Difference between revisions of "6:1 What is the point of Paul's question here?"

Revision as of 22:19, 29 June 2011

This question is purely rhetorical - asked only for dramatic effect, not to seek an answer. Paul immediately counters it with a categorical rejection in the very next verse (cp V2). Paul had just finished telling the Roman Christians in Ch 5 that where sin exists, God's grace is exceedingly more powerful to provide forgiveness of sin (cp Ro 5:20-21). Having proclaimed this Paul had to then pre-empt any erroneous idea that believers can continue in sin and yet still retain their salvation because of the abundance of such grace.

Being "dead to sin" (V2) does not mean that the old sin nature is completely extinct in Christians. It is still there as scriptures clearly attest (cp1Jn 1:6-10). Being dead to sin means that sin no longer has any hold over Christians (cp Ro 6:14). God breaks sin's power over believers when they are converted to Christ and they no longer have to obey the behests of sin (cp 2Cor 5:14-15, 17; 1Jn 3:6-10; 5:4, 18). Those who are in Christ have died to sin. They are made partakers of the divine nature, causing them to hate sin and love holiness (cp Ro 6:17-18, 22; 8:3-4; 2Cor 3:18; Ga 2:16-20; Eph 4:17-24; Col 2:8-13; 1Pe 1:3-5; 2Pe 1:3-4). This produces in believers the desire to do God's will (cp Ro 12:1-2, 21; 1Cor 3:9; 6:19-20; Php 2:12-13; Col 3:1-10, 12-17). If this desire is not manifest in a believer then that believer must seriously question whether he or she is born again and saved (cp 2Cor 13:5; 1Jn 2:3-6).

Paul stresses the fact throughout Ro 6 that a true believer is identified by his death to sin. There is no provision in God's redemptive plan for believers to continue in sin (cp Ro 6:2, 6-7, 11-13). Believers must never yield their members to the "it is alright, we can do it now and repent later" mentality of some professing Christians. This could easily become a pathway to hell because every time they do that it becomes easier to do, and soon becomes a way of life (cp He 6:4-6; 10:26-31; 2Pe 2:20-22). Whoever sees in grace a pretext to sin is showing contempt for Christ (cp 2Sam 12:7-9). See comments on all Ro 6 questions, also Ro 3:9, 5:12-14, 7:4, 7:7-23, 8:1-2,8:3-4; Ga 5:17; Jas 4:5 and 1 Jn 3:6-9

6:3-5 What baptism is Paul referring to here?

It is widely taught in the contemporary church that this passage of scripture illustrates the spiritual significance of water baptism; that going down into the water symbolizes dying to sin, and coming up out of the water symbolizes being raised again in a new power to live a righteous life before God in Christ. But that is not correct. The real significance of water baptism is taught elsewhere in scripture which we will look at shortly, and it has nothing whatever to do with what Paul is teaching here. The baptism referred to here is spiritual: the baptism of believers into Jesus as members of his church at their conversion to Christ, by the Holy Spirit (cp 1Cor 12:12-14,27). Here the church is called "Christ" and is compared to a human body with its many members. This shows us how the church is constituted: the Holy Spirit unites believers with Jesus as members of His body, the church, when they put their faith in Jesus for their salvation. This is what being baptized into Christ means (cp Ro 12:5; 1Cor 6:17; 10:17; 12:12-14; Ga 3:26-27; Col 1:12-14). It is when believers surrender their lives to Christ that they identify with His death, burial and resurrection. This is when they are born again spiritually and the power of sin over their lives is broken. It is not when they go through the waters of baptism as so many suppose Ro 6:3-5 teaches (cp Ro 6:14 with 2Cor 5:14-15, 17; Col 2:8-13; 1Jn 3:6-10; 5:4, 18).

This is the "newness of life" Paul refers to in Ro 6:4. It speaks of the new life imparted by the Holy Spirit at their new birth, which is a motivating energy providing both the desire and the power for believers to live a Godly life in Christ (cp Ro 6:17-18 with 2Cor 3:18; Ga 2:16-19; Eph 2:1-9; Php 2:12-13; 1Pe 1:3-5; 2Pe 1:1-4). Newness of life does not refer to what kind of a life believers are to live before the world as their Christian witness, but how to live that life in the resurrection power of Jesus, and this is the theme of Paul's teaching throughout Ro 6 and many other scriptures (cp Ro 6:4-5 with Ga 2:20; Eph 4:17-24; Col 3:1-11). V5 in Ro 6 is not referring to the future physical resurrection of believers (although that is guaranteed), but to their spiritual resurrection when they placed their faith in Christ for their salvation (cp Ro 6:6-7, 11-13). There is one more scripture pertaining to the spiritual baptism of believers into Christ as members of His church which we should look at here before moving on (cpEph 4:1-6). This is another scripture many Christians believe refers to water baptism also, but it does not. Paul illustrates here the seven-fold spiritual unity of God and man: one body - the church; one Holy Spirit; one hope of our calling; one Lord; one faith; one baptism and one God. In V1-3 Paul exhorts believers to be unified in the Spirit, because as he points out in V4-6, there is only one body in Christ and we were all baptized into that one body, which is the church. Clearly, none of the scriptures we have examined so far in this study have anything to do with water baptism.

Let us now look at the real significance of water baptism according to scripture (cp 1Pe 3:18-21). This fully explains the significance of water baptism and it clearly is not a symbol of the spiritual reality of Ro 6:3-5 as many are taught in the contemporary church. Water baptism takes place after one is baptized into Christ. It is the visible and tangible testimony of the repentant sinners' new-found faith in the resurrected Christ and the salvation benefits we are given as a result of that faith. But it cannot, and does not save us, as the baptism of Ro 6:3-5 does, and Peter is very careful to spell this out for us in his letter (cp 1Pe 3:21). This clearly refutes also the teaching that God buries the believers' old sin nature in the waters of baptism. (See also comments on 1Pe 3:20-21). The following is a translation and paraphrase of the Greek text of Ro 6:1-5 from Kenneth Wuest's Word Studies in the Greek New Testament Vol 3 Great Truths to Live by Ch 3, which clearly underlines the subject matter of Paul's teaching in this passage and the theme of his teaching in Ro 6:

"What therefore shall we say? Shall we who profess to be Christians, continue to sustain habitually the same relationship to the evil nature which we did before we were saved, in order that this aforementioned grace might abound? Let not such a thing take place. How is it possible for such as we, who were once for all separated from the indwelling sinful nature, any longer to live in its grip? Or, are you ignorant that we who were introduced into vital union with Christ Jesus by the Holy Spirit, into a participation in His death were introduced? Therefore we were entombed with Him through this aforementioned introduction into His death, in order that, just as there was raised up Christ out from among the dead through the glory of the Father, thus also we in the energy of a new life imparted might order our behaviour. For in view of the fact that we have become those united with Him with respect to the likeness of His death, certainly also we shall be those united with Him in the likeness of His resurrection."

When repentant sinners are baptized into Christ the power of sin over their lives is broken and they need never yield to its power again. This is the theme of Paul's teaching throughout Ro 6 as he exhorts Christians not to go back into sin but to live completely new resurrected lives in Christ. Through Christ God's resurrection power flows in us, and thus we are able to live holy, righteous lives (cp Ro 8:1-4).

See comments on all Ro 6 questions, also Ro 3:9, 5:12-14, 7:4, 7:7-23, 8:1-2, 8:3-4; Ga 5:17; Jas 4:5 and 1 Jn 3:6-9

6:6-11 What does Paul mean by what he says here?

Having just finished explaining in V1-5 how believers' identification with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection broke the power of sin over their lives and imparted the divine nature to them, Paul now exhorts believers to live out their new life in Christ and not to let their old sinful nature reassert itself. "Our old man" in V6 refers to the unregenerate person we were, completely dominated by our old sinful nature, before we were saved (cp Ro 6:17-18; 7:14-25; 8:8-10; 1Cor 6:9-11; 12:2; Col 3:5-10; Tit 3:3-7; He 10:22, 38-39). But when we identified with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection our old unregenerate self was crucified with Him in a spiritual sense, resulting in our being liberated from the power of sin (cp Ro 6:6 with Ga 2:19-20; 5:24-25; 6:14-16). The word destroyed in Ro 6:6 does not mean made extinct but rendered inoperative, inactive, ineffective.

When we identified with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection our old sinful nature was made inoperative, inactive, ineffective. It no longer has dominion over us (cp Ro 6:14; 7:4-6; 8:1-2; Ga 5:18). The old sinful nature still exists in Christians (cp 1Jn 1:6-10). But we are freed from its power and henceforth must not allow it to reassert itself in the life we now live in Christ (cp Mt 11:12). This expresses the earnestness every believer must have in getting rid of sin and walking in obedience to God's word. It typifies the force required to take hold of the kingdom, and is presented as the life task of every New Testament Christian (cp Ro 8:1-13; Eph 4:17-32; Col 3:1-10). If we have truly died with Christ then our old sinful nature cannot reassert itself in our life (cp Ga 5:16-26; Col 3:8-10). V17 in Ga 5 is one of the most misunderstood scriptures in Christendom. It has been taught as referring to constant warfare between the flesh and the spirit, making one a victim of the flesh and helpless to live right, but that is not what Paul is teaching at all. Of course it does describe the condition of anyone who is walking in the flesh, but it does not refer to the normal life of a Christian in grace, living and walking in the Spirit, which is evident from Ro 6:16, 18, 22-25 and numerous other scriptures (cp Ga 5:16, 18, 22-25 with Isa 40:29-31; 2Cor 4:16; Eph 4:21-24).

The central truth of Ro 6 is that sin no longer has a hold on Christians - God has delivered them from its power. But many Christians are failing in their endeavours to live out a victorious holy life over sin that would glorify God because they either do not know, or do not understand this truth. The key to a victorious holy life in Christ for Christians struggling with sin is to recognize as Ro 6 teaches, that sinning is a choice Christians make themselves. It is not something they have no control over. Christians can, and must say no to sin (cp Mk 7:20-23). Those who accept Christ are made a new creation that belongs to a totally new world of God in which the Holy Spirit rules (cp Ro 8:14-16; 2Cor 5:17; Ga 5:18; Eph 2:10).

The emphasis of Paul's teaching in Ro 6 is on man's obedience to God and God's way of delivering man from sin. It is a teaching on how Christians are to live - not what kind of a life to live, but by which method to live it. In Ro 6:11 we learn that although Christ was sinless, He suffered and died for sin. In His death He died to its influence, and in His resurrection He triumphed over its power. Christians are united with Christ in His death and resurrection and likewise are freed from sin's power. So, as Christ died for sin once for all and dies no more, Christians should die to sin once for all and live evermore unto God. The cross and the resurrection of Jesus have broken the power of sin over Christians and now they can choose not to sin (cp Ro 6:19-22; 12:1-2; 2Cor 7:1; He 10:10-14; 1Pe 2:24). The word reckon in Ro 6:11 (KJV)means to embrace by faith what God has revealed to be true. (See comments on all Ro 6 questions, also Ro 3:9, 5:12-14, 7:4, 7:7-23, 8:1-2, 8:3-4; Ga 5:17; Jas 4:5 and1 Jn 3:6-9

6:12-14 What do we learn from what Paul says here?

Here sin is depicted as a ruler able to dominate and control a person's life, but it can only rule when it is obeyed. It has been destroyed - Christ has broken its power. But it is up to believers to continually resist its efforts to regain control over them. They can do this by denying the lusts of the flesh (cp Ro 8:12-13; Jas 4:1-10; 1Jn 2:15-17); refusing to place any members of their body at the disposal of sin (cp Mt 5:29-30; Mk 9:43-44; Ro 12:12-13; Col 3:5-6); presenting their whole personalities as slaves to God and righteousness (cp Ro 6:13, 19 with Ro 12:1-2; 1Th 4:3-5; 1Jn 2:15). It is the believer's responsibility to obey these teachings - God has provided the empowering through Christ (cp Php 4:13). The same faculties that yield to sin and commit unholy acts can yield to God and commit holy acts (cp Ro 6:17-18, 22; 1Cor 7:22; Ga 5:1; 2Ti 1:13; 1Pe 2:15-16; 1Jn 1:7; 2:29). When believers resist sin's demands, no matter how strong the temptation is, no sin is possible. No force at all can change our will if it is yielded to God (cp 2Cor 10:3-5; Eph 4:27; 6:11; Jas 4:7-10; 1Pe 5:6-9). In Ro 6:14 Paul stresses that we are not under the law that demands obedience but gives no power to obey. We are under grace which has empowered us, and indeed guarantees us the ultimate triumph (cp Jn 15:5; Ro 5:20-21; 8:35-39;2Cor 9:8; Ga 5:16-18; Php 4:13; 1Jn 4:4).

We should note here that there is no sin in being tempted. The sin is in yielding to temptation (cp Jas 1:13-16). This teaches us that temptation is the arousal of man's own evil thoughts and desires which leads him to becoming trapped in sin when he succumbs to them (cp 2Sam 11:1-27). Notice the sequence of events that led to David's sin here - it is the same as Jas 1:13-16 teaches: David became trapped in sin by succumbing to his own evil thoughts and desires. He was drawn away of his own lust and enticed, which led to adultery, murder, and then a cover-up. In our exposition of V1 of Ro 6 we said that whoever sees in grace a pretext for sinning is simply showing contempt for Christ, because that is how God sees it (cp 2Sam 12:9). David was guilty of "despising the commandment of the Lord". By doing what he did David treated God with contempt, the same as New Testament Christians who sin treat Jesus with contempt. This does not apply only to adultery but to all forms of sin, although believers who have committed adultery are disqualified from any leadership position in the church (cp 1Ti 3:1-2, 10; 6:14; Tit 1:5-7). The word blameless in those scriptures means one who has nothing which an adversary could seize upon with which to base a charge. It does not mean that one has to be perfect, but one against whom no evil charge could be proved.

Believers must manifest the highest example of perseverance in godliness, faithfulness and purity in the face of temptation, and loyalty and love toward Christ and the gospel (cp Php 3:17-18; 1Ti 4:12, 15; Tit 2:7-8). If we yield to sin it is because we have failed to resist our own sinful desires. God has adequately provided us with grace to overcome temptations and resist sinning, and we can overcome if we are resolute in our desire to obey God and depend on His faithfulness and enabling power through Christ (cp Ro 11:20-21; 1Cor 10:12-13; Jas 4:6-10; 1Pe 5:6-10; Rev 3:1-3, 17-18). The way of escape from temptation which Paul refers to in 1Cor 10:13, is not a way out of temptation, but the way to overcome it, as Jesus did for our example (cp Mt 4:1-11). Knowing God's word and speaking it out over our circumstances is the key to overcoming temptation without succumbing to sin. God will honour that word (cp Psa 138:2; Jer 1:12; Jn 17:15-17; Eph 6:12-13; 2Th 3:3; He 4:12). God's power has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness (cp 2Cor 3:18; 7:1; 1Pe 1:3-9; 2Pe 1:1-4): the grace of God (cp Ro 5:15; Eph 2:8-10; 2Ti 1:8-10; Tit 2:11-14); the blood of Jesus (cp Ro 3:24-26; 5:9; Eph 1:3-7; 2:13; Col 1:19-20; 1Pe 2:24; 1Jn 1:7; Rev 1:5; 5:9-10); the word of God (cp Eph 6:17; 2Ti 3:16-17; He 4:12); the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit (cp 2Cor 10:3-5; Eph 6:10-13; 1Ti 1:18; Tit 3:5-6; 1Pe 1:5), and the heavenly intercession of Jesus (cp Ro 8:34; 1Ti 2:5; He 7:22-25; 9:24; 1Jn 2:1; Jude 24). These all bring sufficient power for believers to overcome sin and the spiritual forces of wickedness.

In the light of what we have learned so far we might ask at this point why is there any need for Paul to keep exhorting us not to yield again to sin if its power over us is broken. The answer is that even though our will is now yielded to the things of God, it still has a certain bent at times to the doing of evil, which is the result of the inclination it had toward evil before grace did its work. The habits formed by years of sin must be overcome, and the only way to do this is to form new habits of the will by keeping the choices we make in line with God's word. The divine nature imparted to us will keep our choices in line with God's word as we yield to the ministry of the Holy Spirit, but we must ever be alert lest those habits formed by years of making the wrong choices lead us again to render obedience to our old master, the devil. As we establish new habits of choice, gradually our new wills are bent more and more in the direction of good, and it becomes increasingly easier to do right, and increasingly harder to do wrong (cp Ro 6:11-17; 7:4-6; Ga 5:16-18; Eph 2:1-7; Col 2:6-13; 3:1-11). See comments on all Ro 6 questions, also Ro 3:9, 5:12-14, 7:4, 7:7-23, 8:1-2, 8:3-4; Ga 5:17; Jas 4:5 and 1 Jn 3:6-9

6:15 What is the purpose of this question. Is it not simply a repeat of V1?

This is the second rhetorical question Paul asks in Ro 6. The first in V1 was answered in Ro 6:2-14. This is answered in Ro 6:16-23. The question of sin here is quite different to the question of sin in V1 (cp V1). Here sin is from the Greek word Harmartia which describes proneness to sin, or sinful desire or propensity. It refers to our old sinful nature - our old man (cp V6 with Jn 1:29; 8:34; Ro 5:12-13; 6:14 (everywhere sin is mentioned in Ro 6 it refers to our old sinful nature, except in V15); He 3:13;11:25; 1Jn 3:4-5). In Ro 6:15 sin is from the Greek word Hamatano, which means to miss a mark on the way; to sin occasionally; to sin a sin. It refers to occasional, infrequent acts of sin (cp Mt 18:21; 27:4; Jn 5:14; Ro 3:23; 5:12 (sinned); 1Ti 5:20; He 10:26; 1Jn 2:1). The question that Paul has to answer in Ro 6:15 is that since the doctrine of grace he expounded in V2-14 teaches the impossibility of a life of habitual sin on the part of a Christian, is there any allowance made for an occasional act of sin? Again, Paul pre-empted any erroneous idea that it was possible, and immediately categorically rejected it - God forbid means perish the thought. Paul then goes on to teach how Christians do not make provision for even occasional acts of sin, because they have transferred their allegiance from one master to another since grace has wrought its inward change in their hearts (cp Ro 6:17-18, 22 with 1Cor 6:11; Col 1:21-22 and 3:9-10). See comments on all Ro 6 questions, also Ro 3:9, 5:12-14,7:4, 7:7-23, 8:1-2, 8:3-4; Ga 5:17; Jas 4:5 and 1 Jn 3:6-9

6:16 What profound teaching is underlined by what Paul says here?

The whole of what the Bible teaches is encapsulated in this verse; that obedience to God means everlasting life, and disobedience means death. This is the gospel of salvation in one verse (cp Jn 3:17-20, 36; Ro 2:7-11). The eternal destiny of every living soul is determined by whom they choose to obey. Paul affirms in Ro 6:16 that even though Christians are under grace it is still their responsibility to resist sin and obey God (cp Ro 6:11-13; 8:12-14; Eph 5:3-10; Col 3:1-13). We can yield to sin and go to hell, or we can obey God unto everlasting life with Jesus. We cannot serve sin and Satan and expect to rule and reign with Christ in eternity. No man can be a servant of sin and Satan, and a servant of righteousness and Christ at the same time (cp Pr 5:22-23; Mt 6:22-24; Jn 8:31-35; Ga 1:10; Jas 4:4; 1Jn 2:15).

Jesus makes it quite clear in scripture that if Christians are not totally consecrated to the service of God and completely yielded to the authority of Jesus they are none of His (cp Mt 12:43-45; Lk 11:23-26). This clearly teaches that the Christian walk is not a neutral zone. We are fighting either on the side of Christ and righteousness, or we are on the side of the devil and the ungodly. Lk 11:24-26 teaches that unless after our conversion to Christ we quickly fill the void in our lives left by sin with the righteousness of God, our old sinful nature will reassert itself and we will be actually worse off than we were before we got saved (cp Jn 5:14; He 6:4-6; 10:26-31; 2Pe 2:20-22). The only safety from sin and Satan is to be totally consecrated to the service of God and completely yielded to the authority of Jesus. Anything less will cost us our place in the kingdom (cp Mt 7:21-27; Ro 2:13; Jas 1:22-25). Believers who are not actively involved in opposition to Satan and the evil of this world, have in reality set themselves against Jesus. That is what Jesus means in Lk 11:23 when He declares that "He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth." Jesus here is clearly condemning any attempt at compromise with unrighteousness, or only partial obedience to Him. It is all or nothing as far as Christ is concerned (cp Deut 6:13-15; Josh 24:19-20; Nah 1:2). See comments on all Ro 6 questions, also Ro 3:9, 5:12-14, 7:4, 7:7-23, 8:1-2, 8:3-4; Ga 5:17; Jas 4:5 and 1 Jn 3:6-9

6:17-20 What do we learn from what Paul says here?

In Ro 6:17-18 Paul is contrasting Christians' old relationship to sin and their new relationship to God. He is reminding us that we were once servants of sin but have been set free from its power because we obeyed the gospel truths he is expounding here. We were changed and converted by them and the change has wrought in us obedience to God that originates in the depths of our heart. We are now wholeheartedly in accord with God because of our union with Jesus (cp Ro 6:22; 8:1-16; 1Cor 6:9-11; 2Cor 5:17; Col 1:21-22; 3:8-10). In Ro 6:19-20 Paul exhorts us to continue yielding our bodily members to righteousness and holiness even as we previously yielded them to sin and uncleanness. The same parts of our body once used for impurity are now to be used for holiness. Now that we have been baptized into Christ we must follow after holiness or forfeit our place in His future eternal kingdom (cp 2Cor 7:1; Col 3:1-7; He 12:12-16). Paul impresses upon us in Ro 6:19 the weakness in our natural self, but if it was not possible to overcome that weakness in the power of the resurrected Christ then his exhortation to do so would be meaningless. In V20 Paul restates the fact that one cannot be a sinner and a saint at the same time. (See comments on all Ro 6 questions, also Ro 3:9, 5:12-14, 7:4, 7:7-23, 8:1-2, 8:3-4; Ga 5:17; Jas 4:5 and 1 Jn 3:6-9

6:21-23 What does this passage summarise?

The passage summarises the transition from sin to salvation. It sums up our Christian walk entirely: the fruit we produce proves our spiritual state and determines our eternal destiny. So we need to always be clear in our minds about the power of the resurrected Christ within us that enables us to live a victorious, holy life in Christ that glorifies God (cp Ro 7:5-6; 1Jn 2:13-17; Rev 22:11-12). If it were not possible to overcome evil John would have no occasion to write 1Jn 2:13-17, and neither would Rev 22:11-12 have been recorded for us, but as we have seen throughout this study, Ro 6 teaches us how we are empowered by God to overcome sin through our identification with Christ's death, burial and resurrection, and we either acknowledge our responsibility to God and act on His enabling power through Christ in us to live a victorious, holy life, or we will fail of His grace (cp Ga 2:20-21; He 12:12-15). Many believers who are drawn away and enticed to sin by their own lusts blame the devil, but God does not. He holds us all personally responsible for everything we do (cp Pr 4:23; Ec 9:3; Jer 4:1-4; 17:9; 25:5-6; Eze 18:30-32; 33:12-13; Joel 2:12-13; Mk 7:21-23; Lk 6:45; Jas 1:13-16). These scriptures all make it perfectly clear that sin originates with us. We are solely responsible for it thus it is imperative to know the truths of Ro 6 and allow them to direct our Christian walk. (See comments on all Ro 6 questions, also Ro 3:9, 5:12-14, 7:4, 7:7-23, 8:1-2, 8:3-4; Ga 5:17; Jas 4:5 and 1 Jn 3:6-9

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