Johann
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- Joined
- Oct 26, 2022
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ROMANS 6: The Believer's Identification
With the Death of Christ
-William Newell
Ro 6:2: "We who died to sin"
Ro 6:3: We "have been baptized into His death"
Ro 6:4: "We have been buried with Him through baptism into death"
Ro 6:5: "We have become united with Him in the likeness of His death"
Ro 6:6: "Our old self was crucified with Him."
Ro 6:7: "He who has died is freed from sin"
Ro 6:8: "We have died with Christ"
Ro 6:11: "Consider yourselves to be dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus"
Ro 6:13: "Present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead"
Paul reminded the Colossian believers of their identification with Christ's death writing
If (a condition of first class, assumed true = one can substitute "since" for "if") you have died (apothnesko in aorist tense = past tense, accomplished historical fact) with Christ to the elementary principles of the world (the material ways of looking at things and have escaped from the world’s crude and elemental notions and teachings of externalism), why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees... (Col 2:20-note)
In Colossians 3 Paul again reminds the saints that they should seek the things above and set their mind on the things above because
you have died (apothnesko in aorist tense = historical fact) and your (new, real) life is hidden (perfect tense = speaks of permanence = Your new spiritual life is no longer in the sphere of the earthly and sensual, but is with the life of the risen Christ Who is unseen) with Christ in God. (Col 3:3-note)
Paul was speaking of this death when he wrote
I have been crucified (perfect tense = Paul's identification with Christ at the Cross was a past fact that had present spiritual benefits through identification) with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me." (Gal 2:20-note)
Godet has some interesting thoughts on
The practical application of the apostle's doctrine regarding this mysterious death, which is at the foundation of Christian sanctification, seems to me to be this:
The Christian's breaking with sin is undoubtedly gradual in its realization, but absolute and conclusive in its principle. As, in order to break really with an old friend whose evil influence is felt, half measures are insufficient, and the only efficacious means is a frank explanation, followed by a complete rupture which remains like a barrier raised beforehand against every new solicitation; so to break with sin there is needed a decisive and radical act, a divine deed taking possession of the soul, and interposing henceforth between the will of the believer and sin (Gal 6:14). This divine deed necessarily works through the action of faith in the sacrifice of Christ." (F. Godet - Romans Commentary)
John MacArthur sums up this section noting that "the phrase died to sin expresses the fundamental premise of this entire chapter in Romans, the rest of which is essentially an elaboration of that cardinal reality. It is impossible to be alive in Christ and also still be alive to sin. It is not that a believer at any moment before going to be with Christ is totally without sin, but that from the moment he is born again he is totally separated from the controlling power of sin, the sin life from which Christ died to deliver him. (MacArthur, J: Romans 1-8. Chicago: Moody Press) (Bolding added)
To reiterate, remember that although believers have died to sin, this truth does not mean that the we are in a state of death as far as sin’s temptations and allurements are concerned, as if we were immune to them in the same sense that a corpse is totally beyond the ability to respond to physical stimuli. Every believer knows from experience this is not the case. The difference is that now when sin tempts or allures us (cp Jas 1:14-note, 1Pe 2:11-note), we can say "no" (Ro 6:12, 13-note) whereas before we died to the power of sin, we could not reject the reign of sin in our lives. Remember to first say "yes" to the Spirit of Christ, Who will provide the motivation and the power to say "no" to the strong desires of the flesh (see this pattern in Gal 5:16-note, cp Ro 8:13-note)
WHAT PAUL
IS NOT
TEACHING
To state this important point another way, think of it as what Paul is NOT teaching. He is NOT teaching that sin (the power of sin, the sinful nature) is annihilated or non-existent in me. He is NOT teaching that as a Christian, I have reached the place where I cannot commit individual sins, although many teachers over the last two millennia have misinterpreted Paul's teaching in this very way.
Henry Morris emphasizes that "Paul is not setting forth a doctrine of sinless perfection, but of freedom from sin’s domination. The Christian may sin, but sinning is out of character. It is a declension from his norm, not his habitual practice. (Defenders Study Bible. World Publishing) (Bolding added)
And note also that Paul is not teaching, as some have taken it, that we should die to sin. They say that this is the way by which we come into the victorious Christian life. They say we ought to begin to crucify ourselves, and die to sin. Paul is NOT saying that we ought to do this but to the contrary he is telling us that it has already been done. Furthermore, Paul does NOT mean that we are dying to sin which is the way some people understand his teaching. They say Paul means that the Christian is gradually changing and growing, and the more he does so, the more he is dying to sin, and there will come a time when he will sort of outgrow all his evil. It doesn't mean that at all.
www.preceptaustin.org
God bless
Johann
With the Death of Christ
-William Newell
Ro 6:2: "We who died to sin"
Ro 6:3: We "have been baptized into His death"
Ro 6:4: "We have been buried with Him through baptism into death"
Ro 6:5: "We have become united with Him in the likeness of His death"
Ro 6:6: "Our old self was crucified with Him."
Ro 6:7: "He who has died is freed from sin"
Ro 6:8: "We have died with Christ"
Ro 6:11: "Consider yourselves to be dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus"
Ro 6:13: "Present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead"
Paul reminded the Colossian believers of their identification with Christ's death writing
If (a condition of first class, assumed true = one can substitute "since" for "if") you have died (apothnesko in aorist tense = past tense, accomplished historical fact) with Christ to the elementary principles of the world (the material ways of looking at things and have escaped from the world’s crude and elemental notions and teachings of externalism), why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees... (Col 2:20-note)
In Colossians 3 Paul again reminds the saints that they should seek the things above and set their mind on the things above because
you have died (apothnesko in aorist tense = historical fact) and your (new, real) life is hidden (perfect tense = speaks of permanence = Your new spiritual life is no longer in the sphere of the earthly and sensual, but is with the life of the risen Christ Who is unseen) with Christ in God. (Col 3:3-note)
Paul was speaking of this death when he wrote
I have been crucified (perfect tense = Paul's identification with Christ at the Cross was a past fact that had present spiritual benefits through identification) with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me." (Gal 2:20-note)
Godet has some interesting thoughts on
The practical application of the apostle's doctrine regarding this mysterious death, which is at the foundation of Christian sanctification, seems to me to be this:
The Christian's breaking with sin is undoubtedly gradual in its realization, but absolute and conclusive in its principle. As, in order to break really with an old friend whose evil influence is felt, half measures are insufficient, and the only efficacious means is a frank explanation, followed by a complete rupture which remains like a barrier raised beforehand against every new solicitation; so to break with sin there is needed a decisive and radical act, a divine deed taking possession of the soul, and interposing henceforth between the will of the believer and sin (Gal 6:14). This divine deed necessarily works through the action of faith in the sacrifice of Christ." (F. Godet - Romans Commentary)
John MacArthur sums up this section noting that "the phrase died to sin expresses the fundamental premise of this entire chapter in Romans, the rest of which is essentially an elaboration of that cardinal reality. It is impossible to be alive in Christ and also still be alive to sin. It is not that a believer at any moment before going to be with Christ is totally without sin, but that from the moment he is born again he is totally separated from the controlling power of sin, the sin life from which Christ died to deliver him. (MacArthur, J: Romans 1-8. Chicago: Moody Press) (Bolding added)
To reiterate, remember that although believers have died to sin, this truth does not mean that the we are in a state of death as far as sin’s temptations and allurements are concerned, as if we were immune to them in the same sense that a corpse is totally beyond the ability to respond to physical stimuli. Every believer knows from experience this is not the case. The difference is that now when sin tempts or allures us (cp Jas 1:14-note, 1Pe 2:11-note), we can say "no" (Ro 6:12, 13-note) whereas before we died to the power of sin, we could not reject the reign of sin in our lives. Remember to first say "yes" to the Spirit of Christ, Who will provide the motivation and the power to say "no" to the strong desires of the flesh (see this pattern in Gal 5:16-note, cp Ro 8:13-note)
WHAT PAUL
IS NOT
TEACHING
To state this important point another way, think of it as what Paul is NOT teaching. He is NOT teaching that sin (the power of sin, the sinful nature) is annihilated or non-existent in me. He is NOT teaching that as a Christian, I have reached the place where I cannot commit individual sins, although many teachers over the last two millennia have misinterpreted Paul's teaching in this very way.
Henry Morris emphasizes that "Paul is not setting forth a doctrine of sinless perfection, but of freedom from sin’s domination. The Christian may sin, but sinning is out of character. It is a declension from his norm, not his habitual practice. (Defenders Study Bible. World Publishing) (Bolding added)
And note also that Paul is not teaching, as some have taken it, that we should die to sin. They say that this is the way by which we come into the victorious Christian life. They say we ought to begin to crucify ourselves, and die to sin. Paul is NOT saying that we ought to do this but to the contrary he is telling us that it has already been done. Furthermore, Paul does NOT mean that we are dying to sin which is the way some people understand his teaching. They say Paul means that the Christian is gradually changing and growing, and the more he does so, the more he is dying to sin, and there will come a time when he will sort of outgrow all his evil. It doesn't mean that at all.
Romans 6:1-3 Commentary | Precept Austin
God bless
Johann
