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Difference between revisions of "Romans 6:1,2"

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==Romans 6:1,2 #1==
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==Romans 6:1,2#3 ==
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<p>What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? (Romans 7:24) </p>
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<p>What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? (Romans 6:1,2) </p>
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<p>The reason Paul wanted a body filled with God's Life is that he might be free from the sinful nature. Paul was a Jew, and he wanted to be completely righteous. </p>
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<p>It seems to me that Romans 6:1,2 are not being understood as Paul meant them to be. I think a correct understanding of these two verses will go a long way toward increasing the moral strength of the Christian churches. </p>
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<p>Now compare our viewpoint as Gentiles. We want to be free from the Law of Moses so there will be no law governing our conduct. We want to live as we please, and then go to Heaven where we will be released from all responsibility, pain, and dread. </p>
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<p>In the text that precedes Romans 6:1,2 Paul argues vehemently against our attempting to gain righteousness by works. By works, Paul was referring to the works of the Law of Moses. </p>
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<p>Paul's understanding of the method and goal of the new covenant are so different from our understanding of the method and goal of the new covenant that it is no marvel we have twisted Paul's message to our own moral destruction. </p>
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<p>Somehow, even at that early date, some teachers were arguing (whether sincerely or mockingly) that if God's grace is excusing our sin, we should keep sinning so God will have the opportunity to show more grace. </p>
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<p>I believe if we will think carefully about Romans 8:11-14 we will understand what Paul means by "we died to sin," and how this orientation to the Christian discipleship is to work out in practice. </p>
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<p>What religious people will do to avoid living righteously, what arguments they will employ, is a never-ending source of amazement! </p>
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<p>And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. (Romans 8:11) </p>
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<p>"Shall we go on sinning?" How ridiculous, when Paul stood so strongly for righteous, holy behavior. Yet, is there an element of this question in today's Christian emphasis on grace? </p>
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<p>We need to think more about the above verse. The unscriptural doctrine of the "pre-tribulation rapture" has obscured our true goal, which is to attain to resurrection life in our mortal body. This is the true Christian hope. Being caught up into the air to meet the Lord takes place, of necessity, after our mortal body has been made eternally alive in the Holy Spirit. </p>
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<p>Given the preaching and teaching of our time, one would expect Paul's answer to be, "We know we shouldn't go on sinning; but as long as we are in this world we have to sin. So if we should sin, Divine grace will bring us to Heaven anyway." </p>
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<p>We have God's Holy Spirit in us. We now have to fight the good fight of faith in order to keep the forces of darkness from removing God's Spirit from us. We have to lay hold on eternal life, or we will lose it. </p>
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<p>Such is today's answer. It is enough to make Paul turn over in his grave. </p>
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<p>Eternal life cannot be killed. But it can be separated from our personality. </p>
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<p>What did Paul say to the question shall we go on sinning? "By no means!" "God forbid such a conclusion from my efforts to turn people from Moses to Christ!" </p>
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<p>Death is separation. Spiritual death is separation from God. Physical death is the separation of our body from our spiritual personality. The second death is eternal separation from God. </p>
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<p>I wonder if we can catch the vehemence in Paul's response. I wonder if we of today would respond with the same vehemence. </p>
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<p>When the Life of Jesus Christ lives in us, then we are alive eternally. This fact shall be revealed in the Day of Resurrection, when our mortal body is raised from the dead and filled with eternal life. In fact, we have the essence of the resurrection in us at in the present hour. </p>
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<p>"We died to sin! How can we live in it any longer?" </p>
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<p>But if we are not prayerful, the forces of sin can crowd out that eternal life so it diminishes in us. Eternal life can be separated from us, leaving us spiritually dead and unprepared for the Day of Resurrection and the making alive of our mortal body. Does this make sense to you? </p>
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<p>Our ability to understand all of Paul's epistles hangs on our understanding of four words: "We died to sin." </p>
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<p>Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. (Romans 8:12) </p>
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<p>"We died to sin." What does this mean? </p>
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<p>Given the fact that the Spirit of God is in us now as a down payment against the day when God is ready to redeem our body, we do not owe our sinful nature anything that we should obey it. </p>
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<p>A former holiness movement concluded that there was an experience in which we died to sin, meaning the sinful nature was removed from us root and branch. It no longer was possible for us to sin. There were no compulsions to sin left in us. </p>
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<p>To be continued. [[Romans 6:1,2#4]]</p>
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<p>I don't think this point of view has gained many followers. No matter how overwhelming a spiritual experience we have, after it is over there are those sins that other people can see—whether or not we are aware of them. </p>
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<p>A second interpretation of "we died to sin" is the one that prevails today. The idea is that after we receive Christ we are to count ourselves dead to sin. Sin no longer is an issue. We can't sin in the sense that God sees us through Christ. </p>
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<p>When we lie, God sees the truth of Christ. When we commit adultery, God sees the moral purity of Christ. God has saved us by a sovereign, Divine election. We ought to try to do good, but our behavior is not critical. It is God's sovereign salvation that is the only determining issue. </p>
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<p>To be continued. [[Romans 6:1,2. 2]]</p>
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[[Category:Bible]]
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Revision as of 00:30, 29 November 2018

Romans 6:1,2#3

What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? (Romans 7:24)

The reason Paul wanted a body filled with God's Life is that he might be free from the sinful nature. Paul was a Jew, and he wanted to be completely righteous.

Now compare our viewpoint as Gentiles. We want to be free from the Law of Moses so there will be no law governing our conduct. We want to live as we please, and then go to Heaven where we will be released from all responsibility, pain, and dread.

Paul's understanding of the method and goal of the new covenant are so different from our understanding of the method and goal of the new covenant that it is no marvel we have twisted Paul's message to our own moral destruction.

I believe if we will think carefully about Romans 8:11-14 we will understand what Paul means by "we died to sin," and how this orientation to the Christian discipleship is to work out in practice.

And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. (Romans 8:11)

We need to think more about the above verse. The unscriptural doctrine of the "pre-tribulation rapture" has obscured our true goal, which is to attain to resurrection life in our mortal body. This is the true Christian hope. Being caught up into the air to meet the Lord takes place, of necessity, after our mortal body has been made eternally alive in the Holy Spirit.

We have God's Holy Spirit in us. We now have to fight the good fight of faith in order to keep the forces of darkness from removing God's Spirit from us. We have to lay hold on eternal life, or we will lose it.

Eternal life cannot be killed. But it can be separated from our personality.

Death is separation. Spiritual death is separation from God. Physical death is the separation of our body from our spiritual personality. The second death is eternal separation from God.

When the Life of Jesus Christ lives in us, then we are alive eternally. This fact shall be revealed in the Day of Resurrection, when our mortal body is raised from the dead and filled with eternal life. In fact, we have the essence of the resurrection in us at in the present hour.

But if we are not prayerful, the forces of sin can crowd out that eternal life so it diminishes in us. Eternal life can be separated from us, leaving us spiritually dead and unprepared for the Day of Resurrection and the making alive of our mortal body. Does this make sense to you?

Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. (Romans 8:12)

Given the fact that the Spirit of God is in us now as a down payment against the day when God is ready to redeem our body, we do not owe our sinful nature anything that we should obey it.

To be continued. Romans 6:1,2#4

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