Romans 6:1 ¶ 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? 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. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 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. 8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 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. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. 15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. 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? 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. 18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. 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. 20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. 21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. 22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Now, Paul addresses the very carnal argument that, based on what
he said previously, we ought to just sin as much as we can because that will
give God more of an opportunity to show grace. In other words, our salvation
becomes an excuse for sin. Don’t laugh at this because it is the subconscious
argument of many Christians. A Christian teen once told me that the reason he
sinned a lot was because he was a Christian, just not a very good one. This
kind of argument and this kind of thinking, looking for loopholes, quenches the
Holy Spirit’s voice inside each of us to do right until we are in dire straits.
Paul goes on very clearly to say that we are freed not only from
the penalty of sin but from its very power.
Paul likens baptism here as a type, a picture, of Christ’s death. As
we are raised up out of the water it is a type of Christ’s resurrection if we
reject sin and live a new life. This is not to say that we will not sin but
that we should reject it and consciously act to walk as Christ would have us
walk. This shows that many so-called conversions are a sham, a sort of hedging
one’s bets against the temptations of life. This passage in Romans, chapter 5,
is so clear how does it need any comment?
Colossians 2:12 Buried with
him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the
operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 13 ¶ And you, being dead in your sins and the
uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having
forgiven you all trespasses;
Eternal life is a gift, a free gift based on our belief and faith.
It overcomes and conquers sin’s penalty, sin’s power, and when we are face to
face with God we are freed from its very presence.
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