. God doesn’t command us to be dead to sin He tells us that we are dead to sin and alive in Christ and encourages us to act upon that truth. The cross of Christ has not only separated us from the consequences of sin; it has separated us from the authority or power of sin over us as lord.
Vs. 6-10 Wrestling with a quadriplegic
Vs. 6-7 In these verses Paul explains what it means to die in Christ: Our old self, the person who was identified with Adam died with Jesus on the cross and as such our being a “natural-born sinner” ended the moment we became believers in Jesus. Now you may be thinking, “Hey if my old nature has been crucified then I’m living in a horror flick, I think I got a problem with a Zombie.” That phrase, “done away with” doesn’t mean “annihilated” it means “rendered inactive” or “paralyzed”. Our old nature is paralyzed from the neck down, which means it still has the ability to yell and scream telling you that you have to act in anger, you have to lust, lie, gossip etc. That old “Brock Lesnar” as menacing as he is, has been made a quadriplegic, paralyzed from the neck down. What a glorious revelation to realize that we are wrestling a quadriplegic that can only bluff you into doing what you used to do. Paul explains that Jesus was crucified in order that the sin which was in this body of ours would come to an end of dictating what we have to do. He explains in 2 Cor. 5:21 speaking of Jesus’ work on the cross he says, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
It was our sin that caused Jesus’ body to die. We bury a body because it is powerless, inactive, and by burying Jesus’ body covered in our sin the sin’s natural reign over us has ended. Paul elaborates in 2 Cor. 5:17 that “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” Two thousand years ago something amazing took place long before we came into existence; my old nature died with Jesus that not only the penalty for my actions may be put to death but also the power of the actions themselves. This truth is what John writes about in 1 John 3:9 where he says, “Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.” Our flesh now is a quadriplegic trying to convince us to do what we formerly had to do. A dead man can no longer have authority over us, we don’t battle the old man, we simply reckon him as dead.
Vs. 8-10 In these verses Paul explains what it means to be risen with Christ: Not only have we been set free from sin as we recognize ourselves dead to sin but we have also been united to Jesus in His resurrection in which we have His power to resist sin. In place of the old man, God gives the believer a new man – (a self that is instinctively obedient and pleasing to God). The first step was to understand that the demands of your flesh are just that, “demands” he has been rendered paralyzed. The second part of this is equally important as we understand that we are not wrestling this oversized quadriplegic in our own strength, we are doing so in the strength that overcame death! If we let the new man within us influence the mind, the will, and the emotions, then we will find the battle less intense. The new man not only has life; he has eternal life. With the new life, he lives to God.
Vs. 11-14 Not living between “Good Friday” and the “Resurrection”
Vs. 11-14 The word reckon in verse 11 is an accounting term that means to “add it up” and as such Paul is saying “do the math and you will arrive at the answer that you are dead to sin”. If you take a look at this passage you will discover that there are three ways we can master the flesh:
Association: Going back to verse 6 we read, “knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him”. Friends, you’ve got to decide who you are going to listen to. The story is told of three friends who decided they were going to attempt to cross Niagara Falls on a tight rope. The three friend’s names were Fact, Faith and Feeling. But before they attempted to cross the falls, they stretched a line across a swimming pool to practice, and they started with Feeling leading the way but every time he did whether Faith or Fact was next, they always ended up in the pool. Then they tried to put Feeling in the middle but if Faith was behind him they would again end up wet. Finally, it was decided that Feeling had to go last behind Faith and Fact and that Faith should not ever look behind him to see Feeling or they would again fall but instead keep his eyes fixed on Fact and they would make every time. Friends don’t let your Feelings guide you and don’t look back no matter how “tight and dangerous” the journey. Keep your eyes on the Fact of the Word of God and you will always cross over.
Appropriation: Vs. 11 “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The word “Reckon” is a word that comes from an accounting term. God never calls us to “crucify” the old man, but instead to account for him as already dead because of our identification with Jesus’ death on the cross. Friends we need to do the math, add up the numbers to come to the irrefutable conclusion of how complete the work of Christ was on the cross on your behalf. Our failure isn’t because there aren’t enough riches, it’s because we have failed to appropriate Christ’s riches and grace. We need only to be reminded of the fact that Jesus not only paid for the penalty of sin He has broken its power over us and that squawking and demanding of the flesh comes from a flesh that is paralyzed and we don’t have to do what it is demanding that we do.
Application: Vs. 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.” The final step to master the flesh is application. Faith has to take a step of action following after Fact without looking at Feelings! You need to realize that Satan and the world system formed a habitual pattern in your life that isn’t going to give up easily its hold over you, you are going to have a battle with it moment by moment but all you need to do is constantly remind yourself of this twofold process. “Hey hands, feet and eyes; we aren’t going to listen to the quadriplegic flesh, instead we are going to say NO to him and yes to true living and life in Jesus and have some real fun!” Spurgeon said, “The grace that does not change my life will not save my soul.”
Romans
“The Righteousness of God Revealed”
Vs. 15 Shall we sin because grace abounds?
Vs. 16-19a Designed to be mastered
Vs. 19b-21 Free to or free from?
Vs. 22-23 You get what you pay for
Intro
On October 3, 2003, during a live show at The Mirage, Roy Horn of Siegfried and Roy fame tripped over his pet seven-year-old male tiger “Mantacore” and suffered a near fatal bite on the neck. Horn had trained the tiger since he was a cub and had performed with him in the act for six years. As Roy Horn was being driven in critical condition to the hospital he was insisting that they “Don’t shoot the cat!” The Mirage suffered financially the loss of $50 million in annual ticket sales and untold millions in sales of food, beverages, hotel rooms and the casino’s gambling winnings. A spokesman said that even a greater loss was losing Siegfried and Roy who were “the faces” and brand name of the Mirage hotel.
What does this story have to do with Romans 6:15-23? Only this: You can’t keep playing with your “Flesh”; you won’t be able to tame it by saying nice kitty! “Can’t I just take it out every now and then to perform? If I cage it this may cost me financially, I’ll lose my identity!” Saints, like Siegfried and Roy, you can get it to “disappear” for a while even “jump through hoops”. But sooner or later it will trip you up and bite you, just like it did Roy. Though I can appreciate Roy’s love for his trained Big Cat, sooner or later my friend you are going to have to “shoot the cat”! Far too many Christians look at sin like Roy looked at his tiger, a pet. “After all, I don’t tell dirty jokes all the time. I don’t get drunk every week!” Remember your “pet flesh” hasn’t improved. He is still wild and sooner or later it’s going to bite you if you don’t shoot it.
Vs. 15 Shall we sin because grace abounds?
Vs. 15 Having convinced us that a lifestyle of habitual sin is not compatible with one whose life is changed by grace, Paul asks about an occasional sin here and there. The phrase “Shall we sin” in the Greek indicates this as it means dabbling in sin, not a continual habitual sin. The question in verse 1 was “Shall we continue IN sin” and the question here is “Shall we continue TO sin” and both have the same answer, “God forbid”. The first deals with a permanent state, the other with an isolated act.
There is a subtle lie that enters the heart of even the most dedicated Christian that would never ask, “Shall we sin that grace might abound”. Instead they ask, “Shall we sin because grace abounds!” “What if we sin occasionally because of the momentary pleasure involved?” “If we are under grace, not law, should we be concerned about a little sin here and there?” Every one of us faces temptations that beg us to react, that seem to shout at us “Go on give in this once!” “You’re not going to hell because of this one thing, after all if God didn’t want you to do this he wouldn’t have placed it in front of you.” “You’re not under the law, you’re under love; you can repent later!” Friends, it’s not what God will do to you if you sin; it’s what sin will do to your relationship with God that should trouble your heart.
Vs. 16-19a Designed to be mastered
In verses 16-23 Paul offers us three reasons why we shouldn’t “sin occasionally because of the momentary pleasure”.
Vs. 16-19a Sin makes you a slave again: There is a profound truth that no person wants to admit; “Humans were designed to be mastered,” the only question is by whom? Oh we would like to think that we are the masters of our own fate, the captains of our own ships but far too often our so called “freedoms” are the very things that have enslaved us. Saints, the option to live our life without serving either sin or obedience isn’t open to us. There is no “neutrality” in the flesh as Bob Dylan said, “But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed You’re gonna have to serve somebody Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord But you’re gonna have to serve somebody.” In verse 17 Paul says we “were” slaves of sin because now in Christ we have been set free from its power that it once had over us as we “obeyed from the heart”.
Saints listen up, we can be legally free positionally yet still choose to live like a prisoner. Also, in verse 17 we read the phrase “that form of doctrine” which is a word used to describe a mold used to shape molten metal. As a goldsmith we often practiced the “lost wax” technique as we would carve out our pattern in wax then place it in plaster heat it up for many hours until the wax had melted, place the flask on a centrifuge, melt the gold in a crucible and let the spring-loaded centrifuge go throwing the gold into the mold. Folks, when God wants to shape us He first melts us by the work of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. Then he lets us go into the mold of Jesus. Sin not only takes you further than you intended to go, but it also often takes others with you.
There is a little poem that illustrates this that goes: “I said a naughty word the other day, a word I hadn’t meant to say. But when it went out my mouth it was not lost when it flew, as someone else heard it and now they say it TOO!” In verse 18 Paul answers the question: “Why not occasionally sin?” another way. We are free from sin and now slaves of righteousness. We serve Mr. Righteousness as our boss not Mr. Sin as we don’t work for him anymore.
The Greek idea of being a slave was:
One whose will is swallowed up in the will of another
One who serves his master to the disregard of his own interest
The thought here is that since we “have been set free from sin”, we never have to sin again. Now sin is inevitable until our flesh is resurrected in glory but it isn’t because God has designed a system by which we must sin.
Vs. 19b-21 Free to or free from?
The 2nd of three reasons why we shouldn’t “sin occasionally because of the momentary pleasure”.
Vs. 19b-21 Sin will make you ashamed: Shame is the awareness of actions that have caused damage to others and sin in our life has left its irreparable fear on folks. Sin leaves a stain that not even tide or bleach can completely remove. Saints it’s always easier to make a good impression than it is to repair a bad one! We have all had words and actions we wished we could repair but when we see that person out and about, we avoid them because we are uncomfortable. You can’t drop the seeds of sin into the soil of your heart without one day reaping the fruit of what you have sown.
Vs. 22-23 You get what you pay for:
The final of three reasons why we shouldn’t “sin occasionally because of the momentary pleasure”:
Vs. 22-23 Sin will spread death in your life: When Paul talks about death in these verses he isn’t talking about physical death he is talking about the absence of life. The end of the things that constitute life like joy, peace, light and laughter. Fear creeps in followed by depression and anger; soon we are walking around bitter and shriveled up people. If we continue in sin we will inevitably look back over our lives at thousands of miles in the desert of wasted opportunities! Oh how much more we could have enjoyed the gift of this life had we not dabbled in this sin or that. Sin hides in the empty container of promised freedom, then places us in the box and closes the lid. We don’t have to experience this kind of death, the sad truth is often we choose it! Dear ones, what good is it to be free from sin by Jesus Christ and have the opportunity and possibility to walk in His wholeness, sense of worth and security of His constant love for you if you choose to ignore these things and go right back to being a slave? Jesus has made us free to be living as His ambassadors having a life of wholeness and self worth not bound up with conflicting kingdoms. Let me conclude by giving you three ways we can keep from enslaving ourselves to Mr. Sin.
Vs. 19b Don’t show up to work for your old boss: You start working at a new job with an amazing boss who pays you better than you ever imagined, incredible benefits. But at lunch you check out and go to your old crumby job with the tyrant of a boss and say what do you want me to do today I’m yours. That’s crazy, why would anyone do that? I don’t know but it’s repeated in our lives daily!
Vs. 20-22 It’s easier to stop an immobile object: “Lawlessness just leads to more lawlessness”, Paul says but so does “Righteousness lead to holiness”. There is dynamic power in our habits and once momentum gets going it’s difficult to change the direction we are pointed in so you better make sure you are heading the right way. If you’ve got going the wrong direction the first thing you are going to have to do is stop going that way and the 2nd equally important is start going the right way! To help in this determination Paul gives us a twofold test to determine the direction our action or attitude will be taking us:
Vs. 20 If you aren’t sure what direction you are going ask yourself, “Are you free TO or free FROM”?: When we are slaves of sin, we were free from doing what is right. Saints we are either at any given moment “free to sin” or “free from sin” but you will never be both at the same time and the only true freedom is freedom from sin’s power.
Vs. 21-22 Ask yourself what is the outcome of the action or attitude: The tree you plant will produce fruit either “death” or “life” and the tree that produces “death” always seems to taste good at first but it always makes you sick in the end. Whereas the fruit of life tastes good and continues to be sweet all the way through.
Consider these three things:
How little satisfaction your former sins afforded at the time you committed them.
How nothing but shame and sorrow followed you upon the completion of them.
How the lasting fruit would have caused eternal death if it wasn’t for God’s grace and mercy.
Vs. 23 You get what you pay for: When you work for sin, your wages are death. When we serve God we get the best benefit package imaginable. “Every sinner earns by their long, sore, and painful service, hell!” The author of Hebrews describes Moses choice to either be identified with the Egyptians, to whom he was regarded as royalty, or to be identified as a Hebrew slave and in 11:25 we are told that “He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin.” Make sure you read the “fine print” of the offer your old boss Mr. Sin is offering as it only offers temporary pleasure with a price tag that will cause you years of heartache. We ought to want to be as good a Christian as we were a sinner!