Romans,
Chapter 6
© Copyright 1998 Darroll Evans-all rights
reserved
As we begin this chapter, please note the
recurrence of the word “sin.”
In all but one verse where we find that word,
it appears in the Greek text as a noun. The only exception is in verse 15 where
the Greek is a verb.
In most cases, the definite article appears
in the Greek text, but for some reason is not used in the English text. That use of the definite article makes it
clear that the reference is to our sin nature, which produces works of the
flesh.
This chapter reflects the problem mankind
faces! Chapter 7 reflects the results of
that problem! Chapter 8 shows the
results of God’s plan for those who come to Christ!
Gal
5:19-21
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery,
fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife,
seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before,
as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not
inherit the kingdom of God.
Romans 6:1-2
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin,
that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
If we have been saved from sin, and turned
from sin, why should even entertain the thought of returning to it?
Sin mentioned in verse 1 is used as an
English verb.
However, the Greek text shows it to be a
noun!
We are not to continue in sin, being
dominated by the sin nature.
Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful
above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
In verse 2, the word sin is also a noun.
It speaks of the sin nature, the “old man”
(v. 6).
There is a special verse that many do not
read.
Luke 9:62 “And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand
to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Romans 6:3-4
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were
baptized into his death?
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.
Let’s discuss baptism.
“Baptism” (Gr. baptismatos-baptismatoV) means immersion.
Man-made traditional theology (sprinkling)
will not alter the Greek text.
Why do Churches sprinkle?
Ignorance and tradition!
Why do they sprinkle children?
They fear that the children will be cast into
hell if they die without being sprinkled.
Is the God you worship so cruel?
I once spoke with a person who proclaimed
that Jesus was baptized in 3 inches of water.
How she knew that I don’t know.
Old-line Protestant Churches sprinkle due to
their Roman Catholic tradition.
Many are not immersed because they do not
understand immersion.
No Christian denomination founded after 1900
practices sprinkling.
Baptism is symbolic of the death, burial, and
resurrection of Christ Jesus.
We go under the water signifying His death
and burial.
We are raised to newness of "life in
Christ" signifying His resurrection and reconciliation to the Father.
Many miss the full meaning.
I know several people from Old-line
Protestant Churches that were immersed when they left those denominations.
Immersion is an act of obedience!
However, baptism without repentance is
futile.
If you believe that God will cast any child
into the
Sprinkling is a staple of Roman Catholic
theology!
Some denominations teach that Roman
Catholicism is heretical, and yet in this matter they follow Catholicism.
The Orthodox Churches, while baptizing
(immersing) infants, do not sprinkle, because it is unbiblical.
Romans 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:
Baptism by immersion is our symbolic planting
with Christ Jesus in His death, followed by our symbolic resurrection.
This verse gives us the progression whereby
we may live the resurrection life.
Notice that we must first be “planted
together” (Gr. symphutos-σύμφυτος),
united with Christ Jesus in the likeness of His death!
It is only when we have been planted together
in the likeness of His death that we may “be also in the likeness of his resurrection”!
The second cannot
be true if the first is not also true!
“If” is a very
important word and the explanation is never complete without the “if!”
Romans 6:6-7
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.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
The old man, or pre-repentant nature has been
"crucified with" (Gr. sunestauroothee-sunestaurwqh) Christ.
We need to come to Christ in truth, the truth
of our conversion!
Our old sins are crucified with Him.
God has not called us to serve sin!
“Sin” is used twice in verse 6.
In both cases the Greek reference is to {the}
sin.
In the first case, we find the reference says
that we were crucified with Christ in order to destroy “the body the sin.”
We are to take up our cross daily so as to
perpetually (daily) crucify the sin nature, our old man.
Sin, as used the second time in verse 6 also
speaks of the sin (Gr. tee
hamartia-th amartia).
The Greek text says, “so that we no longer
serve the sin.”
“Freed” speaks of being caused to be seen as
righteous.
We have been freed from {the} sin, and not
freed to again participate in sin activity.
Being socially likeable is of no value
without Christ!
Romans 6:8 Now if
we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
Here we run into the phrase "with
Christ" (Gr. sun christou-sun cristou)."
That small Greek word/prefix, "sun-sun" is very important.
The Greek means "to be in extremely
close association with."
Paul declares that we died "with"
Christ.
He also says we live "with"
Him.
If you draw a lone on a piece of paper, and
then draw a second line exactly on top of the first, the second line would be
"with" the first.
Romans 6:9 Knowing that Christ being
raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no
more dominion over him.
Christ Jesus has been raised from the dead to
show us that He dominates death. The fact is that Christ was never subject to
death, but for our sakes he died to show us that he dominates death.
Jesus did not die because of the scourging or
the crucifixion!
Romans 6:10 For in that he died, he died unto sin
once: but in that he liveth, he liveth
unto God.
He did it once {for all} (Gr. efapax-efapax)(Hebrews
10:10)!
He took all our sins past---present---and
future!
There is now no need for repeated
sacrifices.
Jesus made the sacrifice complete.
Although Christ did not join with us in the
sin nature, He identified with us and died to {the} sin nature once for all.
Romans 6:11 Likewise
reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
If we live through Christ, we are dead to
sin, because we are a new creation!
2
Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man
be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Romans 6:12 Let
not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the
lusts thereof.
As new creations, as God’s children, we are
not to allow a deviant, sinful life-style rule in our lives.
Again, we find a reference to {the} sin, the
sin nature.
Romans 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.
If you are Christ’s, live like it!
Christians are instruments of God’s
righteousness!
The Greek word translated
"Instruments" speaks of instruments of warfare.
“Sin”---appears in the literal translation of
the Greek text as {the} sin, our sin nature.
We are not only instruments of His warfare.
We are victorious in His warfare.
Romans 6:14 For
sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under
grace.
“Dominion” means to exercise lordship. Sin shall not Lord it over us.
Sin is not your ruler, Christ is!
But, How do you
accomplish that?
You do not accomplish it! Christ Jesus does!
When the Light of Christ comes to you all
shadows of Law dissipate. As this verse tells us, “ye are not under the law,
but under grace.”
The Law is a shadow! Shadows have no
substance. When Light comes shadows must disappear.
They have no choice.
Heb 10:1a For the law having a shadow of good things to
come, and not the very image of the things,
Col 2:16-17a
16 Let
no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
17 Which
are a shadow of things to come; but the body is
of Christ.
We are not under or subject to the law,
because we are subject to God’s grace!
The Law has only one purpose.
It was given to point out sin.
Once we acknowledge that the Law has pointed
out the sin in our lives it has fulfilled its purpose and we are no longer
“under the law.”
Then, grace takes over our lives and we are
“under grace.”
Romans 6:15 What then? shall
we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
Paul returns to rhetorical questioning.
"Shall we sin?"
Here, sin appears as an action verb.
The spiritually ignorant may ask, “After all,
we are under grace, and so a little sin won’t hurt. Will it?”
Grace is not license.
Sin always hurts!
Those that attempt to corrupt grace will
finds that it is not a good idea.
Being under grace does not give us a
"license" to sin.
Instead it gives the impetus to obey
God.
Without grace we cannot obey God!
Romans 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye
yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether
of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
Do you obey sin or righteousness?
Your answer tells you if you follow Christ or
Satan.
The living ones follow Christ.
The rest follow Satan, because life is not in
them. In Verse 16, sin leads to death.
Again, Christ died on the cross because he
acquired our sin.
Romans 6:17 But God be
thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart
that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
Whatever you serve, you obey from the
heart.
If you serve {the} sin, the sinful nature,
you will do it with your whole heart.
If you serve Christ it must also be without
reservation.
Christ does not save halfway!
Your obedience should not to be halfway.
Romans 6:18 Being then made free from sin,
ye became the servants of righteousness.
We were servants of {the} sin,
our sinful nature.
Now, in Christ, we are servants
of righteousness.
In Christ, we are new creations.
2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new
creature: old things are passed away; behold, all
things are become new.”
We are not to live according to our “old man”
sinful nature.
Instead, we are to be “renewed in the spirit”
of our mind (Eph 4:23).
Romans 6:19 I speak after the manner of
men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members
servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your
members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
Any good teacher will communicate on the
level of his/her students.
It would be futile to attempt to teach
algebra to third graders.
It is also futile to attempt to teach
babes-in-Christ the deep things of the Spirit.
If in the past, you yielded to uncleanness
and iniquity, now in Christ it is time for you to serve what is holy!
“Yield” means to stand beside.
When we yield to something, we stand beside
it as if being on the same side.
Are you standing beside holiness?
Romans 6:20 For
when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
This verse seems so plain in its concept.
If we serve {the} sin nature and
unrighteousness we are free from
righteousness.
Do you understand the concept of being “free
from righteousness”?
1 John 3:4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness;
and sin is lawlessness. (NASB)
The Antichrist is the lawless one.
2 Thessalonians 2:8 “And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the
Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness
of His coming” (NKJV).
Those that follow Satan take on his
characteristics of lawlessness.
Those that follow Christ take on His
characteristics of law-abiding love and forgiveness.
No matter how good the unrighteous seem to
be, they are still UN-righteous!
The world and most Church attendees cannot
differentiate between what is righteous and what is unrighteous. Satan has the
best PR campaign ever devised.
The Churches of America are filled with the
UN-righteousness.
American Churches are filled with those that
support the murder of the unborn, abortion.
They are filled with those that see no wrong
in just a little sin.
Galatians
5:9 “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.”
Romans 6:21 What
fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
What fruit, or
advantage did we have when we submit to sin’s call?
Absolutely none!
Sin is a disadvantage because it leads to
death.
John 10:10 "The thief does not come except to steal, and to
kill, and to destroy. I have come
that they may have life, and that they may have it
more abundantly” (NKJV).
Romans 6:22 But now being made free from
sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end
everlasting life.
Christians are not free from sin!
We are free from the spiritual effects of
sin!
Notice that Paul writes that we are being
made free from {the} sin nature.
That lack of full maturity is reflected in
our ability to sin even though we are followers of Christ.
However, even though we sin, those sins are
covered in His grace!
What are the evidences of spiritual maturity?
Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (NKJV)
In Romans 6:22, everlasting (Gr. aiwnion) life is the birthright of all that come to Christ.
Romans 6:23 For
the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus
Christ our Lord.
The wages of {the} sin, the sin nature is
death! "Eternal life" (Gr. zooee aioonios-zwh aiwnioV)
speaks of everlasting life, not eternal life.
“Eternal” life is the exclusive domain of the
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!
The word “eternal” speaks of something with
No beginning.
No created being can have “eternal” life and
the Bible, Greek text, never says we have eternal life.
Due to our being born again, we have
everlasting life!
It is a technicality that we should
understand.
God does not call us to be ignorant in such
matters.
This verse is part of the
It states our spiritual condition prior to
Christ's intervention in our lives.