Romans 6

Big Moose

Big Moose

Romans 6 Comments in >>blue

1.What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? >>Paul is lead to pose a question. Logically you might assume that since last chapter stated that because of sin, grace abounded greatly, or all the more; so if we sin more, won’t grace abound more? And wouldn’t we want that?

2.Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? >>Of course not. If we are dead to sin, then it has no hold on us. We do not serve it any longer.

3.Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? >>Paul asks a question to make the statement that those who were baptized into Christ were also baptized into His death. Baptism makes or creates a direct link from Christ to us. Baptism is a visual description of the spiritual washing that happens to us. It is an immersion or an overwhelming of water all around you, giving you the idea of a complete covering of who you are. We have spiritually died with Jesus.

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. >>We died with Him, were buried with Him, and as He was raised to life, so too we are raised to new life. The physical baptism ceremony (not sure the right word for that) is a public testimony emulating Jesus. His baptism was the public declaration of the beginning of His ministry. For us it can be the same, including the profession of our testimony. The immersion into the water simulates our dying with Christ in His death and being buried. The water signifies our sins being washed away. The raising out of the water simulates our rising from the dead as Jesus did. This is why one needs to be of the age of determination to understand the meaning of the commitment they are making, linking themselves to Christ in this way.
 
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,
>>Pretty simple, if you are united with Christ in His death, then you are also united with Him in His resurrection. For us, it is our death to sin spiritually which frees us from sin's control or ownership. Try this analogy: While living, we owe taxes on a regular basis; when we die, our estate gets settled and then no more taxes can be levied on you, mainly because you aren't there anymore to pay them.o_O So when we lived in sin, sin taxed us and taxed us......and taxed us.... But now we died to sin and sin cannot tax us anymore, legally that is. We may end up paying those taxes by holding on to shame, regret, guilt, "not being good enough", etc. Spiritually, we have new life and don't owe sin a dime.

6 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.
>> Is your "old man(woman)" dead? So sin used to be our master. We died and sin lost the contract on our slave life.

7 For he who has died has been freed from sin.
>> Stop living in your old slave life. You are free.
 
8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,
>> Makes sense. If we join with Christ in death, then by His power we join with Christ in new life.

9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.
>> We will see in Romans 7 that Paul will use the analogy of the law ceases to have any power in terms of marriage when a spouse dies. Any laws governing marriage ends with a death. Any law for that matter loses its power over a person when they die. So in the same way, death has no power, or dominion, over Christ since He died. Likewise, those in Christ have spiritually died with Christ and sin has no rights to hold you spiritually.

10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
>> Jesus died for any and all who will receive Him in their heart which will free sin's grip on your life. Jesus died for us, but lives for God.

11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
>> Reckon.... consider, regard, be of the opinion, or expect it to be this way. Count yourself dead to sin, but alive to God. How was it said in the movies?....."You're dead to me!", when someone was so upset with what another did that they disowned them or would have nothing to do with them again. Same thing here. Sin doesn't want you around no more.
 
I had started the book of Romans years ago, and then COVID and other stuff happened. But now I picked up where I left off. I will refresh the first 5 to put them back to the top if any want to get those first ones.
 
Hi Big Moose
You explain things very clearly. I would love to read your first 5 chapters please.
Blessings
 
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.
>> After you are saved, sin can still rule over you, if you let it. This is a conundrum. We are free from sin's hold on us, yet we still have our desires, needs, free will and temptations. Your mortal body is somewhat like a rascally dog. If you let your shoes out in the open, then that dog will end up chewing up your shoes. This reminds us of what our Savior said in Matthew 18:9- And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. Remove those things that cause you to sin. How many times do we have to pray, "And lead us not into temptation..."
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 NLT version makes this one clear: 13Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. >>Completely is an all-encompassing word. Like saying you are going to do something perfectly. I think if we are just aware of this, a little practice would go a long way.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
>> Read 14 again, slowly. Sin SHALL NOT have dominion, or ruling ownership, over you. Wow! Why is this now? Because you are under grace. No laws to break, because God's Grace is over you. God knows what you really want, as in what you want your life story to be. So go ahead and go for it. You may stumble and sin for whatever reason. But God says you are not breaking laws of which you need to pay for. You have grace to see you through and a Savior to vouche for you.
This doesn't mean to ignore your sinning. Just realize it, repent for it, and return to the grace.
 
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Hi Big Moose
I find your posts very encouraging . You said "God knows what you want" I think that is very important. Someone once said to me "Your desire is your destiny." That strengthened my faith
 
So, we have just gotten through:
-needing grace because of sin
-our union with Christ and His death breaking us free from sin
-sin has no control on us
-we are not under the law, but under grace
Onto verse 15:

15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!
>> Logically, since there is no law hanging over our heads, a sin now and then is no big deal, right? We are free to do whatever, right? Um, that would be a big, fat "NO".

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?
>> If you follow something or obey directives, you are taking orders from a master. You become a slave to those things you put your effort towards. You really have to know what or who you are working for. This seems to become a crazy balancing act and a vetting process. If you think about where your efforts and work go and the goals or objectives that become the aim. When you are working for someone at your job, you are getting paid for your work, so that wouldn't be considered slavery, right? How much of your time is being consumed by your work? Do you put in extra time to do the best job?
Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.
Colossians 3:22 Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. 23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,
>> How do we balance this with the directives from Ecclesiastes and Colossians? ("Bondservants" in Colossians can also be translated as "Slaves".) Clearly, work hard at whatever your efforts are going towards. Check out what goal or outcome your work is going. There is so many things that could be connected especially if many people are involved. I suppose that we should focus on what we, personally, are doing, and is it connected to sin. Still, this is muddled with questions about our desires and whether selfishness is involved. o_O It seems we need to stay connected to God, obviously, to keep a compass of sorts in our mind to keep us on the right path.

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.
>> Interesting phrase, "that form of doctrine to which you were delivered". Here is the NLT:
17 Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. >> The thing that jumps out to me is that we need to be taught this doctrine, for we won't figure it out on our own. Except, of course, we get blinded by the light on the Damascus Road.

18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
>> Freed from the blame of sin, now there is no blame for being a slave to righteousness. In fact, blamelessness is a synonym for righteousness.

19 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.
>> Paul uses this slave reference, which he calls human terms, so his audience would understand the relationship between our actions and the things we are using them for. As we put away the sinful life we had been employed, we now make ourselves ready to employ our efforts into the morally right and the holy, or sacred, direction.
 
There is a difference between a servant and a slave. The servant gets paid for what they do and can quit their job whenever they want. The servant is responsible for getting food clothing and shelter for themselves and their families. A slave was purchased at a price is now considered the masters property. They must do as the master says. They are totally dependent on the master for all their needs, ie... food, clothing, and shelter. In ancient Rome a slave was treated with the same status as his\her master. This is why Jesus, and later Paul, used the image of a slave. We are either a slave to sin or a slave to Christ Jesus. As a slave to sin you have no desire for Jesus, as a slave of Jesus we should have no desire to serve sin. It is not an easy task as we have a sin nature, but, we must work to please our Master.
 
20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.
>>Paul is reiterating this theme comparing sin and righteousness again and again building up to one of the most confounding chapters in Romans 7, culminating in one of the most quintessential chapters of the Bible in Romans 8. When you served sin, you didn't care about righteous or moral living.

21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.
>> What fruit, or outcome, did you have from your sinful life that makes you regretful or ashamed? When someone is just filling their desires, nothing good comes of it. The end is death, or emptiness, no lasting value. My NLT Bible has an exposition on these two "realms" described in these past few chapters. One of death, one of life. One of sin, one of righteousness. The old evil vs. good scenario. Deuteronomy has corresponding scripture on this.
Deut. 11:26 “Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse: 27 the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you today; 28 and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known.

Deut. 30:15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, 16 in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, 18 I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. 19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; 20 that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”
>> I love verse 19, "therefore choose life", making things so clear to His people. Some people today think the sinful life is freedom, yet don't see the bondage sin puts you under.

Back to Romans 6:
22 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.
>>Free from the bondage of sin and death, now serving righteousness and life. The outcome has lasting value; building others up, creating and building God's kingdom and receiving a life without end.

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
>>One of the most famous verses of the Bible. Under sin, you earn wages of death. Juxtapose that with the gift given from God. These are the consequences of your choices. It goes the whole way back to Adam and Eve:
Genesis 2:15 Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

>>The benefits of sin is fleeting. The benefits of Christ is everlasting. Choose well.
 
Big Moose said:
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts
Click to expand...
paul is pretty straight forward and it don't take a phd to understand it

so actually we have no excuse when we fall into sin.. when paul wrote shall we sin because were under grace .he didn't stutter he straight up said NO as i stated in Church. i often feel there are many things we fail to understand or maybe ignore
 
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