Audio Download

The Book of Romans,  Part 13 – Shall We Continue in Sin?

[Study Aired September 19, 2023]

Rom 5:19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. 
Rom 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 
Rom 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Rom 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 
Rom 6:2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 
Rom 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 
Rom 6:4 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.
Rom 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: 
Rom 6:6 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. 
Rom 6:7 For he that is dead is freed from sin. 
Rom 6:8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 
Rom 6:9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 
Rom 6:10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
Rom 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Rom 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 
Rom 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. 
Rom 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

In our last study we answered the question. What is sin?

Sin is rebellion, witchcraft and stubbornness.

1 Samuel 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

Sin is looking down on others, pride, engaging in activities or actions that prepare the way for sinful behavior.

Proverbs 21:4 An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.

Sin is knowing how to do good and doing the opposite.

James 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

Whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

Rom 14:23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

Sin is transgressing the law, especially the law of Christ and all unrighteousness.

1 John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

In the verses of today’s study Paul begins by posing a question: “ Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?” He emphatically rejects this idea, stating, “God forbid!” As believers we are not to live in sin because we have died to sin through our union with Christ.

Joh 17:1-8 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.

Paul reminds us of our baptism into Christ, symbolizing our identification with His death and resurrection. Just as Christ was raised from the dead, we are called to walk in newness of life.

Rom 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Understanding that our old sinful nature (the “old man”) is being crucified with Christ, we should no longer serve sin. Those who have died with Christ are freed from the power of sin and are expected to live with Him.

Rom 8:1-4 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 

Paul emphasizes that Christ, having been raised from the dead, will never die again, and death no longer has dominion over Him. In His death, He conquered sin once and for all, and in His resurrection, He lives for God.

1Co 15:12-22 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

We are called to consider ourselves dead to sin but alive to God through Jesus Christ. Therefore, sin should not reign in our mortal bodies, leading us to obey its sinful desires.

1Co 15:50-58 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. 

Rather than yielding our members to unrighteousness, we are to present ourselves to God as instruments of righteousness, knowing that sin’s dominion over us is broken because we are under grace, not under the law.

Eph 2:1-10 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. 

Sin should no longer have dominion over us because we are united with Christ in His death and resurrection. We are called to live in the newness of life, empowered by God’s grace, and devoted to righteousness.

John expands this message in 1 John 3:

1Jn 3:1-10 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

This is the struggle between the new man and the old man. It will continue until the end when God is all in all.

1Co 15:24-28 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

Let’s read our verses in Romans 6 again with all the above in mind.

Rom 5:19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. 
Rom 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 
Rom 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Rom 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 
Rom 6:2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 
Rom 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 
Rom 6:4 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. 
Rom 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: 
Rom 6:6 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. 
Rom 6:7 For he that is dead is freed from sin. 
Rom 6:8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 
Rom 6:9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 
Rom 6:10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 
Rom 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Rom 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 
Rom 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. 
Rom 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

In this study, we explored the profound message of Romans 5:19-21 and Romans 6:1-14, delving into the nature of sin, grace, and our identity in Christ.

Romans 5:19-21 reminds us of the pivotal role of the two Adams: the disobedience of the first Adam brought sin and death into the world, while the obedience of the second Adam, Jesus Christ, brought righteousness and eternal life. We learned that the law entered to make sin more evident, but where sin abounded, God’s grace (chastening) overflowed. Grace reigns through righteousness, leading to eternal life in Jesus Christ.

Our previous study clarified that sin takes various forms, including rebellion, pride, disobedience, and transgressing God’s law. In contrast, righteousness is the result of living in accordance with God’s principles and commands.

Romans 6:1-14 builds upon these concepts. Paul asks whether believers should continue in sin to receive more grace, to which he emphatically responds with “God forbid.” He highlights that we have died to sin through our union with Christ and should not let it dominate our lives.

Paul uses the symbolism of baptism to illustrate our identification with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Just as Christ was raised from the dead, we are called to walk in newness of life.

The struggle between the “old man” (our former sinful nature) and the “new man” (our regenerated self in Christ) is discussed. We are encouraged to reckon ourselves dead to sin but alive to God through Jesus Christ.

Sin’s dominion over us is broken, and we are called to present ourselves as instruments of righteousness rather than unrighteousness. The passage emphasizes that we are not under the law but under grace, which means that sin should no longer have dominion over us.

Ultimately, this study highlights the transformative power of Christ’s obedience, grace, and the believer’s identification with His death and resurrection. It calls uss to live in the newness of life, empowered by God’s grace, and devoted to righteousness, all while recognizing the ongoing struggle between the old and new nature within us.