Romans: Newness of Life

What we have studied so far in Romans with articles that started early in 2023 and continue now in 2024:

2023 Articles:

Chapter 1: Paul’s Intro and Call to Preach the Gospel as well as the Corrupted Heart of Man

Chapter 2: Man is Without Excuse

1. The Certainty of Divine Judgement
2. The Credits of Wrath We Accumulate
3. The Conscience That Condemns
4. The Confidence That Fails
5. The Circumcision That Counts

The Seven Ways God Justly Judges:

1. According to Truth
2. According to Accumulated Guilt
3. According to Works
4. Without Respect of Persons
5. According to Actual Obedience – not Knowledge
6. According to the Secrets of the Heart
7. According to Profession (Reality)

Chapter 3: Paul’s False Arguments Debunked

1. False Argument #1: The Bible (Law) Gives No One an Advantage
2. False Argument #2: God is Unrighteous
3. False Argument #3: We are Better Than They
4. False Argument #4: The Law is Better
5. False Argument #5: Believers Can Boast about Salvation

2024 Articles:

Chapter 4: Faith of Abraham

1. The Faith of Abraham
2. Faith for Both the Jew and the Gentile
3. Faith yet Unseen
4. Faith for You and Me

Chapter 5: Being Justified by Faith

1. The Tie That Binds
2. Justified by Faith
3. When We Were without Strength
4. The Story of Two Men
5. Where Grace Abounds

This chapter in Romans is a discussion about the new life of victory we may enjoy in Christ. Paul is addressing both Jewish and Gentile believers, and he argues that now that we are saved by God’s grace through Christ sin has no more dominion over us. Therefore, we should no longer walk in sin but, rather, in that new life and power we have instead in God’s light. Let’s look at Chapter 6 in Romans in two articles:

I have divided it into four paragraphs/subjects. This month we will look at the first two subjects, and next month we will examine the last two subjects. They are:

Walking in Newness of Life: vs. 1-6
Made Free from Sin: vs. 7-13
Who Will Be King in Your Life – Sin or God? vs. 14-19
Choose to Serve the Master: vs. 20-23

Walking in Newness of Life

Okay, so you are saved, now what? How shall we behave? How shall we live in this new relationship that we have? Can I overcome some of those bad habits that plague me? YES!

Romans 6:1-6: “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 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. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 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.”

Verse 1 Notes: “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?”

Continue: Strong’s G1961: epimeno: abide beyond or above. Tarry there, abide there, make it your home, your way of life. To persevere, or remain there.

Sin: Strong’s G266: hamartia: an offense, sinful. Offense against whom? God, yourself, others. Sin never only affects you alone, but has its damage felt by others, sometimes for a lifetime.

Grace: Strong’s G5485: charis: acceptance, favor, benefit, thanks, the divine influence upon the heart.

What is the question here? Why is Paul asking this question in this manner? After all that he shared in the first two chapters regarding the work of Jesus Christ to free us not only from our past sins but also from the penalty of sin and the power of sin.

Sin does not have dominion over you as it does over the lost person. They have no choice. They don’t have a moral compass – you do. They don’t have an inner teacher, the Holy Spirit – you do. They don’t have a new heart – you do. They are dead in trespasses and sin – you aren’t.

Why, then, do we want to continue in sin? Why do we wish to abide, tarry, or wallow in moral failure? Because of seven potential excuses:

1. We are enjoying it. There is pleasure in sin for a season.

2. We don’t believe what we are doing is really that harmful. Everyone is doing it. I can make my own decisions. Hey, if folks don’t like it, that’s their problem.

3. We have chosen to walk in darkness rather than the light. We enjoy the darkness; it lets us do what we want.

4. I have not relinquished the throne and control of my life to God. I want to rule in my life, not God. God, to me, is nothing but a set of do’s and don’ts. There is no king in Israel – I am king!

5. I am stuck here. I tried to quit, but I can’t seem to. My emotions, needs, fears, desires demand that I stay here in sin, and I am too ashamed to get help.

6. Sin is a continual pressure in my life. If I don’t give in, I won’t get any relief, and I’ll explode!

7. I live in the age of grace and, therefore, the law has no dominion over me. I can do what I want – I am free to do whatever I want . . .

Shall I continue in sin? Shall I wallow in sin? Shall I live in sin? Shall I abide in sin? After all, God will just give me more grace . . .

What is your favorite sin? I say favorite since it is one of the sins you are holding on to and won’t let go. Which, by the way, implies that such a sin really owns you; you do not own it. So what is your favorite sin?

- Shall I continue in lying?
- Shall I continue to lust?
- Shall I continue to covet?
- Shall I continue to steal?
- Shall I continue to fear?
- Shall I continue to be angry?
- Shall I continue to judge harshly?
- Shall I continue to gossip? Slander?
- Shall I continue to harm others?
- Shall I continue to disrespect my authorities?
- Shall I continue to hate?
- Shall I continue to disobey?
- Shall I continue to reject God’s promptings?

Abounding grace is NO EXCUSE to stay wallowing in favorite sins.

Verse 2 Notes: “God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”

God Forbid! Strongest negative in the New Testament. MAY IT NEVER BE SO!!!

How is it even possible for those of us who are now dead to sin to even want to live that kind of life seeing how Jesus died on the cross to free us from sin?

It is like a drunk taken from the gutter and given a new lease on life, cleaned up, made sober, and given a medicine that, as long as he takes it, alcohol will have zero effect (and no benefit) on him. But weeks later when we check on him, he is drunk and back in the gutter. You look at him in amazement. You can’t believe he would choose to live here, but he has. You ask why, and he says he couldn’t stay away – that the pressure to return to the bottle was too great. The siren call to sin was greater than his willpower. You ask, “Are you taking the medicine we gave you?” “NO,” he answers, “no, I am not.”

- I like being angry all the time. It is my right! It gives me power!
- I like lusting after XXX. It gives me pleasure. It makes me want more pleasure!
- I can’t forget my fears. They are too important; they protect me!

Stop living in darkness, in the shadows of moral and spiritual life, and walk instead in the light – God’s light.

Do you really believe that God has made you “dead to sin”? Did He really do that? I am not talking about the bumbling failures we often fall into because we are frail, life like as grass – here today – gone tomorrow. I am not talking about slips of the tongue, one-offs that happen to all of us, mistakes, quick tempers that we control quickly, promises that we forget to fulfill, unkind words said in jest or anger that we regret saying, etc. BUT I am talking about camping in sin.

Shall we who are dead to sin live in that sin?

Christ has set you free from that life – now start living like He has, indeed, set you free.

Verse 3-4 Notes: “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 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.”

Christ baptizes you who believe in the Holy Spirit – not with water. Water baptism is a sign of what Christ has done for you in the spiritual realm. All you that believe that Christ died for you and rose again and accepted Christ as your Lord (operative word) and Savior have that same Holy Spirit of the living God dwelling within you. He is your daily medicine you need to walk away from sinful lust and habits.

Matthew 3:11: “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:” Also found in Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16; and John 1:33.

God has provided to you the power to walk away victorious from that besetting sin.

Hebrews 12:1-3: “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.”

To beset: Strong’s G2139: euperistatos: to be set about, surrounded by competitors in a race so that you can’t break out, being in effect captured without the ability to break out of the bondage.

Weight: Strong’s G3591: ogkos: a mass, bulge, burden, hindrance, encumbrance.

You were buried with Him in His death on that cross and tomb; you are raised with Him in newness of life. Now walk in that new life.

Verse 5-6 Notes: “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 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.”

Who will you serve? The new man that we raised in new life or the old man who is crucified, dead, and buried?

Three types of sin: Psalm 51:1-3: “To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.”

Three main sources of sin: 1 John 2:16-17: “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.”

We are Made Free from Sin

Romans 6:1-13:

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 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. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 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. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 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.

Definitions:

Freed: Wordsearch’s Strong’s G1344: dikaios: just, justified, righteous, free. Thirty-seven “justified” . . . one time “be freed”.

Likeness: Strong’s G3667: homoioma: made like to, same shape, resemblance, as a student would mimic a rabbi even down to his walk and manner of speech.

Destroyed: Strong’s G2673: katargeo: destroyed, abolished, discharged, made nought, delivered, loosed from, fall off.

Henceforth: Strong’s G3371: meketi: no longer, hereafter, going forward, no more.

Serve: Strong’s G1398: douleuo: bondage slave, do service, voluntary (saved but still sinning) or involuntary (lost and has no choice). A derivative of (Strong’s G1401) doulos: a bond servant, slave, under subjection, or mastery, or control.

Reckon: Strong’s G3049: logizomai: account, impute, consider, suppose, reason, number yourself among, esteem yourself to be, think as if it is true, etc.

Verse 7 Notes: “For he that is dead is freed from sin.”

Interesting that Paul here used a legal term in the sense of a court setting. Definitions abound for the word free (American Diction of the English Language):

1. Being at liberty ; not being under necessity of restraint, physical or moral ; a word of general application to the body, the will or mind, and to corporations.

2. In government, not enslaved ; not in a state of vassalage or dependence ; subject only to fixed laws, made by consent, and to a regular administration of such laws ; not subject to the arbitrary will of a sovereign or lord ; as a free state, nation of people.

4. Not imprisoned, confined or under arrest ; as, the prisoner is set free.

5. Unconstrained ; unrestrained ; not under compulsion or control. A man is free to pursue his own choice ; he enjoys free will.

14. Not encumbered with ; as free from a burden.

18. Liberated from the government or control of parents, or of a guardian or master . . . .

For he that is dead is justified from sin. That includes the power sin has over us, as well as the penalty of sin.

Verse 8 Notes: “Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:”

Paul is describing a key component of our relationship with Christ. Actions taken by Christ are imputed on those of us who believe. We wear the shirt: (we can, in effect, say) “been there – done that.”

How does this yoke relationship exhibit itself:

- Christ was punished on the cross for our sins – we participated
- Christ died – we are reckoned dead with Him
- Christ was buried with the body of sin He bore – our sins were thus buried with Him
- Christ rose again victorious over sin and death – we are to share in that victory
- Christ will not die again – no more sacrifice for sin required – we share in that permanent justification
- Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father – we are apparently seated with Him
- Christ sent His Holy Spirit to dwell in you – you are now hosting the Divine
- Christ was deemed just and pure by the Father, the perfect Lamb of God who could take away our sins – we are now justified by Christ before the Father as well
- Christ was clearly set apart for the task the Father gave Him – sanctified – we are now being sanctified as Christ performs the work of conforming us into His image
- Christ is now in His eternal state of glory – we will also receive an eternal, glorified state

Live with Christ. A first person, future active verb. A daily action on our part. Today, tomorrow, next week, next year, forever!

Verse 9 Notes: “Knowing that Christ being raised from the death dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.”

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is monumental – a major spiritual milestone. Consider the implications and results:

- He is eternal – can’t die again
- He is sinless and extends that “shirt” to us
- The curse of death has been totally removed from Him. The curse on all mankind that sin has imposed has no more lordship, control, mastery, authority over Him.
- The continual sacrifices of the Old Testament are obsolete in Christ – once for all time was all that was needed

Verse 10 Notes: “For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.”

Here Paul wants us to see, by Christ’s example, we, too, should consider ourselves and act.

Christ now lives to serve the Father eternally. He life is wrapped up in the Father. He lives for God – that is His passion. Consider these phrases that we all understand:

- He lives to run
- He eats to live
- He lives to eat!
- He lives and breathes sports
- He lives for the next race

Verse 11 Notes: “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Back to our yoke relationship:

Christ is dead to sin. It has zero effect on Him, no power, no influence, no pull, not an obstruction to serve God.

We are also to realize that we, too, are dead to sin. We are no longer slaves to sin (bound to sin, bound to its power over us, unable to walk away from sin)

Now, if we sin, it is because we choose to sin. We weighted the benefits and consequences. We did an accounting. We reasoned within ourselves, and we made a conscience decision to allow sin to control us. We gave in to sin. We volunteered for it!

Paul goes on to say that Christ now lives for God (the Father), and we should as well.

We must do an accounting, a reasoning, a conscience decision every day, every waking hour, even every minute to walk with and live for God as Christ does.

Choose you this day . . . Joshua 24:15 (emphasis added): “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

- I choose to go to that R-rated movie
- I choose to get drunk
- I choose to get mad at that person
- I choose to hate
- I choose to steal
- I choose to lust
- I choose to refuse to forgive
- I choose to not ask for forgiveness
- I choose to lie
- I choose to slander
- I choose to speed
- I choose to read that book/magazine

Or . . .

- I choose to pray this morning
- I choose to share Christ with my neighbor
- I choose to forgive as offense
- I choose to tell the truth even if I get in trouble
- I choose to obey my parents
- I choose to study God’s Word
- I choose to fulfill my vows (unless Dad cancels them)
- I choose to serve Christ

Start your day giving yourself, your thoughts, your actions, your life to Christ.

Verse 12-13 Notes: “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 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.”

Comedian Flip Wilson had a signature phrase that he used which made people laugh, and, at the same time, excuse himself from being responsible for his actions, “The Devil made me do it!”

Psychology today looks for reasons for your bizarre and deviant and bad behavior and has no trouble finding a cause other than yourself and your sinful actions.

- He failed to adjust because of his mother
- Society didn’t support him
- Putin uses NATO and Nazis to justify his attack on Ukraine
- Everyone is doing it – so it must be OK
- You are a white supremacist and systemically racist (even if never thought or did an unkind thing to another ethnic group)

But Paul makes it clear that we choose to do what we do.

Knowing that sin has no more power over us, to sin for believers is a conscience choice (unless we have sinned in some area so much it has become a subconscious behavior). We are yoked with Jesus Christ and have access to His divine power to obey God and walk away from sin. Therefore – don’t let sin reign in your life any more.

What does that mean? Don’t let sin be king or rule any longer in your life – let Christ reign instead. You are, after all, yoked to Him – live like it!

Your body is moral. It has lusts: lust of the eyes, the flesh, and pride. Don’t give into the siren’s call.

“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.”

Your instruments:

- Your thoughts
- Your hands and feet and actions
- Your eyes and your ears
- Your speech

Choose to use your instruments not for sin or sinful pursuits, but for God and for His kingdom.

Conclusion: Romans 6:11: “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Like the Israelites of old and the challenge given to them by Joshua, “Choose you this day whom you will serve.” You do have a choice. You are not slaves to sin. You can walk in victory.

Now walk in God’s light. Walk in His victory. No more being a shadow Christian skirting the light so that you can walk in the gray areas.

Maranatha!

Bro. Joe

References

Strong, J. Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries. Meyers, R. (2005). e-Sword. [computer software] . Franklin, TN: Equipping Ministries Foundation. (Original work published 1539)

Strong, J. Strong’s Talking Greek_Hebrew Dictionary. Wordsearch. (2020). Wordsearch Bible. [computer software] . Nashville, TN: LifeWay Christian Resources. (Original work published 1890).

Webster, Noah. Noah Webster’s First Edition of an American Dictionary of the English Language Facsimile Fifth Edition. San Francisco, CA now at Chesapeake Bay, VA: The Foundation for American Christian Education. 1987. (Original work published 1828)

Privacy Policy

Treasures New and Old