Romans Chapter 6

Delivered from Sin's Condemnation

Rom. 6:1, 2 

Rom. 6:1 "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?" 

One of the objections that people who believe in a works system raise to salvation by grace and grace alone is that this doctrine (they say) leads to licentious living by those who believe it.  The truth is that it leads to just the opposite.  That does not stop the believers in a works system of salvation from accusing those of us who believe in salvation by grace of promoting wicked living because of our doctrine of salvation by grace.   

In the conclusion to the 5^th chapter of Romans, Paul stated, "where sin abounded, grace did much more abound."  In Adam as our federal head, we had been condemned before a just and holy God by his disobedience to the law of sin and death, and we died in trespasses and sins.  This death in trespasses and sins had rendered us incapable of seeking after God or desiring the things of God or even of doing any good thing.  We were completely corrupted by sin.  Yet, despite our condition brought about through the sin of Adam, the federal head of the elect, Jesus Christ, had by grace delivered us from the condemnation of sin through his atoning death on the cross.  He also delivered us from the bondage of sin through the miracle of the new birth.  Furthermore, we have the promise of deliverance from the corruption of sin by the resurrection from the dead.  This action of our federal head Jesus Christ did not just restore us to a state of innocence, which we had with Adam before the sin of Adam, but rather placed us in a far better state than that.  It gave us eternal life, and a promise of a life in which we are incapable of sinning, as well as delivering us to an inheritance far greater than the Garden of Eden.  This brings us to the conclusion that where sin had abounded because of the fall of Adam; grace had much more abounded to us in the work of Christ through the grace of God. 

Those who hold to a works system of salvation believe that salvation from sin is a reward for their good works.  The view is that God holds out a carrot to the sinner, that if he will seek after it he will be rewarded.  Their motive for doing good is the reward that they will receive for their works.  Subsequently, they believe that they will receive honor from God for the works that they do.  Furthermore, they believe if salvation is by grace alone, then they have no motive for doing good.  Thus, they see the doctrines of grace as leading to wicked living after the flesh.  What they fail to realize is that there is a greater motive for godly living.  The motive is to give honor and glory to the one who has saved you from sin by his grace.

Sin All I Want - No Worries?

Sometimes we hear people make the statement that if I believed like you Old Baptists, then I would just go fill the lust of the flesh, because if I am one of the elect, then it will not matter, because I will still be saved by grace.  This leads to Paul's question, "Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?"  Will my continuing a lifestyle of sin result in more honor to the grace of God?  Paul's answer is "God forbid."  Sin does not bring any honor and praise to God.  Whereas it is to God's praise, honor, and glory that though we were sinners, we are made righteous by the atoning blood of Christ by the grace of God, yet sin and a continuation in sin does not praise God.   

"How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?"  We, obviously are not dead to sinning, but we are dead to the condemning effects of sin by the covenant work of our federal head, Jesus Christ.  The question is raised and answered in Rom. 8:33: "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. 34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us."  There is no charge that can be laid to the account of God's elect.  We are dead to the condemning effects of sin.  Does our being dead to the condemning effects of sin lead us into wicked living or into becoming the servants of Christ?  Do we dishonor Christ by walking in a pathway of sin, or do we honor him by walking in the path of righteousness.  Grace and the work of God in the new or spiritual birth lead us into a greater and attainable motive for serving God than those have who believe that salvation from sin is by their works.

Rom. 6:3-11

 Rom. 6:3 "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. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 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. 8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." 

Motivation to Service

God's covenant love for his people should be the basis or motivation for their service to him.  According to 1 John 4:9, "We love him, because he first loved us."  In the covenant of redemption, God chose a people before the foundation of the world to be his people (Eph. 1:4); he predestinated them to be conformed to the image of his Son (Rom. 8:29); he predestinated them unto the adoption of children unto himself (Eph. 1:9); he predestinated them unto an inheritance (Eph. 1:11); he called or quickened them into spiritual life (Rom. 8:29; Eph. 2:1); he redeemed or justified them by his blood (Rom. 8:30; Eph. 1:7); and he glorifies them in the resurrection (Rom. 8:30; 1 Cor. ch. 15).  God's covenant love manifest through His work in the covenant of redemption is the basis and ability and motivation for the elect to serve Him.  The above passage of scripture shows forth that covenant love as the greatest motivating factor for the Lord's people to serve Him. 

"Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?"  Some have argued that the above passage of scripture speaks to us of water baptism, but it does not.  While water baptism is important and is an answer of a good conscience towards God, there are several other baptisms taught in the scriptures.  Baptism is defined as "dipping" or "immersion."   Water baptism involves an immersion of the one being baptized into water.  Water baptism represents the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Water baptism is necessary for entry into the Lord's visible church here on earth.  It is not necessary for redemption, or the new birth, or to enter into the glory world.  Just as water baptism immerses us into water, so the above baptism immersed us into Jesus Christ and is the equivalent of immersing us into is death.  This baptism is the covenant baptism whereby we were chosen "in Christ" before the foundation of the world and because we were in Him when he died to redeem his people from their sins, we were in him in his death upon the cross thus satisfying God's wrathful judgment because of our sins. 

What a great motivation it is to us to serve the Lord knowing that God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world and subsequently suffered and died on the cross to redeem us from our sins. 

"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."  The logical extension of being in Christ and being immersed in his death is that we also were in Christ when he was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father.  Just as Christ died and now is alive again by the power of God, so also should we reckon ourselves to have been dead with Christ and now alive again (through the new birth) to walk in newness of life.  According to Eph. 2:10 we were created in the New or Spiritual birth to walk in the good works that God has given us: "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." 

"For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 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."  The word together indicates a unity in time and location, thus the planting of the elect had to be a covenant planting beginning with our being chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world.  While our physical bodies did not actually die when Christ died on the cross, yet in covenant we were in the likeness of his death.  There comes a point in time when our physical bodies also die as the Lord's body died.   

Similarly, when Christ arose from the dead, we in covenant were with him and there will come a time when, even though our physical bodies lie in the dust of the earth, we will arise at God's appointed time by the power of God.   

Dead with Christ, Alive with Christ

When Christ died on the cross, our old man was in covenant crucified with him and in his death, the body of sin was destroyed.  This action of Jesus Christ justified us before a just and holy God.  Knowing that Christ died for us, suffering the awful agony of God's judgment on our behalf, and knowing that because of this we shall one day live in heaven's glory world, we have a great motivation of responding love to serve the Lord and not to serve sin.   

"For he that is dead is freed from sin."  There are at least two ways that we can look at this statement.  First, he whose body is dead in the grave has no ability to sin any more.  Certainly, the mortal death of the body will completely stop our sinful actions.  Second, he that is dead to the condemning effects of sin is freed from the eternal consequences of sin.   

"Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him."  We are dead with Christ, in that when Christ died on the cross we were in him by covenant arrangement even before the world began.  The consequences of being dead with Christ and being in him when he died on the cross are that we shall also live with him in glory.  When the covenant work of the covenant of redemption is finally manifestly completed in the morning of the resurrection, we shall live with Christ in glory.  This hope of the resurrection is a great motivation to us to serve the Lord here in time.

"Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord."  Christ having died on the cross and having arose the third day, shall never die again, and shall forever live unto God.  When we take inventory of what Christ did for us, we should reckon ourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.  This will lead us to not desire to serve sin, but to serve God.