Romans (Written)

Tuesday, 21 May 2013

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

Paul has been speaking throughout this chapter of our uniting with Christ and thus sin no longer has mastery over us. In 6:9, he stated, “…knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.” This then is the reason for his use of “for.” Because of this, “the death that He died, He died to sin once for all.”

If Christ died to sin, meaning for our sins (Paul is speaking of His death as a substitution for our sins because it is evident He was sinless) He died once for all. The clear intent of this is that sin is dead in us because of His work and therefore death is dead for us because “the wages of sin is death.” The power of death is vanquished.

Christ died “to sin once for all.” This is the state that we are now in when we receive His work, “but the life that He lives, He lives to God.” The use of “but” is intended now to show a contrast. “Yes, Jesus died to sin once for all, but…” Now that this has happened will He die for sin again? No, it is once for all. Therefore, He lives in a state where death can never enter again. And in this state, “He lives to God.” The obvious connection Paul is making is that as He died to sin for us and He is now living “to God” that we should likewise be living “to God.”

Paul’s thoughts are not random and disconnected. They are all being tied together to show us our state in Christ and therefore how we should conduct ourselves in Christ. The next verse will explicitly state this. Each step of Paul’s thoughts progresses toward an ultimate goal which is to teach us of the work of Christ and how it then relates to the believer in Christ.

Life application: Christ died to sin for all, therefore we are dead to sin. Why would we want to reenter the life of sin that we have died to? And now Christ lives to God; let us endeavor to emulate our Lord and live to God as well. Let our lives be holy, honorable, and acceptable to God through our Lord Jesus.

Lord, grant me calm in the storms which blow around me, contentment in the times of lack, sharing in the times of abundance, joy in Your presence, and wisdom from Your word. Give me patience through life’s trials, wonderment at Your creation, and acceptance of Your sovereign decisions. O Lord, allow my life to be one which brings You glory and in whom You delight. Amen.

Monday, 20 May 2013

…knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. Romans 6:9

“Knowing that” is used here as an indication of absolute surety based on the words of 6:8 –

“Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him…”

Christ, in fact, did die in His human body. Our faith in this causes us to die with Him to sin. When we die in this way, the power of sin dies with us. But the event doesn’t stop there. “Knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more.” Yes, He died, but He died for sins not in sin. Because He was sinless, death could not hold Him. In fact, Peter explained to the people of Israel that it was impossible for the grave to hold Him –

“…whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.” Acts 2:24

Our faith in His work causes us to die with Him. Because He is sinless, He resurrected. Because we died to sin with Him, we have become sinless in Him. In other words, sin no longer has power over us because the power of sin has been nullified. Christ dies no more and “death no longer has dominion over Him.” Because we are “in Christ” this is our state as well. Death no longer has dominion over us. When Christ returns we shall be resurrected. This is as sure as the resurrection of Christ Himself. It is a 100% guarantee and it is the hope of all the faithful.

Life application: Because we have died to sin in Christ, let us endeavor to live apart from sin in Christ.

Lord God, to know You and to think on Your majesty is my highest joy. Your hands which set the galaxies in place also fashioned man. Your power which ignites the stars with heat also breathed the spark of life into us. And your wisdom which brings about the seasons of life also endowed us with the ability to contemplate You. Help me to use this life of mine for Your glory. Amen.

Sunday, 19 May 2013

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

This verse, taken in context with 6:5 – 6:11 is speaking not so much of the physical resurrection of our bodies, which is yet future, but the right now life which has been granted. It is the spiritual life which was lost at Adam’s time. This is certain because sin is what caused the spiritual death (physical death resulted from the spiritual death) and Paul speaks of our death to sin during these seven verses.

“Now” or as a result of what has been said.

“If we died with Christ” is speaking about our death to sin; it being crucified with Him.

“We believe” – it is faith in God’s word and actions through Christ that we stand certain of what has been accomplished.

“That we shall also live with Him.” – We are positionally in the new state already and our hope and faith stands in the fact that it will be realized in us actually at some future point.

So how can we know that this is “in position” at this time but not yet actually obtained? The answer is that our physical, mortal bodies still die. We all go to funerals of saved loved ones and each of us is heading there too, unless the Lord comes first. If we were actually glorified and sinless, then this wouldn’t be the case. The fact that our spiritual life is regenerated the moment we come to Christ is where our hope lies; not in a certainty that we are now sinless. We are clothed in Christ, covered by Him, and awaiting our final state. The surety of the sealing of the Holy Spirit is the surety that we, like Christ, will come forth from our graves to eternal physical life as well as the spiritual life we now possess.

This is the great hope of every believer. We shall not only live forever, but we will do it in a physical body and in a sinless state. Coming some glorious day to a resurrection near you!

Life application: The surety of Christ is the promise of eternal life. Though we will miss our departed loved ones, we know that those who have received Christ are only gone from the body, but not gone forever. They are with Christ awaiting the moment when we shall all be raised together at the sound of the glorious trumpet.

Jesus is alive! And I know that through the power of the resurrection, I too shall join Him in the promise of ever-lasting life. There is no fear as I contemplate my days ahead – whether they are filled with ease or the trials of a body worn out by hard years or debilitating disease. These things are temporary, but some beautiful day they will be behind me forever. Thank You Lord. Amen.

Saturday, 18 May 2013

For he who has died has been freed from sin. Romans 6:7

Care must be taken when evaluating Romans 6:7. We are told that he who has died has been freed from sin. What was it that died? We are still physically alive and in our fallen bodies. We have not yet received the glorified bodies promised to us. One must return to 5:18-5:21 to remember the context. In Adam, man died spiritually – because of one misdeed. In Christ, we are born again spiritually – because of His work. We are also told that the law was introduced that sin might abound “so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

This is further explained in Colossians 2:13, 14 –

“And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”

Sin came about by the introduction of law (one law for Adam, but still the law). Paul has already explained that through the law is the knowledge of sin and where there is no law there is no transgression. Christ has taken away the power of sin by taking away “the handwriting of the commandments that was against us.” The law is what was nailed to the cross; Jesus is the embodiment of the law. When He was crucified, the power of the law was removed. We have died to this same law through our uniting with Christ. Thus we are free from the law’s constraints. This however doesn’t mean we have been freed from sin’s presence, only its penalty. The law has no jurisdiction over someone who has died.

This is what Paul is explaining today. He is not saying that we can not sin, he is saying that sin and its consequences have no judicial power over us. The teaching which from time to time creeps in that states that we can be sinless in this life is in error. John Gill rightly speaks of our state in Christ –

“…such are “freed from sin”; not from the being of it; nor from the burden of it; nor from a continual war with it; nor from slips and falls into it; no, not even freed from it, in the most solemn services and acts of religion; but they are freed from the dominion of it, from servitude to it, and also from the guilt of it, and from obligation to punishment on account of it.”

Those denominations and teachers who lead their flock down the path of assuming they can become perfect in this life have a fundamentally flawed view of the natural man with whom we are, and will continue to be, at war with. The physical body didn’t die and our physical body remains fallen until the day when a new one is given. Therefore, to claim that a sinless state can be obtained in this fallen body can only lead to disappointment, disillusionment, and neuroses of the soul who continues to struggle with sin, wondering why they alone have such trials, when in fact all do.

The three “P’s” are good to remember when evaluating sin –

1) When we die to sin, being reborn through Jesus, we die to sin’s Penalty. This is immediate and eternal in nature.

2) As we grow in holiness and sanctification, we die to sin’s Power. This is on-going until we die.

3) When we are glorified, we will be completely removed from sin’s Presence. This will be our eternal state. Only when our fallen bodies are transformed to His likeness will this state be realized in us in its fullness.

Life application: Where there is no law, there is no transgression. Jesus fulfilled the law on our behalf and then He died in fulfillment of that law. It was nailed to the cross. When we receive the work of Christ, we die to that same law, once for all time. Sin no longer has the ability to accuse us because we are dead to the law which gives sin its power. Thanks be to God for the work of Jesus.

Lord, as I read and study Your word, be with me, guide me, and help me to understand it in the way in which you intend. There are contrasting views on many of the important issues in it and surely only one is correct. Lead me to sound instruction and those who properly handle it so that my life will be lived in the way which is acceptable. To Your glory I pray this. Amen.

Friday, 17 May 2013

…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. Romans 6:6

This verse has to be taken in conjunction with the preceding verse to clearly grasp what Paul is saying – “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.”

“Knowing this” is a statement of surety. Every person who has called on Christ should in fact bear this in mind with full understanding. “That our old man was crucified with Him.” Jesus went to the cross and died for sins He didn’t commit, thus becoming our Substitute for God’s wrath. He didn’t die of a heart attack nor some other quick and normal way. Rather, He was crucified for us. Paul here compares the death of our old man to this. He doesn’t say, “that our old man died with Him.” Instead he is making a one-to-one comparison of the death of our “old man” with the cross of Christ.

Stated another way, our death to sin is a long, horrifying trial which we all have gone through (and some continue to go through.) It can’t be said that we called on Christ and suddenly stopped sinning. No, we carried into our death addictions, perversions, disorders, and unhealthy lives. Calling on Christ sent that wretched state to its crucifixion where the old, corrupt man was slain. Our sin-debt was dealt with immediately, but the sinful life in the old man is treated in an on-going process. When the agony of leaving this old man is behind, the sin nature is dead and a new direction comes in all its splendor. This is why the term “with Him” is used. The verb is tied directly to “crucified.” We are crucified just as He was.

This happened so “that the body of sin might be done away with. If we understand our guilt before God which was removed because of Jesus’ work, then our hearts should be broken at the sin we have committed and continue to commit. This entire body of sin, the life which is contrary to Christ’s work is to be completely removed from our lives.

Christ’s passion was one of physical distress, having first been beaten in a horrifying way. After this, He was nailed to the cross. Although not yet dead, the certainly of death came at that moment; the body ceased to freely move. Because it was bound He had to struggle for each breath. His body became weaker and weaker and eventually the life left it. This is the picture that we are to get for our own body of sin, doing away with it for Christ’s sake just as He went to the cross for our sake.

The process of doing away with the body of sin is “that we should no longer be slaves of sin.” In the coming verses, Paul is going to show us that as people we are either slaves of sin or slaves of righteousness. The magnitude of what Christ did for us demands that we place the highest priority on becoming slaves of righteousness and not living as slaves to sin.

Life application: Whether you’ve been a Christian for a week or for 20 years, you may be struggling with a sin of the past. The struggle is one which may be agonizing and which weighs your soul down, but remember that Jesus went to a literal cross to pay your sin-debt. The agony which is refining you is not unknown to God, nor does He not empathize with you. He knows your trial and He is with you through it.

My Lord, I struggle with my old self and the life I left. Give me the power to leave my past sins at the cross and to not take them up anymore. Instead, let that part of me be completely defeated, never to arise again. I know that through the power of Christ and the putting on of my new self this is possible. So Lord, make this change in me that You will be glorified through it. Amen.