Paul's Letter to the Romans is a difficult epistle to follow sometimes, but an in-depth study of this epistle will reward you with a lot greater insight into God's plan of Salvation. Let's look at chapter 6 of Romans for an example of the lessons that can be gleaned from this epistle.The Holy Sprit, through Paul, had just explained (Chapter 5, Verses 20 and 21) where sin had abounded, God's grace had prevailed. Chapter 6 continues with that thought:
Are we free to sin under grace?
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?
15. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.No, not free to sin, but freed from sin:
Romans 6:7 "For he that is dead is freed from sin."Being freed from sin, we should not yield to it any longer:
Romans 6:
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.When we practiced sin, we were servants (bound) to it and free from righteousness:
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?
20. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.When we obey we are servants of righteousness and free from 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.
18. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.So let's see. If we work iniquity, we yield ourselves to sin and therefor a servant of it. If we work righteousness, we have yielded ourselves to God and are his servants:
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."The servants of sin shall be rewarded as they deserve, but they that serve God shall receive a gift:
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.Notice the distinction? The wages or reward for practicing sin is death. In other words, we get what we deserve. But when we practice righteousness, we are given (we can never earn it) eternal life. We never deserve eternal life not matter what we do, it is a gift from God. So let's sum this up. If we practice sin we are servants to it and deserve and will receive the wages of death (Verses 13, 16, 20, 21, 23). If we practice righteousness, yield ourselves in obedience to God, we are His servants and He will give us (it is a gift not wages) eternal life (Verse 17, 18, 22, 23).
We find in this chapter how we are saved. First of all, as Jesus was crucified and died on the cross, so must we crucify the old man of sin putting him to death:
Romans 6:6 "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."
This is done in repentance.As Jesus was buried, laid in the tomb after his death, we are buried with him in baptism:
Romans 6:
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.Then as Christ was resurrected never to die again, we rise up out of watery grave of baptism and sin (and therefore death) has no more dominion over us:
Romans 6:
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:
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.The invitation:
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."
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