In Newness of Life

Romans 6:1-6 ESV

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

“For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.”

When we believe in Jesus Christ with God-given faith (divine persuasion), we are crucified and buried with Christ in death to sin, and we are raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. By faith in him we die to our old lives of living in sin and for self, we are transformed in heart and mind of the Spirit of God, and we are given new lives in Christ to be lived for his glory.

Therefore we are not to continue in sin. For God’s grace, which is bringing us salvation, instructs (trains) us to renounce (say “No!” to) ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s return. For Jesus Christ “gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works” (see Titus 2:11-14; cf. Ephesians 2:10).

Romans 6:12-13,16 ESV

“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.”

“Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?”

Therefore, we are not saved from our sins so that we can continue living in sin, only now without guilt or remorse. Our salvation from sin means we die with Christ to our former ways of living and now we follow Jesus in obedience to his ways. Sin is no longer our master. Now Jesus is our Lord and Master. Our lives now belong to him. We are his possession, and now our will is to do the will of God for our lives.

So, if our faith in Jesus Christ is God-given faith (divine persuasion), then sin is no longer to reign in our mortal bodies, to make us obey its passions. We aren’t supposed to live like we did before. Our lives should now be dedicated to the Lord Jesus to serve him in all that we think and do and say. So, we are not to give ourselves over to what is of the flesh and is sinful and is ungodly, but we are to surrender our lives to Christ to do his will.

For, if sin is what we obey and what we practice, it will end in death, not in eternal life with God. But if obedience to our Lord is what we obey, it will lead to righteousness and to sanctification, and its end is eternal life. For not everyone who says to Christ, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one doing the will of God the Father who is in heaven. And Jesus said we must deny self, die daily to sin, and follow (obey) him.

Romans 6:20-23 ESV

“For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

I can still recall the first time I read this first sentence here and understood what it meant. It was eye opening for me at that time. For if we remain slaves to sin, i.e. if we continue in deliberate and habitual and often premeditated sin against God, and against other humans, then we are not righteous as God is righteous, even if we professed faith in Jesus Christ with our lips. For it is those who practice righteousness who are righteous.

And, again, if that is how we are living, still in slavery to sin, still deliberately and habitually sinning against God, the end of those things is death, not life eternal with God. So, who has the hope and the promise of eternal life with God? It is those who are slaves of God and of his righteousness, who serve him with their lives and who no longer are enslaved to sin. They are those who make righteousness their practice, and not sin.

So, when this last verse states that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord, we can’t read that independent of the rest of the context of this chapter. For this is not about Jesus just handing us the gift of salvation and nothing being required of us at all. So when this says that the wages of sin is death, it means that the payment for continued and deliberate sin is death, not life eternal with God.

And the gift of God is our salvation, but our salvation is freedom from slavery to sin and it is empowerment of God to live godly and holy lives to the glory of God. And that is the point that this whole chapter makes. So, if we continue living in sin after we have professed faith in Christ, heaven is not what awaits us on the other side. For the wages of our sin is death. So, it is those who are slaves of God who have eternal life in Christ our Lord.

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

Songs in the Night  

An Original Work / December 18, 2013

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV ‘84

Lord, I praise You forevermore.

You, my Savior, I now adore.

Hope in heaven awaiting me,

Because You died at Calvary.

I have been forgiven,

And I’m bound for heaven.

Jesus set me free from

All my sin, I say.

I will praise Him always!

Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:

Overcame death, my vict’ry won!

Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!

I rejoice in His love for me.

I will walk in vict’ry!

My sin is but hist’ry!

I am free to please Him

With my life today.

I will love Him always!

Lord, I thank You for giving me

A new life bought at Calvary.

Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.

Tender mercies now flow within.

Lord, I am so thankful;

Through my Lord, I’m able

To sit at His table;

Fellowship with Him.

I will thank Him always!

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