Welcome to “Learning and Living the God-centered life”

Carmel Baptist Church

www.learningandlivingtheword.com

May 2, 2010

Practical Christian Living from the doctrines

Justification Regeneration

Resurrection

Question #1 - How do we arrive at Romans 6?

Romans 1:16 This is where Paul starts to expound the gospel.

Paul says he was not ashamed because it is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe…

Well how can the gospel be so powerful?

Romans 1:17

The way the gospel is so powerful is because it offers us righteousness from God.

Why do I need this righteousness?

Romans 1:18

Because all men are under the wrath of God.

Overview Chapters 1-3 - All men are under sin

Chapter 3:20- end of Chapter 4 - justification by faith

Chapter 5:1- end of Chapter 8 - the certainty and the fullness of salvation in Christ Jesus.

Romans 5:1-2 - Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.

Rom. 8:38 - For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, Rom. 8:39 - nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Question #2 -What observations can we make about “how” Paul writes Romans?

Paul in Romans 1-6 gives us a series of indicatives which present us with one truth after the other regarding the Christian life.

And then in Romans 6:11-13 Paul gives us for the first time 4 imperatives that exhort us to act in a way that is consistent with who we are in Christ.

What should we learn about the ways of God from the word of God in the book of Romans?

Doctrine always precedes application

Believing correctly precedes behaving correctly

The root of truth planted that brings forth the fruit of truth

Turn to Ephesians 4:1

Question #3 - How should Romans 6 be titled and outlined?

Divides into two sectionsRomans 6:1-14 - new person in ChristRomans 6:15-23 - freed from sin and enslaved to righteousness

Check the pattern that the apostle Paul uses in these 2 sections Question Response Reason Explanation Application

Outline for Romans 6:1-14

Romans 6:1-2

Question, Response and Reason

Romans 6:3-10

Explanation

Romans 6:11-14

Application

Outline for Romans 6:1-14

Question“should we continue in sin that grace abound?”

Response “may it never be”

Reason “you have died to sin”

Explanation union with Christ

Application the four imperatives (Romans 6:11-14)

Question #4 - Why is it necessary for Paul to write Romans 6?

If salvation is solely on the basis of grace and works don't have anything to do with it. In other words, nothing that we do can earn, merit or deserve our salvation because it is all of grace. Then what is going to keep a Christian in check and keep them from just sinning freely and saying it is all covered by grace.

Two types of people that Paul has to constantly deal with

1. Legalists - in Paul's day this was the Jew who was taught that the Law was given to save them. And now Paul is saying that the Law increases sin. So these people were asking "what about the Law?" Which Paul is going to deal with in detail in Chapter 7 (Paul's answer to Romans 5:20)

2. Liberalists - They were the ones that took the doctrine of grace to the extreme by thinking that one could sin freely and then rationalize saying their sin were covered by the death of Christ on the cross. And Paul is going to deal with this in detail in Chapter 6 (Paul’s answer to Romans 5:21)

Jude 4 - say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. (NLT)

Question #5 - What are the key phrases or words in Romans 6?

Rom. 6:1 ¶ What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? Rom. 6:2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Rom. 6:3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Rom. 6:4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. Rom. 6:5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,

Rom. 6:6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;

Rom. 6:7 for he who has died is freed from sin.

Rom. 6:8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,

Rom. 6:9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him.

Rom. 6:10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.

Rom. 6:11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Question #6 - What does “died to sin” mean for the Christian?

The phrase “died to sin” is a key in our understanding of Romans Chapter 6:

What does it NOT mean? That the Christian no longer is having a problem with or isn’t affected by sin any longer

Question #6 - What does “died to sin” mean for the Christian

The phrase “died to sin” is a key in our understanding of Romans Chapter 6:

What it DOES mean?

Well we can best understand what Paul means by keeping this in context with what he has been saying.

And for that we need to go back to Chapter 5:12-21 and look at the realm in Adam and the realm that is in Christ.

In the realm of Adam there is:

Judgment

Condemnation

Death

In the realm of Christ there is:

Righteousness

Justification

Life

So what does it mean that I died to sin?

It means is that a genuine Christian has died to the reign and realm of sin in their lives.

Sin no longer has dominion over them to the point that they are enslaved to it or powerless to do anything about it.

In Adam

Judgment

Condemnation

Death

In Christ

Justification

Righteousness

Life

In Adam

Sin Reigns

In Christ

Grace Reigns

“Died to Sin means…”

In Adam

SIN REIGNS

Judgment

Condemnation

Death

In Christ

GRACE REIGNS

Justification

Righteousness

Life

Passed from being in Adam to now being in Christ

Question #7 - What word picture does Paul use to illustrate “died to sin?”

Romans 6:3-5Paul then goes on to explain that becoming a Christian is just like the picture of water baptism. You don't get baptized in the water to have your sins forgiven. But it shows that you are dead and you bury people that are dead. So when you go down into the water that is an outward sign a word picture of the inward reality.

At the moment we are joined or united to Christ our old man has been crucified with Christ.

Paul tells us when the old Saul died and the new Paul began when we read Galatians 2:20.

Dead to sin means that as a Christian you have passed from the realm of in Adam into the realm of in Christ.

Everything that was true of Adam is no longer true for you because you die to that realm. Even though we still have problems with sin we are no longer under the power and reign of sin in our lives.

The apostle Paul is saying that it is impossible for a Christian to continue in the realm of sin, condemnation and death because he is now in a new realm. The new realm is justification, righteousness and life in which grace reigns.

Turn to 1 John 3:9 No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

The old you is gone and now you are a new person. Grace now reigns in your life.

Question #8 - How does Romans 6:10 summarize section one?

Romans 6:10 - Jesus Christ was never alive to sin in the sense that He committed sin and He never was dead to God so what does Paul mean?

This is talking about the realm in the life of Christ. There was a time when Christ lived on planet earth in the realm of a sinful world. He while on earth was tempted by sin and death for a little while was master over Him. Because of Romans 6:9.

There was a time while Christ lived on planet earth that He was surrounded by sin and then subjected to death.

For the Christian to be dead to sin means that we have passed out of that realm in which sin reigns over us. And now we are alive to God which means we are in a new realm in which grace now reigns.

In verses 1–10, Paul has presented two main facts;

First, the believer stands in the position of a permanent relationship of freedom to the sinful nature, and need not obey it

Second, the divine nature is imparted by which he is given both the desire and the power to do God’s will.

Wuest, K. S. (1997). Wuest's word studies from the Greek New Testament : For the English reader (Ro 6:11). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.

In Summary of Romans 6:1-10

We as Christians are no longer:Under sin but rather now we are under grace

Just as Christ physically passes from the realm of sin and death to the realm of being in heaven and sitting at the right hand of God the Father.

We as Christians have passed from the spiritual realm of death into the spiritual realm of life. And one day this will happen to us physically also.

Therefore the apostle Paul is teaching that we who are in Christ have died to sin based upon the truth of Romans 6:10.

Again this means we are no longer under the realm and reign of “the” sin.

A key question for our Christian living

So if “the sin” or the sinful nature is rendered powerless why then does it seem to have so much power?

Why do we desire to do the wrong things?

We must realize it is us who have changed not the flesh. Jesus said the flesh is flesh and the Spirit is spirit.

The flesh will always and only be the flesh while we are on earth.

What it was before we were in Christ, it is now that we are in Christ.

The flesh has not changed. But we have changed (new creature) and our relation to the flesh has changed. The flesh lusts in us as it always and ever has. Probably it’s lusts even seem more real and powerful because now we have something to compare them to – now our flesh and our sin is sinful to us.

The fact that the lusts of the sinful nature or the flesh remain only requires a quick look at some verses in the epistles – those wonderful letters written to those in Christ showing us that the lusts of the flesh are certainly an issue for those in Christ. Also in these verses we find our responsibility to the flesh and its lusts – now that we are in Christ.

Romans 6:12 Therefore do not let ‘the sin’ reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts

Romans 13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.

Galatians 5:16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.

Colossians 3:5 Therefore put to death the members of your earthly body to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.

Titus 2:12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,

James 1:14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.

Rom. 8:13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

In Romans 6:12 it is ‘the sin’ that has lusts within and in Romans13:14, Galatians 5:16 and Galatians 5:24 it is the ‘flesh’ that has lusts within.

Therefore it seems that the NT teaches “the sin” mentioned in Rom 6 is equal to the flesh or sinful nature.

The fact that that the flesh or the sinful nature resides within the believer is a disturbing fact.

However the fact that it dwells within and has lusts contrary to the will of God is even more disturbing.

It is important for us to realize that these lusts though present in the child of God are not sin in themselves.

So how are we to do battle with “the sin?”

The apostle Paul gives us 4 imperatives starting in Romans 6:11:Consider (logizomai) yourselves to be dead to (separated from) “the sin”, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Therefore, do not let “the sin” reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts,

and do not go on presenting the members of your body to ‘the’ sin” as instruments of unrighteousness,

but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead and your members as instruments of Righteousness to God.

Imperative #1 in Romans 6

Consider (logizomai) yourselves to be dead to (separated from) “the sin”, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

The word consider in the Greek means to count upon the facts, reason, to take into account.

The first correction the Christian should make is (this is a command)

Count upon the fact that the power of the indwelling sinful nature is broken and the divine nature imparted, and order his life on that principle.

When the saint counts upon the fact that the power of the sinful nature over him is broken, he obeys the exhortation of Paul, “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body.”

The sinful nature is a dethroned monarch. The believer has the responsibility of keeping it from mounting into the throne of his heart, the place which the Lord Jesus should occupy.

The believer is well able to do this via the word of God and the Spirit of God.

Turn to Romans 8:5-13

Imperative #2 in Romans 6

Rom. 6:12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts,

Now, to what does the word “it” refer, to the sinful nature or the body?

According to the Greek construction of the sentence the “it” refers back to the mortal body.It is true that the sinful desires originate with the evil nature, not with the physical body. But why does Paul in this instance relate them to the body? The answer is found in the fact that the sinful nature is an intangible, invisible entity, and cannot be watched. It is an unseen enemy whose tactics cannot be observed and therefore cannot be guarded against. But the saint is able to keep watch over the members of his body, what his eyes look at, his ears listen to, his mind thinks about, his hands do, and where his feet carry him.

Romans 6:6 - the Greek word “katargeo”6 τοῦτο γινώσκοντες ὅτι ὁ παλαιὸς ἡμῶν ἄνθρωπος συνεσταυρώθη, ἵνα καταργηθῇ τὸ σῶμα τῆς ἁμαρτίας, τοῦ μηκέτι δουλεύειν ἡμᾶς τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ·

6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;

New International Version (NIV) might be done away with

New American Standard Bible (NASB) might be done away with

New Living Translation (NLT) might lose its power in our lives

New Century Version (NCV) would have no power over us

English Standard Version (ESV) might be brought to nothing

Romans 6:6

The Greek word (katargeo)

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;

New Living Translation (NLT)

6 We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin.

Romans 6:6New International Version (NIV)

6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;

New Living Translation (NLT)

6 We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin.

New Century Version (NCV)

6 We know that our old life died with Christ on the cross so that our sinful selves would have no power over us and we would not be slaves to sin.

English Standard Version (ESV)

6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.