Romans - Chapter 6

VICTORY OVER SIN

ROMANS 6:15-23

AS WE JOURNEY DOWN THE ROMAN ROAD WITH PAUL, THERE ARE SEVERAL THEMES THAT WE MUST UNDERSTAND IN ORDER TO PROPERLY FOLLOW HIS TEACHINGS.

AMONG THOSE ARE:

The righteousness of God is a continual attribute and is expressed within creation.

Christ is the new Adam who, by taking on the likeness of human nature, has summarized all of human history since the fall, and has reversed that history which was moving toward destruction.

Faith is the human response lit by the fire of the Word kindled by the Holy Spirit.

God, through Christ, not only declares those He called righteous, but has made them so.

Imputation of this righteousness is a physical reality.

Sin is not a collection of mistakes or missteps along the journey of life. Since Adam, sin is what we are. It is the nature of mankind and is only  resolved when each one He calls to himself becomes a new creature with a new and holy second nature.

WE MUST TRAVEL BACK TO CHAPTER 2 TO BEGIN THIS UNDERSTANDING. 

THERE PAUL IS STRONGLY CRITICAL OF THE JEWS FOR TWO MAJOR FLAWS IN THEIR THINKING AND BEHAVIOR.

HE FIRST SAYS THERE IS PROFESSION WITHOUT PERFORMANCE.

THEY HAD DISPLEASED GOD WITH THEIR DISOBEDIENCE OF GOD'S COMMANDS.

THEY KNEW THE TRUTH AND THEY DID NOT LIVE IT.

THEY WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR UNBELIEVERS BEING MISLED AS THEIR JEWISH LIVES WERE NOT IN ACCORD WITH THEIR PROFESSION OF FAITH IN THE LAW AND THIS FAILURE ALLOWED GOD'S NAME TO BE DESPISED.

THE ORACLES OF GOD WERE GIVEN TO THEM AND THEY NO LONGER HONORED THE GIFTS GIVEN.

PAUL WAS ALSO CRITICAL OF THEIR RITUAL WITHOUT REALITY.

HE USED THE LONG HELD VIEW OF CIRCUMCISION OF THE FLESH AS A FACTOR AGAINST THEM.

PAUL WAS SURE THAT THIS SIGN OF THE COVENANT IN THEIR FLESH HAD LOST SIGNIFIGANCE AND WAS NOT VALID TO THE REALITY OF THEIR LIVES.

THIS IDEA (ALONG WITH THE CONCEPT OF IMPUTATION) WAS NOT A NEW IDEA, CONTRARY TO MANY WHO SEEM TO THINK SO.

JEREMIAH HAD SAID THE IDENTICAL THING IN JEREMIAH 4:4 WHEN HE TOLD THE CHOSEN PEOPLE TO  “... TAKE AWAY THE FORESKIN OF YOUR HEARTS...”.

NOW THIS TEACHING WAS VIEWED AS A THUNDERBOLT OF HERESY AS THIS ONE TEACHING WAS SACRED IN THE TEACHING OF THE RABBIS.

PAUL WAS NOW EMPHASIZING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RITUAL AND REALITY. 

THE MARK IN THE FLESH WAS SUPPOSED TO CARRY SPIRITUAL MEANING, BUT THE SPIRITUAL REALITY IT WAS SUPPOSED TO REPRESENT WAS NO LONGER EVIDENT.

NOW IN CHAPTER SIX PAUL UNFOLDS HIS RADICAL TEACHING ON HOW THOSE WHO COME TO BE “IN CHRIST” WIN VICTORY OVER SIN.

EVEN IN THE 20TH CENTURY THERE WERE SOME WHO TAUGHT THE FALSE DOCTRINE OF “CHEAP GRACE”.

IT MEANT THAT SINCE ONE IS SAVED AND SINS ARE FORGIVEN BY THE REDEMPTION OF THE SACRIFICE BY JESUS ON HIS CROSS, WE CAN DO WHATEVER WE WISH, SIN AS MUCH AS WE WISH, BECAUSE ALL SIN IS COVERED.

PAUL ATTACKS SUCH AN ABSURD IDEA IN CHAPTER 6.

WITHOUT INTRODUCTION OR WARNING, IN VERSES 1-7 PAUL TELLS HIS READERS (INCLUDING US) THAT ONCE SAVED, SINNERS WHO ARE THEN SAINTS HAVE “DIED TO SIN”.

PAUL THEN BEGINS HIS CORE TEACHING THAT SIN IS TO BE HANDLED THROUGH A RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST.

IN VERSES 8-10 PAUL EXPLORES & REVEALS THIS RELATIONSHIP.

HE SHOWS THAT THE OBEDIENT SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM UNITES THE BELIEVER TO JESUS AND IS THEREFORE A PARTICIPANT IN THE EXPERIENCE OF CHRIST.

HE HAS DIED TO SIN, BEEN BURIED AS HE GOES DOWN INTO THE WATER, AND IS THEN RAISED AGAIN AS HE COMES FORTH BEING THEN IN “NEW LIFE” WITH THE LORD.

GENERALLY BAPTISM WAS IMMEDIATE AFTER REPENTANCE AND CONVERSION IN THOSE DAYS. 

REMEMBER THE MOMENT BETWEEN PHILLIP & THE EUNUCH.

PAUL USES THE KEY PASSAGE HERE TO TEACH THAT JESUS DIED TO SIN ONCE FOR ALL. 

HERE PAUL IS SAYING THAT SINCE WE HAVE COME TO BE IN CHRIST IN OUR OWN BAPTISM, AND SINCE HE DIED TO SIN, THAT WE NOW HAVE DIED TO SIN AS WELL.

JESUS LIVED OVER THIRTY YEARS SURROUNDED  BY THE WRECKAGE OF SIN AMONG THE PEOPLE IN THE PROMISED LAND.

BUT PAUL CLEARLY TEACHES US IN 2ND COR 5:20 THAT HE HIMSELF KNEW NO SIN.

GOD MADE HIM TO BE SIN SO THAT HIS SACRIFICE WAS ACCEPTABLE PAYMENT FOR OUR SIN.

PAUL IS TEACHING US THAT WE ALSO MUST BE DONE WITH SIN AS WE SEEK TO LIVE IN CHRIST.

HE ALLOWS US THREE REASONS WHY THAT IS SO:

The person we were before Christ has been judged, condemned, sentenced, executed, and buried. We are finished with him forever and a new creature now lives.

The body, which is quick to yield to sin's temptation has now been placed in a position where this domination of sin is no longer the normal daily life.

The justified believer has now the freedom to walk away from the dominating power of sin in his life.

IN VERSES 11-14 PAUL EXPRESSES THE SAINT'S RELATIONSHIP TO TEMPTATION.

HE BEGINS WITH TWO STIPULATIONS:

• First, we are dead to sin.

• Second, we are alive to God.

BECAUSE OF THESE TWO THE BELIEVER MUST NO LONGER LET SIN REIGN IN HIS MORTAL BODY.

THERE IS NOTHING MYSTERIOUS IN THIS TEACHING.

IT IS SIMPLE AND DIRECT.

WE, AS BELIEVERS,MUST SIMPLY SAY NO IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS TO TEMPTATION.

THE OFF – SWITCH HAS BEEN PROVIDED TO US AND THE ABILITY TO USE IT IS THROUGH THE STRENGTH OF CHRIST, NOT OUR OWN.

HIS STRENGTH HAS BEEN IMPUTED TO EACH BELIEVER IN ORDER TO ALLOW EACH BELIEVER TO BE VICTORIOUS IN HIS INDIVIDUAL BATTLES ON A DAILY BASIS.

AS WE STUDIED IN EPHESIANS CHAPTER 6, WE KNOW THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD IS GIVEN TO THE BELIEVER AND IT PROTECTS US AGAINST THE ATTACKS OF SATAN ALLOWING US TO WIN THE DAILY BATTLES.

WE ARE NOT PREDESTINED TO AVOID TEMPTATION BUT WE ARE ALSO NOT PREDESTINED TO LOSE THE WAR.

TEMPTATION IS NOT SIN. YIELDING TO IT IS SINFUL.

IN VERSES 15-23 PAUL DEVELOPS THE RELATIONSHIP OF EACH SAINT TO RIGHTEOUSNESS.

THE FIRST LETTER FROM PAUL WENT TO THE CHURCH AT GALATIA.

IN THAT LETTER HE WROTE A SENTENCE (GAL 2:16) THAT ROCKED THE JEWISH WORLD OFF OF ITS FOUNDATIONS.

“...by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified...”

HERE PAUL TAUGHT THAT THERE IS NO LEVEL OF OBEDIENCE THAT WILL BRING SALVATION TO THE SONS OF ABRAHAM.

NO MAN (EXCEPT JESUS) EVER FULLY OBEYED THE LAW FOR THE NATURE OF MAN SINCE ADAM MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE.

MAN HAD BECOME INFESTED WITH THE CURSE OF SIN FROM ADAM.

THEREFORE BEFORE CONVERSION ALL BELIEVERS PLUS THOSE STILL LOST WERE SERVANTS OF SIN.

BUT NOW, THROUGH THE ONCE AND EFFECTIVE SACRIFICE OF CHRIST, BELIEVERS HAD BECOME SERVANTS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.

THOSE WHO, THROUGH THE GRACE OF GOD HAD BECOME UNITED WITH CHRIST HAVE BEEN MADE FREE FROM THE CURSE OF SIN AND HAD TRADED THEIR SLAVERY TO SIN FOR A SLAVERY TO RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR WHICH CHRIST STOOD AND WHICH HE ALLOWED EACH BELIEVER TO EXPERIENCE THROUGH THE GIFT OF HIS HOLY SPIRIT.

WHAT IS THE RESULT?

VERSE 22 IS VERY CLEAR. 

THIS NEW LIFESTYLE IN CHRIST LEADS US TO A LIFE OF “... FRUIT TO HOLINESS, AND THE END, EVERLASTING LIFE.”

WE CANNOT END THE MORNING STUDY WITHOUT DWELLING A MOMENT OR TWO ON THIS IDEA OF THE IMPUTATION OF ORIGINAL SIN TO EVERYONE AFTER ADAM (SAVE JESUS), AND THE IMPUTATION OF RIGHTEOUSNESS TO EVERY BELIEVER THROUGH CHRIST.

WE MUST RECALL THAT ADAM & EVE WERE THE LAST HUMANS TO ENJOY A RELATION WITH GOD WITHOUT SIN UNTIL JESUS CAME IN THE LIKENESS OF OUR FLESH.

ROMANS 5:19 IS VERY CLEAR:

“For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”

JUST AS OUR POINT EARLIER ON CIRCUMCISION WAS FOUND TO BEGIN IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, SO THE THOUGHT OF IMPUTATION IS AS WELL.

DAVID KNEW THIS FACT SURELY AND HE VOICED IT IN HIS GREAT PSALM OF CONFESSION (PSALMS 51:5):

“Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.”

MOSES SPOKE OF IT IN EXODUS 20:5:

“... visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children...”

ADAM'S SIN IS TRULY OUR SIN.

LEVI WAS SAID TO BE WITH HIS GREAT GRANDFATHER ABRAHAM WHEN THE TITHES WERE PAID TO MELCHIDEZEK EVEN THOUGH LEVI WAS NOT YET BORN. (HEBREWS 7:5)

OUR SOLIDARITY WITH ADAM IN SINFULLNESS THROUGH OUR HUMANITY IS IMPORTANT  TO NOTE FOR UNDERSTANDING AND ACCEPTING OUR SOLIDARITY WITH JESUS AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS AS PAUL EXPLAINS IN ROMANS 5.

HE DEFENDS THE WHOLE NOTION OF ONE MAN'S DEATH AS THE BASIS FOR ALL MEN'S RECONCILIATION WITH GOD.

SINCE WE GLADLY ACCEPT THE IMPUTATION OF SOMEONE ELSE'S RIGHTEOUSNESS, WE SHOULD NOT BE HESITANT TO ACCEPT WHAT IS IMPUTED AS TO SIN AND CONDEMNATION.

JUST AS ADAM WAS CREATED UNIQUELY SO TOO WAS JESUS.

BOTH REPRESENT HUMANITY.

THE FIRST ADAM REPRESENTS ALL BORN OF FLESH AND JESUS, THE LAST ADAM, REPRESENTS ALL BORN OF THE SPIRIT.

JESUS, BORN OF THE SPIRIT OF HEAVEN, KNEW NO SIN BUT BECAME SIN SO THAT WE COULD BECOME RIGHTEOUS BEFORE GOD, JUSTIFIED AS IF WE HAD NEVER SINNED OURSELVES, OUR VICTORY.

AND WE SEE THAT VICTORY ANNOUNCED IN ROMANS 8:1

“THERE IS THEREFORE NOW NO CONDEMNATION TO THEM THAT ARE IN CHRIST JESUS...”

HOW DO WE 2,000 YEARS LATER CLEARLY DEMONSTRATE THAT VICTORY IN OUR OWN LIVES?

THE DEVOTION OF THE BELIEVER  IS MEASURED ONLY BY THE DEPTH OF HIS SURRENDER.

OUR VICTORY OVER SIN IS SHOWN CLEARLY WHEN WE FINALLY

COME TO DEEPER SURRENDER OF OUR LIVES TO THE LORD.