Romans 6 Parkview University

Westminster Larger Catechism says:

Question: Wherein do justification and sanctification differ?Answer: Although sanctification be inseparably joined with justification, yet they differ, in that God in justification imputeth the righteousness of Christ; in sanctification his Spirit infuseth grace, and enableth to the exercise thereof; in the former, sin is pardoned; in the other, it is subdued.

So, going back to 5:20 where Paul states: “But where sin increased, grace increased all the more.” So in 6:1 Paul anticipates how his point may be wrongly understood:“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?”

The larger point that Paul is pushing here is that a person can be put right with God by faith alone but can easily come to the conclusion that such people no longer need to try to live in obedience to God. However, Paul will state that God has decisively changed the believer’s position in relationship to sin.

If we find ourselves tempted to return to old ways – despite knowing the outcome – we need to remember that the old life is dead. And if it is dead, then how can we go back and live in it? This would be lunacy.

6:3-5

Paul uses the imagery of baptism to help us understand that we are dead to our old life just as Christ died – we identify with our savior in dying this death. In verse 10 Paul will say that Christ’s own death was a death “to sin” and his resurrection meant living “to God”. Therefore, those who participate in Christ’s death and resurrection also have “died to sin” and now “live to God.”

6:6-10

Paul has established the fact that believers participate in Jesus’ death and resurrection. Now he elaborates each of these facts, the “death” side in verses 6-7 and the “life” side in verses 8-10.

Paul replaces “we” with “the old self” or “old man” in verse 6. The “old self” probably refers to what we were in Adam, John Stott says, “what was crucified with Christ was not a part of me called my old nature, but the whole of me as I was before I was converted.”

So Paul is saying that our identification in Christ means we are no longer dominated by sin. Since sin’s power over us has been broken, we should reflect that new freedom in the way we live. Sin should no longer characterize us. “For the one who has died has been set free from sin.” (vs 7)

Verse 9 tells us that Christ now lives in a state in which death is no longer possible and has no power over him. Jesus has conquered death and we who belong to Him also have the assurance of conquering death.

Vs 12-13 – Paul begins with the negative: We must not let sin “reign” in our lives. Paul claims in verse 14 that sin is no longer our master – in effect, sin does not reign. Yet this does not prevent Paul from commanding us not to let sin reign. The victory over sin that God has won for us in Christ is a victory that must be appropriated. It is not an automatic process. A determination of our own will is called for to turn what has happened in principle into actuality. (NIVAC)

Old self/New self

Martin Lloyd-Jones Two Fields Illustration.

6:15-23

Paul begins this section with another rhetorical question: “Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace?” If the penalty of sin is removed why not just go ahead and sin? Paul’s answer is in terms of slavery.

We used to be slaves – to sin (vss 17,20) but now we are slaves – to righteousness (vs 18,22). So there is a transfer of ownership – one slave master for another.

(Bob Dylan song – “You Gotta Serve Somebody”)

You have to serve somebody,Yes, indeed, serve somebody,It may mean the devil or it may be the Lord,But you’ll have to serve somebody.

Paul says as a proverbial truth: When we habitually “offer” ourselves to someone, we become a slave of that to which we offer ourselves. Sin, then is a serious matter. Though set free from it, we can in effect become its slaves again if we give ourselves to it. (vs 16)

Some may think that from Paul has said so far, that the believer stands in a state of neutrality with respect to the choice of serving “sin” or “obedience.” Paul now reminds us that is certainly not the case “Thanks…to God,” believers have left slavery to sin and have “wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which [they] were entrusted.” (vs 17)

Verse 19b is the center of this paragraph. Obedience leads to “sanctification.” The result of obedience is God-likeness. Paul suggests our commitment to serve righteousness should be just as strong as our previous commitment to “impurity” and “wickedness.”

Vs 20 – The freedom from righteousness we enjoyed as slaves to sin wasn’t really freedom since we had no other choice. However, now, as believers, we have a choice. Many misunderstand this argument. Paul isn’t saying that sin is dead. Instead he tells us to consider (reckon) ourselves dead to sin (vs 11). That’s a huge difference. God does not promise that sin will never reign in me; He exhorts me not to allow it to happen.

Our natural inclination is to fall back on our old patterns and re-enslave ourselves to sin. Paul challenges us in verse 21 to pause and think back to our old life, the one we are to consider dead. Actions brought us remorse or shame – do we really miss them? Do we want to go back to that way of life?

The reward for a life of sin is simply “death”. A life devoted to serving God leads to eternal life. Paul ends this argument for righteousness with the reminder of what awaits the one who makes the wrong choice. Paul challenges us to invest in a life that will pay the dividends that God intended. (Runge)

Lloyd Jones:“the master that is served – sin versus Godthe outcome of that service – death versus eternal lifehow that outcome is reached – a “wage” earned versus

a “gift” received.

Chapter 6 is largely about the “indicative” versus the “imperative.”

Indicative – “we died to sin”, “our old self was crucified with him”, “dead to sin but alive to God”, “have been brought from death to life”, “sin shall not be your master”, “set free from sin and have become slaves of righteousness”, set free from sin and have become slaves to God.”

Imperative – “do not let sin reign”, “do not offer parts of your body to sin”, “but offer yourselves to God”. “offer in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness”.

The imperative grows out of the indicative. “Become what you are.”