Romans,
Chapter 6
© Copyright 1998 Darroll Evans-all rights
reserved
Romans 6:1-2
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
If we have been saved from sin, and turned
from sin, why should even entertain the thought of returning to it? Sin mentioned in verse 1 is a verb indicating
the action or activity of sin. We are not to continue in our activity of sin.
In verse 2, the word sin is used as a noun. That speaks of the sin nature, the “old man”
(v. 6).
There is a special verse that many do not
read. Luke 9:62---“And
Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking
back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Romans 6:3-4
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were
baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as
Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also
should walk in newness of life.
Let’s discuss baptism.
“Baptism” (Gr. baptismatos-baptismatoV) means immersion.
Man-made traditional theology (sprinkling) will not alter the Greek
text.
Why do Churches sprinkle? Ignorance and tradition!
Why do they sprinkle children? They fear that the children will be cast into
hell if they die without being sprinkled.
Is the God you worship so cruel?
I once spoke with a person who proclaimed
that Jesus was baptized in 3 inches of water.
How she knew that I don’t know.
Old-line Protestant Churches sprinkle due to their Roman Catholic
tradition. Many are not immersed
because they do not understand immersion.
No Christian denomination founded after 1900 practices sprinkling.
Baptism is symbolic of the death, burial, and
resurrection of Christ Jesus. We go
under the water signifying His death and burial. We are raised to newness of
"life in Christ" signifying His resurrection and reconciliation to
the Father. Many miss the full meaning.
I know several people from Old-line Protestant Churches that were
immersed when they left those denominations.
Immersion is an act of obedience! However, baptism without repentance is
futile.
If you believe that God will cast any child
into the
Romans 6:5 For if we have been planted
together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his
resurrection:
Baptism by immersion is our symbolic planting
with Christ Jesus in His death, followed by our symbolic resurrection.
Romans 6:6-7
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin
might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
The old man, or pre-repentant nature has been
"crucified with" (Gr. sunestauroothee-sunestaurwqh) Christ. We
need to come to Christ in truth. Our old
sins are crucified with Him. God has not called us to serve sin!
“Sin” is used twice in verse 6. In both cases the Greek reference is to {the}
sin. In the first case, we find the reference says that we were crucified with
Christ in order to destroy “the body the sin.” We are to take up our cross
daily so as to perpetually (daily) crucify the sin nature, our old man. Sin, as used the second time in verse 6 also
speaks of the sin (Gr. tee
hamartia-th amartia).
The Greek text says, “so that we no longer serve the sin.”
“Freed” speaks of being caused to be seen as
righteous. We have been freed from {the}
sin, and not freed to again participate in sin activity. Being socially likeable is of no value
without Christ!
Romans 6:8 Now if we be dead with Christ,
we believe that we shall also live with him:
Here we run into the phrase "with
Christ" (Gr. sun christou-sun cristou)." That small Greek word/prefix, "sun-sun" is very important. The Greek means "to be in extremely
close association with." Paul
declares that we died "with" Christ. He also says we live "with"
Him. If you draw a lone on a piece of
paper, and then draw a second line exactly on top of the first, the second line
would be "with" the first.
Romans 6:9 Knowing that Christ being
raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
Christ Jesus has been raised from the dead. As a human being, Jesus was subject to death,
because he appropriated our sins.
He is reunited with, reconciled with the
Father, and is no longer subject to death.
Did you know that when Christ took our sins
death had "dominion" over Him?
If that were not true, He could not have died
for our sins! Jesus lived and died as a
human being. In His death, he
accomplished something no mere human could do.
Jesus did not die because of the scourging or the crucifixion! The soul that sins shall die (Ezekiel
18:4). Christ Jesus took responsibility
for our sins and that caused His death.
Romans 6:10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he
liveth, he liveth unto God.
He did it once {for all} (Gr. efapax-efapax)(Hebrews 10:10)! He took all our sins past---present---and
future! There is now no need for repeated sacrifices. Jesus made the sacrifice complete. Although Christ did not join with us in the sin
nature, He identified with us and died to {the} sin nature once for all.
Romans 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also
yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ
our Lord.
If we live through Christ, we are dead to
sin, because we are a new creation!
2
Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man
be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all
things are become new.
Romans 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in
your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
As new creations, as God’s children, we are
not to allow a deviant, sinful life-style rule in our lives. Again, we find a reference to {the} sin, the
sin nature.
Romans 6:13 Neither yield ye your members
as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as
those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of
righteousness unto God.
If you are Christ’s, live like it! Christians are instruments of God’s
righteousness! The Greek word translated
"Instruments" speaks of instruments of warfare. “Sin”---appears in the literal translation of
the Greek text as {the} sin, our sin nature.
We are not only instruments of His warfare. We are victorious in His
warfare.
Romans 6:14 For sin shall not have
dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
“Dominion” means to exercise lordship. Sin, the sin nature, is not your ruler,
Christ is!
Christians establish the Law. We are not under or subject to the law,
because we are subject to God’s grace!
The Law has only one purpose. It was given to point out sin. Once we acknowledge that the Law has pointed
out the sin in our lives and we have turned away from that sin, the Law has
fulfilled its purpose and we are no longer “under the law.” Then, grace takes over our lives and we are
“under grace.”
Romans 6:15 What then? shall we sin,
because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
Paul returns to rhetorical questioning. "Shall we sin?" Here, sin appears as an action verb. The spiritually ignorant may ask, “After
all, we are under grace, and so a little sin won’t hurt. Will it?” Grace is not license. Sin always hurts! Those that attempt to corrupt grace will
finds that it is not a good idea. Being
under grace does not give us a "license" to sin. Instead it gives the impetus to obey
God. Without grace we cannot obey God!
Romans 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye
yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether
of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
Do you obey sin or righteousness?
Your answer tells you if you follow Christ or
Satan. The living ones follow Christ.
The rest follow Satan, because life is not in them. In Verse 16, sin
leads to death. Again, Christ died on the cross because he acquired our sin.
Romans 6:17 But God be thanked, that ye were
the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine
which was delivered you.
Whatever you serve, you obey from the
heart. If you serve {the} sin, the
sinful nature, you will do it with your whole heart. If you serve Christ it must also be without
reservation. Christ does not save
halfway! Your obedience is not to be
halfway.
Romans 6:18 Being then made free from sin,
ye became the servants of righteousness.
We were servants of {the} sin,
our sinful nature. Now, in Christ, we are servants of
righteousness. In Christ, we are new
creations. 2 Corinthians 5:17---“Therefore
if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away;
behold, all things are become new.” We
are not to live according to our “old man” sinful nature. Instead, we are to be “renewed in the spirit”
of our mind (Eph 4:23).
Romans 6:19 I speak after the manner of
men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members
servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your
members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
Any good teacher will communicate on the
level of his/her students. It would be
futile to attempt to teach algebra to third graders. It is also futile to attempt to teach babes-in-Christ
the deep things of the Spirit. If in the
past, you yielded to uncleanness and iniquity, now in Christ it is time for you
to serve what is holy!
“Yield” means to stand beside. When we yield to something, we stand beside
it as if being on the same side. Are you
standing beside holiness?
Romans 6:20 For when ye were the servants
of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
This verse seems so plain in its concept. If
we serve {the} sin nature and unrighteousness we are free from righteousness. Do you understand the concept of being “free
from righteousness”?
1 John 3:4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness;
and sin is lawlessness. (NASB)
The Antichrist is the lawless one. 2 Thessalonians 2:8---“And then the
lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His
mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming” (NKJV).
Those that follow Satan take on his
characteristics of lawlessness. Those
that follow Christ take on His characteristics of law-abiding love and
forgiveness. No matter how good the
unrighteous seem to be, they are still UN-righteous! The world and most Church attendees cannot
differentiate between what is righteous and what is unrighteous. Satan has the
best PR campaign ever devised.
The Churches of America are filled with the
UN-righteousness. American Churches are
filled with those that support the murder of the unborn, abortion. They are filled with those that see no wrong
in just a little sin. Galatians 5:9---“A little leaven
leaveneth the whole lump.”
Romans 6:21 What fruit had ye then in
those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
What fruit, or advantage did we have when we
submit to sin’s call?
Absolutely none! Sin is a disadvantage because it leads to
death. John 10:10---"The
thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come
that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (NKJV).
Romans 6:22 But now being made free from
sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end
everlasting life.
Christians are not free from sin! We are free
from the spiritual effects of sin!
Notice that Paul writes that we are being made free from {the} sin
nature. That lack of full maturity is
reflected in our ability to sin even though we are followers of Christ. However, even though we sin, those sins are
covered in His grace! What are the
evidences of spiritual maturity?
Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (NKJV)
In Romans 6:22, everlasting (Gr. aiwnion) life is the birthright of all that come to Christ.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death;
but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The wages of {the} sin, the sin nature is
death! "Eternal life" (Gr. zooee aioonios-zwh aiwnioV) speaks of everlasting life, not eternal life. “Eternal” life is the exclusive domain of the
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! The word
“eternal” speaks of something with No beginning. No created being can have “eternal” life and
the Bible, Greek text, never says we have eternal life. Due to our being born again, we have
everlasting life! It is a technicality
that we should understand. God does not
call us to be ignorant in such matters.
This verse is part of the