In chapter 1-5 Paul talked about becoming righteous by a faith that believes in Jesus Christ. In other words, all people are sinners and fall short of the glory of God. It is only by the grace of God, by a faith that believes in Jesus Christ, that we are made righteous. However, from today on we begin a new theme. It is how those who by faith have been made righteous should live. In other words, it is about sanctification. Today let’s look at three aspects of this.
I. Should we go on sinning so that grace may increase? (vs.1,2)
The last half of Romans 5 Paul talked about how God’s grace is so much greater than sin. In today’s passage Paul introduces a big misunderstanding. That is if when sin increases, then grace overflows, shouldn’t we continue sinning? That came from a misunderstanding of what Paul said in 5:20. In 5:20 Paul said, “The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more.” There were some people who thought that so grace would overflow, that they should go on sinning. This is a terrible misunderstanding. This isn’t what Paul wanted to say. He wanted to say that there was no sin that was too great that grace could not be victorious over it. Grace is greater than the power of sin. No matter how great our sin or how deeply we are rooted in it, and even if others break their relationship with us because of it, the grace of God is bigger than that. There is no sin that God’s grace can’t forgive us of because of the atonement of the cross. For example, even if we killed someone, or something that humanly would be considered unforgivable, God can forgive us. God’s grace is that huge. The grace of the cross is larger than any sin. No matter how huge a sin that we are being controlled by, the river of God’s grace pushes it out, and everything will change easily.
Even so, the people twisted what Paul said. They interpreted what he said to their own benefit. Even today there are people like them who misunderstand and use the Word of God wrongly. They use the Gospel, the grace of God as a seed for argument. They say ridiculous things like verse 1 “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?” When there is a lot of sin, grace increases so in order to have a lot of grace, let’s do a lot of bad things. That was a big misunderstanding. This misunderstanding came from missing the main points of what the Bible is saying.
This was the problem of the people who insisted that they should go on sinning so that grace would increase. They didn’t understand at all what Paul was saying about the greatness of God’s grace. They used the Word of God wrongly for their own benefit. Against these people’s assertion Paul answered, “By no means!” (2) This is a definite no. It is strange to think that in order to increase God’s grace, we should continue sinning. This is wrong.
II. Christians have by united with Christ (vs.2-11)
Next let’s look why that way of thinking is wrong. Let’s look at verse 2.
“We died to sin” in verse 2 is explained in verses 3 and 4. These verses explain when and how Christians died to sin. As we fell into sin and became subject to death in father Adam, so we have now died and been raised again with Christ. This is what baptism symbolizes.
Here it says, “Or don’t you know?” (3) This means this is something they should know, something that is common sense for all Christians. To say that to increase God’s grace, we should continue sinning means that they didn’t understand the common knowledge of Christians. The common knowledge is what a Christian is. In other words it’s a problem of Christian identity. Then what Paul is saying is a Christian is a person that is united with Christ. Christians are one with Christ. They have the same way of thinking, walk the same path, and live by the same principles as Jesus. This is what is meant by “into Christ” (3) “with him” (4,6,8) “united with him” (5). These phrases are repeated 6 times in verses 3 to 8. Another way of saying it is that we are a little Christ. We are united with Christ and are one with Him and therefore are the same as Him. We will experience the same things. We too experience the cross and resurrection. Let’s look at verses 6 and 7.
“We died to sin.” (2) means that we have been united with Christ and like Christ experience the death of the cross. Jesus said, “if anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Matt. 16:24) “our old self was crucified with him” (6) Our old self has been put to death. Our old self had been made powerless so that it can no longer enslave us to sin. The believer’s death with Christ is a death to sin’s ruling power. We are “freed from sin.” (7) This does not mean that we are sinless, but that we are set free from sin’s power. Therefore, “we should no longer be slaves to sin.” (6) because “we have been united with him like this in his death.” (5) Not only that but we have been resurrected with Christ and we live with him. This is because we have been united with Christ. Let’s look at verses 8 to 10.
If we have died with Christ, we will live with Christ. As the resurrection followed death in the experience of Christ, so the believer who dies with Christ is raised to a new quality of life here and now. If we live by the power of Christ, then sin can not control us. Christ broke the power of death and had victory over it. The grace He pours out is greater than our sin. In our own power we can not have victory over sin. Even if we try to stop, and try to stop, we can’t. The power of sin is that strong.
However, Christ who rose from death, can have complete victory over the power of sin. Now, Christians have been given that power through the Holy Spirit.
Acts 1:8
Before Jesus was put on the cross, Jesus prayed for his disciples. “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows. But you know him, for he lives in you and will be in you.” (John14-16)
This “Counselor” is the Holy Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit, Christ is always with us and helps us. Therefore, Christians that know that the Holy Spirit is within them, even if they fall to temptation, they always can be victorious. The Holy Spirit is more powerful than sin. Even those who are struggling because they want to stop a sin in their life, they don’t want to do what they are doing will be set free.
II Cor. 5:17
We are made new in Christ. Our new creation is not our old self which is bound in sin, but is united in Christ, one with Christ and is a new person that lives by the power of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. The old self no longer controls him. By the Holy Spirit we can live a victorious life.
III. Alive to God in Christ (11-14)
The third point is to be alive to God in Christ. Let’s look at verses 11-14.
In Romans this is the first time that there is an application. Up until now Paul continued to talk about the doctrine of being saved by faith. Here a concrete, practical application is given. That is “Count yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ.” (11) The important thing is “Count yourselves” This is the first step toward victory over sin in the life of believers. It means to be strongly conscious. That is because there is Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection. We are united to Christ. Therefore, we should be strongly conscious of the fact that we are dead to sin and alive to God. This is not based upon our thoughts or emotions. It doesn’t matter what we think or our emotions are. What is important is that the Bible promises so. We have to follow it. This is faith. This is what it means to be strongly conscious. We need to be strongly conscious that we were dead to sin, but now we aren’t. Now we are with Christ.
Col. 1:13
We are no longer under the law. Sin and death do no longer control us. We are set free from the fear of death.
When we realize that we are really free then sin will not make us slaves again. But being united with Christ, we are now under the control of Christ. This is what is meant by “Count yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ.” (11)
This does not mean that Christians never sin again. We are weak in the flesh so we sin. However, we should “not let sin reign.” (12) This is a call for Christians to become in practice what they already are in their status before God-dead to sin and alive to God. The second step toward victory over sin is refusal to let sin reign in one’s life. When we sin, we need to daily repent, and start out a new walk with Christ.
We need to understand this well, and by the grace of God we need to live with Christ. Here is says, “Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.” (13)
The third step is to have victory over sin is to offer ourselves to God. Each of us to the best we know how, need to be separated from sin, and give our all to God by desiring a life of purity in our actions, attitudes and habits of faith. We should never make a mistake and think that so that grace will abound, that we should go on sinning. Even if we live as a wonderful Christian within the church, when we go home, we have no love, we don’t think of others, are self centered, we think only of ourselves and live only for ourselves. Aren’t we living such a life? However, because we are dead to sin and alive to God, we are by faith to live in the light of this truth.
Ga. 5:24
Let’s live as a person who has nailed his self-centered old self on the cross and is walking in a new life. Then we will have the fruit listed in the previous verse, verse 23. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.” Gal. 5:23 In this time of uncertainty and confusion brought by the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear plant, we need to live with Christ.