Invitation to Study Romans
- Thread starter rjones
- Start date
and thank you dearly for taking the time to pray for me too.
such a turnaround, faith, believe, trust,
my heart is overwhelmed in praise.
what a Saviour indeed.
will try and concentrate on study was just impossible with so much pain going on.
but the burden bearer spoke, and I took heed.
such a turnaround, faith, believe, trust,
my heart is overwhelmed in praise.
what a Saviour indeed.
will try and concentrate on study was just impossible with so much pain going on.
but the burden bearer spoke, and I took heed.
rjones
Member
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2007
- Messages
- 314
Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?
Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Paul introduced the idea that where sin abounded, grace abounded much more (Rom. 5:20). He now wonders if someone might take this truth to imply that it doesn’t matter if a Christian lives a life of sin, because God will always overcome greater sin with greater grace.
After all, if God loves sinners, then why worry about sin? If God gives grace to sinners, then why not sin more and receive more grace? Some people think that their job is to sin and God’s job is to forgive, so they will do their job and God will do His job!
In the early part of the century, the Russian monk Gregory Rasputin taught and lived the idea of salvation through repeated experiences of sin and repentance. He believed that because those who sin the most require the most forgiveness, a sinner who continues to sin with abandon enjoys more of God’s grace (when he repents for the moment) than the ordinary sinner. Therefore, Rasputin lived in notorious sin, and taught that this was the way to salvation. This is an extreme example of the idea behind Paul’s question “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?”
But in a less extreme way, the question still confronts us. Is the plan of grace “safe”? Won’t people abuse grace? If God’s salvation and approval are given on the basis of faith instead of works, won’t we just say “I believe” and then live any way we please?
From a purely natural or secular viewpoint, grace is dangerous. This is why many people don’t really teach or believe in grace and instead emphasize living by law. They believe that if you tell people that God saves and accepts them apart from what they deserve, then they will have no motivation to be obedient. In their opinion, you simply can’t keep people on the straight and narrow without a threat from God hanging over their head. If they believe their position in Jesus is settled because of what Jesus did, then the motivation of holy living is gone.
Shall we continue in sin: The verb tense of the phrase continue in sin (the present active tense) makes it clear that Paul describes the practice of habitual sin. In this first part of Romans 6, Paul writes about someone who remains in a lifestyle of sin, thinking that it is acceptable so that grace may abound.
Romans 6:2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?
Certainly not! For Paul, the idea that anyone might continue in sin that grace may abound is unthinkable. Certainly not is a strong phrase. It might also be translated, Perish the thought! Or, Away with the notion!
How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Paul establishes an important principle. When we are born again, when we have believed on Jesus for our salvation, our relationship with sin is permanently changed. We have died to sin. Therefore, if we have died to sin, then we should not live any longer in it. It simply isn’t fitting to live any longer in something you have died to.
At this point, Paul has much to explain about what exactly he means by died to sin, but the general point is clear - Christians have died to sin, and they should no longer live in it. Before, we were dead in sin (Eph. 2:1); now we are dead to sin.
Romans 6:3-4 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Or do you not know: The implication is that Paul is dealing with fundamental concepts that every Christians should know.
As many of us as were baptized in Christ Jesus: The idea behind the ancient Greek word for baptized is “to immerse or overwhelm something.” The Bible uses this idea of being baptized into something in several different ways. When a person is baptized in water, they are immersed or covered over with water. When they are baptized with the Holy Spirit (Mt. 3:11, Acts 1:5) they are “immersed” or “covered over” with the Holy Spirit. When they are baptized with suffering (Mk. 10:39), they are “immersed” or “covered over” with suffering. Here, Paul refers to being baptized - “immersed” or “covered over” in Christ Jesus.
Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father: The believer’s water baptism (or, being baptized into Christ) is a dramatization or “acting out” of the believer’s “immersion” or identification with Jesus in His death and resurrection.
We were buried with Him . . . as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life: Paul also builds on the idea of going under the water as a picture of being buried, and coming up from the water as a picture of rising from the dead.
In this regard, baptism is important as an illustration of spiritual reality, but it does not make that reality come to pass. If someone has not spiritually died and risen with Jesus, all the baptisms in the world will not accomplish it for them.
But Paul’s point is clear: something dramatic and life changing happened in the life of the believer. You can’t die and rise again without it changing your life. The believer has a real (although spiritual) death and resurrection with Jesus Christ.
God bless.
Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Paul introduced the idea that where sin abounded, grace abounded much more (Rom. 5:20). He now wonders if someone might take this truth to imply that it doesn’t matter if a Christian lives a life of sin, because God will always overcome greater sin with greater grace.
After all, if God loves sinners, then why worry about sin? If God gives grace to sinners, then why not sin more and receive more grace? Some people think that their job is to sin and God’s job is to forgive, so they will do their job and God will do His job!
In the early part of the century, the Russian monk Gregory Rasputin taught and lived the idea of salvation through repeated experiences of sin and repentance. He believed that because those who sin the most require the most forgiveness, a sinner who continues to sin with abandon enjoys more of God’s grace (when he repents for the moment) than the ordinary sinner. Therefore, Rasputin lived in notorious sin, and taught that this was the way to salvation. This is an extreme example of the idea behind Paul’s question “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?”
But in a less extreme way, the question still confronts us. Is the plan of grace “safe”? Won’t people abuse grace? If God’s salvation and approval are given on the basis of faith instead of works, won’t we just say “I believe” and then live any way we please?
From a purely natural or secular viewpoint, grace is dangerous. This is why many people don’t really teach or believe in grace and instead emphasize living by law. They believe that if you tell people that God saves and accepts them apart from what they deserve, then they will have no motivation to be obedient. In their opinion, you simply can’t keep people on the straight and narrow without a threat from God hanging over their head. If they believe their position in Jesus is settled because of what Jesus did, then the motivation of holy living is gone.
Shall we continue in sin: The verb tense of the phrase continue in sin (the present active tense) makes it clear that Paul describes the practice of habitual sin. In this first part of Romans 6, Paul writes about someone who remains in a lifestyle of sin, thinking that it is acceptable so that grace may abound.
Romans 6:2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?
Certainly not! For Paul, the idea that anyone might continue in sin that grace may abound is unthinkable. Certainly not is a strong phrase. It might also be translated, Perish the thought! Or, Away with the notion!
How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Paul establishes an important principle. When we are born again, when we have believed on Jesus for our salvation, our relationship with sin is permanently changed. We have died to sin. Therefore, if we have died to sin, then we should not live any longer in it. It simply isn’t fitting to live any longer in something you have died to.
At this point, Paul has much to explain about what exactly he means by died to sin, but the general point is clear - Christians have died to sin, and they should no longer live in it. Before, we were dead in sin (Eph. 2:1); now we are dead to sin.
Romans 6:3-4 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Or do you not know: The implication is that Paul is dealing with fundamental concepts that every Christians should know.
As many of us as were baptized in Christ Jesus: The idea behind the ancient Greek word for baptized is “to immerse or overwhelm something.” The Bible uses this idea of being baptized into something in several different ways. When a person is baptized in water, they are immersed or covered over with water. When they are baptized with the Holy Spirit (Mt. 3:11, Acts 1:5) they are “immersed” or “covered over” with the Holy Spirit. When they are baptized with suffering (Mk. 10:39), they are “immersed” or “covered over” with suffering. Here, Paul refers to being baptized - “immersed” or “covered over” in Christ Jesus.
Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father: The believer’s water baptism (or, being baptized into Christ) is a dramatization or “acting out” of the believer’s “immersion” or identification with Jesus in His death and resurrection.
We were buried with Him . . . as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life: Paul also builds on the idea of going under the water as a picture of being buried, and coming up from the water as a picture of rising from the dead.
In this regard, baptism is important as an illustration of spiritual reality, but it does not make that reality come to pass. If someone has not spiritually died and risen with Jesus, all the baptisms in the world will not accomplish it for them.
But Paul’s point is clear: something dramatic and life changing happened in the life of the believer. You can’t die and rise again without it changing your life. The believer has a real (although spiritual) death and resurrection with Jesus Christ.
God bless.
Dear Brother Rjones, Sister Maureen,
I'm glad to be back home. I had a family vacation, to my grand parents place. After many years we had a family reunion. After many years we were finally able to go for a vacation. I thank God that He made it possible for us to go after a very very long time.
I will read all of your posts. By the way, do you want me to post on Romans 5 or shall I continue along with you.
I'll be praying for you Brother Rjones and Sister Maureen. Sister Maureen, I'm sad to know about your accident. I pray that the Lord will pour out His healing power on you and make you whole. I just want to hear from you.
I will try to post tomorrow.
God bless you.
I'm glad to be back home. I had a family vacation, to my grand parents place. After many years we had a family reunion. After many years we were finally able to go for a vacation. I thank God that He made it possible for us to go after a very very long time.
I will read all of your posts. By the way, do you want me to post on Romans 5 or shall I continue along with you.
I'll be praying for you Brother Rjones and Sister Maureen. Sister Maureen, I'm sad to know about your accident. I pray that the Lord will pour out His healing power on you and make you whole. I just want to hear from you.
I will try to post tomorrow.
God bless you.
rjones
Member
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2007
- Messages
- 314
Romans 6:5-10 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
United together expresses a close union. The phrase “exactly expresses the process by which a graft becomes united with the life of a tree . The union is of the closest sort, and life from Christ flows through to him.” (Morris) It fits in well with Jesus’ picture of abiding in Him from John 15.
This close union is both in His death and in His resurrection. God has both experiences for us. Paul expressed a similar idea for his own life in Philippians 3:10-11: that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Some are all too ready to be united together in the glory of resurrection, but are unwilling to be united together in His death.
Certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection: Our participation in the death of Jesus makes our participation in His resurrection certain.
It is far too easy for many Christians to focus solely on the “crucified life,” failing to see that it is a part (and an essential part) of a bigger picture: preparation for resurrection life.
Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him: The death of the old man is an established fact. It happened spiritually when we were identified with Jesus’ death at our salvation.
The old man is the self patterned after Adam, that part of us deeply ingrained with a desire to rebel against God and His commands. The system of law is unable to deal with the old man, because it can only tell the old man what the righteous standard of God is. The law tries to reform the old man, to get him to “turn over a new leaf.” But the system of grace understands that the old man can never be reformed. He must be put to death, and for the believer the old man dies with Jesus on the cross.
The crucifixion of the old man is something that God did in us. None of us nailed the old man to the cross. Jesus did it, and we are told to account it as being done. “In us there was nothing even to sicken and to weaken our old man, much less to murder him by crucifixion; God had to do this.” (Lenski)
In place of the old man, God gives the believer a new man - a self that is instinctively obedient and pleasing to God; this aspect of our person is that which was raised with Christ in His resurrection. The New Testament describes the new man for us.
The new man, which was created according to God, in righteousness and true holiness. (Ephesians 4:24)
The new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him. (Colossians 3:10)
God uses our death to the old man, the sin nature, to liberate us from sin. A dead man can no longer have authority over us, so we are to remember and account the old man as crucified with Him.
The two other places in the New Testament which mention the old man remind us to consider him done away with, telling us to put off the old man as something dead and gone (Ephesians 4:22 and Colossians 3:9). Strictly speaking, we don’t battle the old man. We simply reckon him as dead.
“Evil enters us now as an interloper and a stranger, and works sad havoc, but it does not abide in us upon the throne; it is an alien, and despised, and no more honored and delighted in. We are dead to the reigning power of sin.” (Spurgeon)
If the old man is dead, why do I feel a pull to sin inside? It comes from the flesh, which is distinct from the old man. It’s hard to precisely describe the flesh; some have called it “the screen on which the inner man is displayed.” Our inner being has desires and impulses and passions; these are played out in our mind, in our will, and in our emotions. The flesh is what acts out the inner man.
The flesh is a problem in the battle against sin because it has been expertly trained in sinful habits by three sources. First, the old man, before he was crucified with Christ, trained and “imprinted” himself on the flesh. Second, the world system, in its spirit of rebellion against God, can have an continuing influence on the flesh. Finally, the devil seeks to tempt and influence the flesh towards sin.
That we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin: Our slavery to sin can only be broken by death. In the 1960 film Spartacus, Kirk Douglas played the escaped slave Spartacus, who led a brief but widespread slave rebellion in ancient Rome. At one point in the movie Spartacus says: “Death is the only freedom a slave knows. That’s why he is not afraid of it.” We are set free from sin because the old man has died with Jesus on the cross. Now a new man, a free man, lives.
Having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him: Since we have already died to sin with Jesus, death no longer has dominion over us. The new man not only has life; he has eternal life.
The life that he lives, he lives to God: The new life we are granted isn’t given so we can live unto ourselves. With the new life, he lives to God. We aren’t dead to sin, free from sin, and given eternal life to live as we please, but to live to please God.
“If God has given to you and to me an entirely new life in Christ, how can that new life spend itself after the fashion of the old life? Shall the spiritual live as the carnal? How can you that were the servants of sin, but have been made free by precious blood, go back to your old slavery?” (Spurgeon)
This change in the life of the one who is born again was understood and predicted as a feature of God’s New Covenant, where because of new hearts our innermost being wants to do God’s will and be slaves to righteousness. (Ezekiel 36:26-27)
The eleventh of the original 42 articles of Church of England states this truth with a beauty that only Sixteenth Century English can express: “The grace of Christ, or the holie Ghost by him geven, dothe take awaie the stonie harte, and geveth an harte of flesh.” God takes away our rock-like heart and gives us a soft heart of flesh.
God bless.
United together expresses a close union. The phrase “exactly expresses the process by which a graft becomes united with the life of a tree . The union is of the closest sort, and life from Christ flows through to him.” (Morris) It fits in well with Jesus’ picture of abiding in Him from John 15.
This close union is both in His death and in His resurrection. God has both experiences for us. Paul expressed a similar idea for his own life in Philippians 3:10-11: that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Some are all too ready to be united together in the glory of resurrection, but are unwilling to be united together in His death.
Certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection: Our participation in the death of Jesus makes our participation in His resurrection certain.
It is far too easy for many Christians to focus solely on the “crucified life,” failing to see that it is a part (and an essential part) of a bigger picture: preparation for resurrection life.
Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him: The death of the old man is an established fact. It happened spiritually when we were identified with Jesus’ death at our salvation.
The old man is the self patterned after Adam, that part of us deeply ingrained with a desire to rebel against God and His commands. The system of law is unable to deal with the old man, because it can only tell the old man what the righteous standard of God is. The law tries to reform the old man, to get him to “turn over a new leaf.” But the system of grace understands that the old man can never be reformed. He must be put to death, and for the believer the old man dies with Jesus on the cross.
The crucifixion of the old man is something that God did in us. None of us nailed the old man to the cross. Jesus did it, and we are told to account it as being done. “In us there was nothing even to sicken and to weaken our old man, much less to murder him by crucifixion; God had to do this.” (Lenski)
In place of the old man, God gives the believer a new man - a self that is instinctively obedient and pleasing to God; this aspect of our person is that which was raised with Christ in His resurrection. The New Testament describes the new man for us.
The new man, which was created according to God, in righteousness and true holiness. (Ephesians 4:24)
The new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him. (Colossians 3:10)
God uses our death to the old man, the sin nature, to liberate us from sin. A dead man can no longer have authority over us, so we are to remember and account the old man as crucified with Him.
The two other places in the New Testament which mention the old man remind us to consider him done away with, telling us to put off the old man as something dead and gone (Ephesians 4:22 and Colossians 3:9). Strictly speaking, we don’t battle the old man. We simply reckon him as dead.
“Evil enters us now as an interloper and a stranger, and works sad havoc, but it does not abide in us upon the throne; it is an alien, and despised, and no more honored and delighted in. We are dead to the reigning power of sin.” (Spurgeon)
If the old man is dead, why do I feel a pull to sin inside? It comes from the flesh, which is distinct from the old man. It’s hard to precisely describe the flesh; some have called it “the screen on which the inner man is displayed.” Our inner being has desires and impulses and passions; these are played out in our mind, in our will, and in our emotions. The flesh is what acts out the inner man.
The flesh is a problem in the battle against sin because it has been expertly trained in sinful habits by three sources. First, the old man, before he was crucified with Christ, trained and “imprinted” himself on the flesh. Second, the world system, in its spirit of rebellion against God, can have an continuing influence on the flesh. Finally, the devil seeks to tempt and influence the flesh towards sin.
That we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin: Our slavery to sin can only be broken by death. In the 1960 film Spartacus, Kirk Douglas played the escaped slave Spartacus, who led a brief but widespread slave rebellion in ancient Rome. At one point in the movie Spartacus says: “Death is the only freedom a slave knows. That’s why he is not afraid of it.” We are set free from sin because the old man has died with Jesus on the cross. Now a new man, a free man, lives.
Having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him: Since we have already died to sin with Jesus, death no longer has dominion over us. The new man not only has life; he has eternal life.
The life that he lives, he lives to God: The new life we are granted isn’t given so we can live unto ourselves. With the new life, he lives to God. We aren’t dead to sin, free from sin, and given eternal life to live as we please, but to live to please God.
“If God has given to you and to me an entirely new life in Christ, how can that new life spend itself after the fashion of the old life? Shall the spiritual live as the carnal? How can you that were the servants of sin, but have been made free by precious blood, go back to your old slavery?” (Spurgeon)
This change in the life of the one who is born again was understood and predicted as a feature of God’s New Covenant, where because of new hearts our innermost being wants to do God’s will and be slaves to righteousness. (Ezekiel 36:26-27)
The eleventh of the original 42 articles of Church of England states this truth with a beauty that only Sixteenth Century English can express: “The grace of Christ, or the holie Ghost by him geven, dothe take awaie the stonie harte, and geveth an harte of flesh.” God takes away our rock-like heart and gives us a soft heart of flesh.
God bless.
Dear Brother Rjones,
If you don't mind, I will surely post tomorrow. I'm sorry for the delay. College has resumed and in 1 week software companies will be coming to our college to hire students. I will attend the interviews and I hope to get hired. Right now I'm preparing for it.
Please pray for me, that I'll be hired as an engineer. If it is God's will, I will try my best to settle in America.
Yours,
Richard.
If you don't mind, I will surely post tomorrow. I'm sorry for the delay. College has resumed and in 1 week software companies will be coming to our college to hire students. I will attend the interviews and I hope to get hired. Right now I'm preparing for it.
Please pray for me, that I'll be hired as an engineer. If it is God's will, I will try my best to settle in America.
Yours,
Richard.
Last edited:
rjones
Member
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2007
- Messages
- 314
Dear Brother Richie,
Take all the time you need.
Father God, I praise Your most Holy Name. You are Jehovah Jirah our Provider. And I'm standing in faith with my brother for a favorable interview with the company You have chose him to be employed by. I thank you for supplying all our needs according to Your riches in glory. For it is in Jesus name I pray. AMEN.
I will await to here from you Richie. I'm anticipating good news.
God bless.
Take all the time you need.
Father God, I praise Your most Holy Name. You are Jehovah Jirah our Provider. And I'm standing in faith with my brother for a favorable interview with the company You have chose him to be employed by. I thank you for supplying all our needs according to Your riches in glory. For it is in Jesus name I pray. AMEN.
I will await to here from you Richie. I'm anticipating good news.
God bless.
Dear Brother Rjones, Sister Maureen,
It is good to be back studying with you. Sister Maureen I pray to God that He will make you completely whole and for you to have a speedy recovery.
I want to post from Romans 6:11-14. Before I go ahead, I want to touch Romans 6:1-5, so that I can be able to explain the points better.
So far, Paul the Apostle was talking about how God declared us to be righteous in His eyes, by His amazing grace, through faith. Now, Paul the Apostle here wants to bring out one more important point regarding God's amazing grace.
Romans 6:1-3:
Verse 1: Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more kindness and forgiveness?
Verse 2: Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?
Verse 3: Or have you forgotten that when we became Christians and were baptized to become one with Christ Jesus, we died with him?
What Paul the Apostle is telling us is that, When God declared us to be righteous by His grace, it doesn't mean that anything goes and God will forgive us. In other words God made us right in His sight, not that we might fall in sin (in other words take advantage of God's grace), but that we might live a new life and prove to the world that we are Children of God.
Romans 6:4-5:
Verse 4: For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.
Verse 5: Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised as he was.
We have been crucified with Christ in order to put the flesh to death. By the Glorious Power of the Father which raised Christ from the dead, we live a new life. In simple words, "We have been crucified with Christ, that we might live a new life.". We are no longer slaves to sin.
Romans 6:11-12:
Verse 11: So you should consider yourselves dead to sin and able to live for the glory of God through Christ Jesus.
Verse 12: Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to its lustful desires.
So we should be dead to sin, dead to all satanic influences, dead to all evil. Of course, we do get tempted, but we need to keep away from temptation.
Oh! How easy it is to say it in words? But we as humans we tend to sin every day. No person on earth is perfect. I found this amazing ecard (I don't know if I showed you or not), please forgive me if I'm showing you again:
I Am a Christian
Romans 6:13-14:
13 Do not let any part of your body become a tool of wickedness, to be used for sinning. Instead, give yourselves completely to God since you have been given new life. And use your whole body as a tool to do what is right for the glory of God.
14 Sin is no longer your master, for you are no longer subject to the law, which enslaves you to sin. Instead, you are free by God’s grace.
What Paul the Apostle is trying to tell us here is, that once we're born again, we should surrender our entire life to Jesus and let Jesus take control of us. We shouldn't willfully allow sin to take control of us and lead us astray.
This is what I want to share with you.
God bless you.
It is good to be back studying with you. Sister Maureen I pray to God that He will make you completely whole and for you to have a speedy recovery.
I want to post from Romans 6:11-14. Before I go ahead, I want to touch Romans 6:1-5, so that I can be able to explain the points better.
So far, Paul the Apostle was talking about how God declared us to be righteous in His eyes, by His amazing grace, through faith. Now, Paul the Apostle here wants to bring out one more important point regarding God's amazing grace.
Romans 6:1-3:
Verse 1: Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more kindness and forgiveness?
Verse 2: Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?
Verse 3: Or have you forgotten that when we became Christians and were baptized to become one with Christ Jesus, we died with him?
What Paul the Apostle is telling us is that, When God declared us to be righteous by His grace, it doesn't mean that anything goes and God will forgive us. In other words God made us right in His sight, not that we might fall in sin (in other words take advantage of God's grace), but that we might live a new life and prove to the world that we are Children of God.
Romans 6:4-5:
Verse 4: For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.
Verse 5: Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised as he was.
We have been crucified with Christ in order to put the flesh to death. By the Glorious Power of the Father which raised Christ from the dead, we live a new life. In simple words, "We have been crucified with Christ, that we might live a new life.". We are no longer slaves to sin.
Romans 6:11-12:
Verse 11: So you should consider yourselves dead to sin and able to live for the glory of God through Christ Jesus.
Verse 12: Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to its lustful desires.
So we should be dead to sin, dead to all satanic influences, dead to all evil. Of course, we do get tempted, but we need to keep away from temptation.
Oh! How easy it is to say it in words? But we as humans we tend to sin every day. No person on earth is perfect. I found this amazing ecard (I don't know if I showed you or not), please forgive me if I'm showing you again:
I Am a Christian
Romans 6:13-14:
13 Do not let any part of your body become a tool of wickedness, to be used for sinning. Instead, give yourselves completely to God since you have been given new life. And use your whole body as a tool to do what is right for the glory of God.
14 Sin is no longer your master, for you are no longer subject to the law, which enslaves you to sin. Instead, you are free by God’s grace.
What Paul the Apostle is trying to tell us here is, that once we're born again, we should surrender our entire life to Jesus and let Jesus take control of us. We shouldn't willfully allow sin to take control of us and lead us astray.
This is what I want to share with you.
God bless you.
rjones
Member
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2007
- Messages
- 314
Amen Brother Richie. Being transformed by the renewing of our minds.
Here's my post on the next few verses.
Romans 6 :15 "What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!"
Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Paul has convinced us that a lifestyle of habitual sin is not compatible with one whose life is changed by grace. But what about an occasional sin here and there? If we are under grace, not law, must we be so concerned about a little sin here and there?
Shall we sin: Again, the verb tense of the ancient Greek word sin is important. It indicates dabbling in sin, not a continual habitual sin described in the question of Romans 6:1.
“The verb in verse one is in the present subjunctive, speaking of habitual, continuous action. The verb in verse fifteen is in the aorist subjunctive, referring to a single act.” (Wuest)
Romans 6:16-17 "Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered."
To whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves: Whatever you present yourself to obey, you become its slave. For example, if I “obey” my appetite constantly, I am a slave to it. So we have a choice in our slavery: sin leading to death or obedience leading to righteousness.
One way or another, we will serve somebody. The option to live our life without serving either sin or obedience isn’t open to us.
Though you were slaves of sin: Paul puts it in the past tense because we have been freed from our slavery to sin. He also says that we have been set free by faith, which he describes as obedience from the heart. The faith is put in God’s Word, which he describes as that form of doctrine. All in all, the point is clear: “You put your faith in God and His Word, and now you are set free. Now live every day consistent with that freedom.”
Obedience from the heart is a wonderful description of faith. It shows that faith comes from the heart, not only the mind. It shows that faith results in obedience because if we really believe something we will act according to that belief.
The phrase that form of doctrine is part of a beautiful picture. The word form describes a mold used to shape molten metal. The idea is that God wants to shape us - first He melts us by the work of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. Then He pours us into His mold of truth - that form of doctrine and shapes us into His image.
Adam Clarke on that form of doctrine: “Here Christianity is represented under the notion of a mould, or die, into which they were cast, and from which they took the impression of its excellence. The figure upon this die is the image of God, righteousness and true holiness, which was stamped on their souls in believe the Gospel and receiving the Holy Ghost. The words . . . refer to the melting of metal, which, when it is liquefied, is cast into the mould, that it may receive the impression that is sunk or cut in the mould; and therefore the words may be literally translated, into which mould of doctrine ye have been cast. They were melted down under the preaching of the word, and then were capable of receiving the stamp of its purity.”
Romans 6:18 "And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness."
Having been set free from sin: What does it mean to be free from sin and to become a slave of righteousness? It means that sin is no longer your boss or your master. Now righteousness is your boss, so serve righteousness instead of sin. It isn’t right to think about pleasing your old boss when you change jobs.
Slaves of righteousness: What does it mean to be a slave? A slave was more than an employee. Greek scholar Kenneth Wuest defines the ancient Greek word for a slave here by these terms:
One born into a condition of slavery
One whose will is swallowed up in the will of another
One who is bound to the master with bounds that only death can break
One who serves his master to the disregard of his own interest
The following was once true in regard to our slavery to sin:
We were born as slaves to sin
Our will was swallowed up and captive to the will of sin within us
Our bondage to sin was so strong that only death - spiritually dying with Jesus on the cross - could break the bondage
We were so enslaved to sin that we served it to the disregard of our own interest, even when sin destroyed us
Now the following is true in regard to our slavery to righteousness:
We are born again, now as slaves to righteousness
Our will is now swallowed up in the will of God. It is His will that matters to us, not our own
We are bound to Jesus with bonds that only death can break; but since He has triumphed over death and given us eternal life, those bonds will never be broken!
We now willingly serve Jesus to the disregard of our own interests
Because we have been set free from sin, we never have to sin again. Though sin is inevitable until our flesh is resurrected in glory, it isn’t because God has designed a system by which we must sin.
Sinless perfection in this body is an illusion. The Apostle John made this clear in 1 John 1:8: If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. Yet we know that in the power of Jesus Christ, we can resist the next temptation - and that’s all Jesus wants us to be concerned with.
“Because of the frailty of man, the Christian at infrequent intervals does yield to the evil nature and sin. But the point is, God has so constituted him, that he need not do so.” (Wuest)
It is mockery to tell a slave, “Don’t behave as a slave” - but you can say that to someone who is set free. Jesus Christ tells us to no longer behave as if we were slaves to sin. We have been set free; now we are to think and live as free people.
God bless.
Dear Brother Rjones,
Your post is amazing. I just loved the way you described the points. I have never seen a wonderful explanation of faith like this:
Your post is wonderful, but right now it is midnight and I'll be able to post tomorrow.
God bless you.
Your post is amazing. I just loved the way you described the points. I have never seen a wonderful explanation of faith like this:
Your post is wonderful, but right now it is midnight and I'll be able to post tomorrow.
God bless you.
Brother Rjones,
I'm glad to be back. Now let us finish our discussion with Romans 6.
Here is my post on Romans 6:19-23.
Romans 6:19:I speak this way, using the illustration of slaves and masters, because it is easy to understand. Before, you let yourselves be slaves of impurity and lawlessness. Now you must choose to be slaves of righteousness so that you will become holy.
Well, Paul the Apostle has been using the illustration of slaves and masters in this chapter because he wants us to understand easily. Well I believe that once were set free from sin, we're free indeed (but Paul the Apostle uses the Phrase, "Slaves to Righteousness.
Romans 6:20:In those days, when you were slaves of sin, you weren’t concerned with doing what was right.
Yes it is true indeed. When we were not saved, we were not bothered about our deeds at all and Satan used to take a clean advantage of this fact and deceive us with his lies, used us as tools for his evil work, but thank God that we're saved and we're in the Lord.
Romans 6:21: And what was the result? It was not good, since now you are ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom.
After we accept Jesus Christ into our hearts and receive forgiveness from God, we realize what we have already done and we also realize that God has forgiven us.
Now Satan tries to take advantage by reminding us of our sins God already forgave us. Now we should be very careful here because if we give into Satan's lies, we will be soon brooding over the past and we'll begin to regret and cry out in our hearts, "Why did I ever do this thing?, Why? Why? Why?". Satan loves to see this.
When Jesus already forgave us, we need not worry about the sins we've committed in the past. Jesus forgave it all and that is why Paul the Apostle says:
Romans 6:22:But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life.
Now I've seen this verse many times:
Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Alright Brother Rjones, now I have a question for you:
You see, when God created everything, after He created man, He gave man authority over this earth. My question is "Does man still have the authority God gave him over the earth?"
The amazing fact is, "God owns this earth, but He doesn't dominate it.". That is why when He created Adam, He gave him authority over this earth.
I would love to hear from you.
God bless you.
I'm glad to be back. Now let us finish our discussion with Romans 6.
Here is my post on Romans 6:19-23.
Romans 6:19:I speak this way, using the illustration of slaves and masters, because it is easy to understand. Before, you let yourselves be slaves of impurity and lawlessness. Now you must choose to be slaves of righteousness so that you will become holy.
Well, Paul the Apostle has been using the illustration of slaves and masters in this chapter because he wants us to understand easily. Well I believe that once were set free from sin, we're free indeed (but Paul the Apostle uses the Phrase, "Slaves to Righteousness.
Romans 6:20:In those days, when you were slaves of sin, you weren’t concerned with doing what was right.
Yes it is true indeed. When we were not saved, we were not bothered about our deeds at all and Satan used to take a clean advantage of this fact and deceive us with his lies, used us as tools for his evil work, but thank God that we're saved and we're in the Lord.
Romans 6:21: And what was the result? It was not good, since now you are ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom.
After we accept Jesus Christ into our hearts and receive forgiveness from God, we realize what we have already done and we also realize that God has forgiven us.
Now Satan tries to take advantage by reminding us of our sins God already forgave us. Now we should be very careful here because if we give into Satan's lies, we will be soon brooding over the past and we'll begin to regret and cry out in our hearts, "Why did I ever do this thing?, Why? Why? Why?". Satan loves to see this.
When Jesus already forgave us, we need not worry about the sins we've committed in the past. Jesus forgave it all and that is why Paul the Apostle says:
Romans 6:22:But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life.
Now I've seen this verse many times:
Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Alright Brother Rjones, now I have a question for you:
You see, when God created everything, after He created man, He gave man authority over this earth. My question is "Does man still have the authority God gave him over the earth?"
The amazing fact is, "God owns this earth, but He doesn't dominate it.". That is why when He created Adam, He gave him authority over this earth.
I would love to hear from you.
God bless you.
Dear Brother Rjones,
I really don't know the condition your facing right now. I pray that the Lord will heal your heart and your family, emotionally, financially and physically. I pray for you and your children.
As far as my question is concerned, I think this is the answer:
When Adam sinned, he sold the authority he had over this earth to Satan. So Satan is indeed having authority over this earth.
The devil indeed tells the truth at one place. Here it is:
Luke 4:6: And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
I hope to see you again.
God bless you.
I really don't know the condition your facing right now. I pray that the Lord will heal your heart and your family, emotionally, financially and physically. I pray for you and your children.
As far as my question is concerned, I think this is the answer:
When Adam sinned, he sold the authority he had over this earth to Satan. So Satan is indeed having authority over this earth.
The devil indeed tells the truth at one place. Here it is:
Luke 4:6: And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
I hope to see you again.
God bless you.
1 Peter 5 v 8
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Job 1 v 7
And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
sure convinces us just what he is doing although we know the lies he's capable of to God's people.
he is set out to devour us as that is the main aim of any roaring lion.
but, he is a defeated foe we must not forget that, Jesus saw to that at Calvary, and at His name he must flee.
isn't it great reassurance to have, and plead the blood of Christ over our daily life and over our brothers, sisters in Christ and our family and friends who don't as yet know Him, what a unsurmountable priviledge we have.
Brothers I get these wires taken out of my wrist this Friday then a plaster for 2 more weeks then its off to physio therapy for a while to gain strength back in it.
The pain was bad at the start but I can't complain, I've learned to adopt to using my left hand and at times my mouth to, thank you for your perservence with me not being able to concentrate to study with you's. I know I could never have gotten through so well without Jesus going on before me, praise His name.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Job 1 v 7
And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
sure convinces us just what he is doing although we know the lies he's capable of to God's people.
he is set out to devour us as that is the main aim of any roaring lion.
but, he is a defeated foe we must not forget that, Jesus saw to that at Calvary, and at His name he must flee.
isn't it great reassurance to have, and plead the blood of Christ over our daily life and over our brothers, sisters in Christ and our family and friends who don't as yet know Him, what a unsurmountable priviledge we have.
Brothers I get these wires taken out of my wrist this Friday then a plaster for 2 more weeks then its off to physio therapy for a while to gain strength back in it.
The pain was bad at the start but I can't complain, I've learned to adopt to using my left hand and at times my mouth to, thank you for your perservence with me not being able to concentrate to study with you's. I know I could never have gotten through so well without Jesus going on before me, praise His name.
Last edited:
rjones
Member
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2007
- Messages
- 314
Dear Brother Richie and Sister Maureen,
We have been in the process of moving into a larger house and it has been very time consuming. I'm glad to say that we are finally settled in and getting familiar with the new area and neighbors. Please allow me a day to get caught back up.
Thank you Richie for your prayers.
We have been in the process of moving into a larger house and it has been very time consuming. I'm glad to say that we are finally settled in and getting familiar with the new area and neighbors. Please allow me a day to get caught back up.
Thank you Richie for your prayers.
