HotSermons
educate equip enable
Romans 6:11-23 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (12) Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. (13) And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. (14) For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. (15) What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! (16) 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? (17) 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. (18) And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. (19) I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. (20) For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. (21) What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. (22) But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. (23) For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Having already established the theological basis for our liberation from the power of sin, Romans 6:11-23 takes up the challenge of showing how this theology can become experience in the life of the believer.
This section is where Paul explains how faith can make co-crucifixion a reality.
Verse 11: We are to consider ourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ. This is a faith step. On the basis of what Christ did on the cross, accomplishing our death and resurrection with Him, we are to think of it as an established fact, a done deal.
This is the difference between our position and our possession. In the same way that God gave the land to the Israelites, yet they still had to go in and possess it, our position in Christ is that we are dead and resurrected as new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17). But to actually possess what He has done as a practical reality in our lives, we must exercise ongoing faith and consider it to be done.
Verse 12-13: Yes, sin's power over us has been absolutely broken. However, we still have to make choices. We will still be tempted. But now Christ has given us the opportunity to choose not to sin. Without Christ, we can do nothing but sin. (See Romans 14:23 for a definition of sin.)
But now, when we are tempted, we can choose to act as new creations who are dead to sin and live to God. This means actively presenting our members to God for His use, rather than to sin for its use.
Verse 14: Sin cannot be allowed to rule over us because we aren't under law but under grace. This tells us two important things. First, a life under grace is a life that is not yielded to the power of sin. Second, a person who is under law is still under sin's power. Law is only necessary because of the existence of sin. Law fulfils the purpose of keeping sin under control. See Galatians 3:19 and 1 Timothy 1:8-10.
Verses 15-22: Paul poses this question (similar to verse 1) because he anticipates that a person might misuse the fact that he is under grace since he has no further obligation to the law. In much the same way, Christians today can use the slogan "Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven" as an excuse not to deal with sin. Paul says that this is a false concept because if a person sins, they are presenting themselves to the power of sin as a slave. This kind of slavery leads to death.
On the other hand, if we present ourselves as slaves to be obedient to God, the result will not be death, but the impartation of righteousness into our lives. This process of bringing righteousness into our lives as a daily experience is called sanctification.
Verse 23: God wants us to have eternal life, but the result of sin is death. In this verse, the causes of life and death are shown to be utterly different. Death is earned; it is the wages of sin and it is what every human being deserves because everyone has sinned. (See Romans 3:23)
In contrast, eternal life is impossible to earn and is only obtainable as a gift from God through what Christ has done on the cross.
Have you attempted to put into practice what Paul says by regarding yourself as being dead to sin and alive to God?
How can you more consistently exercise faith in what Christ has done for you in setting you free from the power of sin?
What do you think is the reason that there can be an ongoing struggle with the temptation to sin?
How can you better access God's grace in resisting sin's temptation? See Hebrews 4:15-16.
What does it mean to present your members to God as instruments of righteousness?
If you like these Expository Bible Studies, don't forget to check out our Topical Bible Studies too.