Romans (Written)

Thursday, 16 May 2013

For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, Romans 6:5

This verse details the glory of the resurrection for the believer in Christ.

“For” – As a result of what will be mentioned.

“…if we have been united together in the likeness of His death,” This is referring to our state as noted in 6:3 & 4, we were baptized into Christ Jesus and into His death. The word Paul selects for “united” is the Greek word sumphutoi. This is the only occurrence of the word in the New Testament. It means “planted.” We have been planted as a seed in the same manner as Christ. The word designates a congenital, innate, and implanted characteristic by birth or nature. A good comparison of this is the vine and its branches. Christ is the main portion of the vine and we, through faith in Him, are grafted into His very nature.

Because of this uniting in His death, the explanation of “for” is given – “certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.”

The word “united” as explained above signifies that we now bear His same nature in our spiritual self, even if not yet in our physical self. It is the absolute assurance of eternal salvation for everyone who believes. We are alive spiritually right now through Christ and our physical bodies will become eternal bodies in the future as well. John 14:19 clues us into this –

“Because I live, you will live also.” John 14:19

The spiritual death which reigned from Adam’s fall in all humans is now overcome through Christ. Jesus, being spiritually alive because He didn’t inherit Adam’s fallen nature, confirmed that through Him those who follow Him will be like Him. This is what Paul is telling us in Romans 6:5. Having been united, or planted, with Him in His death we will have the same likeness of His resurrection.

Jesus was born spiritually alive and yet His physical body died, but He came out of the tomb with an eternal physical body. Paul says we shall bear the same likeness. This is the majestic and glorious promise of eternal life for all who believe. We shall be as was intended at the beginning, a soul/body unity which is spiritually alive and ready to face eternity without the fear of ever dying again.

Life application: Believing family and friends get sick and die and we shall too unless the Lord comes for us at the rapture. There is a difference between the believer and the non-believer. We shall be, 100% guaranteed, raised to life and we shall dwell in the presence of God for all eternity – ever searching out His wisdom and glory. Stand fast in this truth and give God the glory for what He has done and what He shall do.

Because I have been united with Christ in His death, I know that I shall be united with Him in His resurrection. This is the hope of Job, Isaiah, David and so many other prophets and saints of old. We shall stand in our flesh again and in the presence of our Redeemer and hail His greatness for all eternity. All hail the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Amen.

Wednesday, 15 May 2013

Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Romans 6:4

“Therefore…” Because of what was stated in 6:1-3, we come to the following conclusion: Those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord “were buried with Him through baptism into death.” Again and as previously noted, this is referring to the baptism of the Holy Spirit – the total immersion of the old man into Christ’s death, being completely covered by His righteousness and thus resulting in us being “in” Christ. The sealing of the Spirit is the baptism of the Spirit; it is a one-time act which moves us from Adam to Christ.

In acknowledgement of this act, we are expected to follow this inward change with an outward demonstration of that change – full immersion baptism in water. How can we be certain that water baptism isn’t specifically being spoken of here and that it is therefore some type of a requirement for salvation? Verses such as Acts 2:38 and Mark 16:16 seem to indicate that water baptism is a requirement for salvation. Although lengthy in explanation, a short summary of those two verses can’t hurt.

First Acts 2:38 – “Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

The first thing to note is that this is Peter speaking to the people of Israel who had previously rejected Christ. Therefore, Peter instructs them to “repent” of this mindset. Because of their rejection of Him, Peter expected them to be baptized before they would receive the Holy Spirit. The gentiles were not even a consideration at this point. Comparing the order of the event in Acts 2 with the events involving the Samaritans in Acts 8 and the gentiles in Acts 10, it becomes apparent that Acts 2 was a unique requirement and a one-time event for the people of Israel. It describes what occurred at Pentecost and what was expected of the Israelites, is doesn’t prescribe what is the norm.

Second is Mark 16:16 – “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”

On the surface and taken without careful consideration, this verse may appear to indicate one must be water baptized in order to be saved. But this isn’t at all the case. Jesus is tying belief to baptism; “He who believes and is baptized will be saved.” However, baptism is not mentioned in connection with condemnation. “…he who does not believe will be condemned.” Therefore, belief and baptism occur simultaneously; it is speaking of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, not water baptism. This simply confirms what John spoke prior to the beginning of Jesus’ ministry –

“I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Luke 3:16)

The baptism which comes by faith in Christ is this baptism referred to by John and which is spoken of in Mark 16:16.

This then, the baptism of the Holy Spirit is where we are “buried with Him through baptism into death.” We have died to sin and been born again by the Spirit of God. Paul then continues by stating “that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Just as we died to sin through Christ, we are also raised from the dead in Christ. This is being born again.

Christ’s coming out of the grave was “by the glory of the Father.” Because we are united with Him in this marvelous new way, “we also should walk in newness of life.” The ultimate goal of our salvation isn’t the prospect of walking on streets of gold for all eternity. The ultimate goal is to bring glory to God. God’s glory is the reason why Christ came, why He died, and why He was raised again. These actions were done for us so that we could bring His Father glory.

Life application: We have died to sin and been raised to newness of life through Jesus. Because this is a fact, let us also walk in that newness of life, mortifying the flesh and living in holiness in the presence of our glorious God.

Lord, give me wisdom to walk in the newness of life that came through accepting the work of Your Son. As a son of Adam, I was dead in sin, but as Your son through faith in Jesus I have been born again to new life. Grant me the ability to walk in a manner worthy of this glorious and exalted position and never to bring reproach upon Your precious name. Amen.

Tuesday, 14 May 2013

Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Romans 6:3

The subject of baptism is long, complicated, and more often than not misunderstood. Some denominations claim that water baptism is required in order to be saved, some denominations perform infant baptism, etc. What is being spoken of here is not concerning water baptism. Paul begins this verse with “Or do you not know…”

In using this term, he is expanding on the previous idea which is that we have “died to sin.” Therefore, what Paul is speaking of has nothing to do with an external rite. When we receive Jesus by faith, we die to sin. At this moment, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13,14) and a change takes place; we die to sin and we are thus “baptized into Christ Jesus.” We were, as Paul notes, “baptized into His death.”

This is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It is a once for all-time occurrence. Being filled with the Spirit is a repeatable event, but the baptism of the Holy Spirit is the regeneration of the spiritually dead soul to eternal life and it happens only once. Paul indicates this elsewhere, such as in Galatians 3:26, 27 –

“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”

Putting on Christ is to be imputed His righteousness. We are now covered, or clothed, in Christ. When God looks at us, He no longer sees our sins, but instead Christ’s righteousness. In Galatians, Paul ties this “faith in Christ Jesus” directly with being “baptized into Christ.” They are one single act. Paul further defines this new relationship in 1 Corinthians 12:13 –

“For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.”

This is the glory of the death and resurrection of Jesus for us. What was dead is made alive by a mere act of faith. In 1 Corinthians 10:1-5 we are shown this was actually pictured in Israel’s exodus through the Red Sea. It is quite evident that water baptism is not at all involved in the process. The faith is exercised, the righteousness is granted, the Spirit is given, and then – only then – is the sign received; that of water baptism. This is the exact same pattern as what occurred with Abraham.

Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. The relationship was restored, and only then did he receive the sign of circumcision. This process is clear and concise and it negates the validity of “infant baptism.” It is an unscriptural rite which in no way replaces circumcision as is claimed by those who practice it. Coming to Christ is an individual act of faith. Only after this act is demonstrated does water baptism serve any purpose. It is an outward demonstration of the inward change.

Water baptism has nothing to do with salvation. Instead, it has to do with obedience. When a person is saved, they then make a public demonstration of their new life. They go to the water just as Jesus went to the cross. They are fully submerged (the Greek word for baptism indicates full submersion and therefore the word was transliterated, not translated, in an attempt to avoid confusion) as a picture of going into the grave, just as Jesus’ body was laid in the tomb. And finally, the person is raised out of the water as a picture of being raised to newness of life through the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the intent and purpose of water baptism.

Life application: If you have received Jesus, you are saved. Water baptism has nothing to do with your salvation. However, Jesus gave two ordinances to His followers. The first is water baptism and the second is the Lord’s Supper. In obedience to His directives, don’t you think it’s time to be properly baptized as an open profession of your inward change?

Heavenly Father, give me a proper understanding of Your word and also the willingness to be obedient to it. Keep me from the stubbornness of heart which would cause me to turn away from bringing You the honor that You are due. Jesus was obedient to the point of death, even to death on the cross. Give me the heart to demonstrate that kind of obedience if called upon to do so. Amen.

Monday, 13 May 2013

Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Romans 6:2

This verse is given in response to 6:1 – “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” Paul’s answer is translated variously as “God forbid!”, “By no means!”, “Of course not!”, “May it never be!”, “Absolutely not!”, “That’s unthinkable!”, “Far be the thought!”, “No indeed!”, “Let it not be!”, etc. As you can see, it is a thought which translators revel in being unique about because of its superlative nature. The Greek term is me genoito, “not (or never) may it come into being (or be).”

Paul’s answer is one which completely disregards even the possibility of the thought being entertained. And why? His answer is clear and concise, “How shall we who died to sin live in it any longer?” The soul saved by Christ has moved from the death of sin to death to sin. The Bible presents death in three specific contexts – all of which involve a separation:

The first is spiritual death. This is what Adam and Eve experienced the moment they disobeyed God. Spiritual death is separation from the life found in God. There is no longer the eternal source of life available to the person. This has been transmitted from Adam to every human since creation with the exception of Jesus who was born of God and a woman.

The second is a result of the first; it is physical death. Man is a soul/body unity. This is technically known as anthropological hylomorphism – the duality of man. Physical death is a result of spiritual death and it occurs when the soul departs (is separated from) the body. The Bible shows us that the soul without a body is naked (2 Corinthians 5:3) and therefore this is an unnatural state. The natural state of man is to be a soul/body unity. But this doesn’t necessarily mean man is complete. Because of spiritual death, a soul/body unity is in a state of fault. This fault is corrected when one comes to Christ.

The third is explained by Paul and noted in Romans 6:2; it is death to sin. This is the separation of a person who has moved to Christ from the power of sin; they are born again to new life. The fault is removed and man has been regenerated to his complete and originally intended state. He is a soul/body unity with the surety of eternal life – both spiritual and physical. This is the state which Paul argues for here.

We have “died to sin.” Because this is so, how can we continue to live in it. Sin is something which is contrary to our very nature and therefore it is something we are to live without. A good comparison to consider would be taking a dead body and putting it on a ventilator. What is the point? It would serve no purpose at all. Likewise, being dead to sin has removed from us the very sin nature we possessed. Therefore, to live in sin is contrary to the state we are now in.

Life application: Christ died for us. When we receive Him, we move from death to life. As this is spiritual renewal, then we should live out our new spiritual lives in a manner worthy of the change which has taken place. Let us move from sin to holiness.

Oh Lord, my Lord! The prospect of eternal life in Your presence apart from sin and death is so glorious. I long for that day, knowing that it has been guaranteed by the work of Christ. Because this is so, give me the resoluteness of mind to live in a manner now which is holy and acceptable to You. May You be pleased with the life I live in Your presence. Amen.

Sunday, 12 May 2013

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Romans 6:1

We now enter into chapter 6, a chapter divided by two questions Paul asks in order to set the tone for his explanations. Both questions are answered with “Certainly not!” In other words, Paul is asking the most outlandish possible question in order to give the most logical refutation of the thought. He is standing as a debater in an argument and entering into the debate by giving a false premise and then arguing against it.

The first question is Romans 6:1. Based on his comments at the end of chapter 5, he asks “What shall we say then?” This is Paul’s – “How far can we go with God’s grace?” And then he floats the question, “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?”

This question is given in response to 5:20 – “Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more…” The thought is, “Ok, if grace abounds through the committing of sin, then can we continue to commit sin so that God’s grace shines all the more brightly?”

The answer should be obvious and evaluating it against the perfectly holy standard which necessitated Jesus’ cross in the first place make the question all the more preposterous. One man’s sin brought about judgment and condemnation to all humanity. Were it not for Jesus, there would be no hope. If the cross was necessary to rectify this one act, then how could we presume to add to our guilt under a misdirected notion? All the more so, how could we even consider this after we have been cleared of the guilt we once bore?

Despite the obviously outlandish nature of the question, Paul submits it because he knows the wickedness of the human heart, even of the soul saved from past sins. In our moments of weakness, we will go through steps in our mind to justify why the wrong thing we are doing is really ok. In essence we are attempting to excuse the sin we wish to continue in. Paul knows this is the logical pattern of those weak in faith and weaker in deed. His argumentation will reflect this.

Life application: The Bible is as much an instruction manual as it is a love letter. God demonstrates and displays His love for us in its pages and in the process He instructs us in how to keep safe, healthy, honoring of Him, etc. The love directs the instruction and so when you read a passage which seems confining or restrictive, don’t forget to evaluate it from that perspective. The restrictions are given because God loves you. Don’t we treat the children we love in the same manner?

Heavenly Father, the taste of honey is a delight and yet salt enhances the bland. The sun allows me to enjoy my daily activities and yet when it sets I am relieved because the time of rest is ahead. A new baby’s laughter reminds me of Your goodness and yet attending a funeral reminds me of my short time to enjoy this life. Thank You for the many contrasts which show us Your wisdom and love. Yes, thank You, O God. Amen.