“For he who has died is freed from sin.” – Romans 6:7
When someone dies do they still struggle with sin? Think about it, all the cares of this world are gone. All those sins the person struggled with gone. At the moment of that person’s death, sin lost all of its power. Sin can’t master a dead person!
This is Paul’s argument for the believer. The argument he anticipates from his readers in Romans 6 is that if we are saved by grace, why not keep on sinning? If where sin increased, grace abounded all the more (Rom 5:20), why not keep on sinning? If it is not through obedience to the Law, then wouldn’t Christians keep sinning?
What is Paul’s response? “May it never be (Rom 6:2)!”
Here is what he says:
“5For (K)if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection 6knowing this, that our (L)old self was (M)crucified with Him, in order that our (N)body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7for (O)he who has died is freed from sin.”
We are dead to sin! Why, because we have died with Christ. That means we are no longer slaves to sin, but slaves to righteousness (Rom 6:16-18). Sin has lost all of its power over us, who are in Christ. What great news!
What if a person says they are a Christian, but continues to live a lifestyle of sin? They are still slaves to sin. Paul says in Romans 6:16 that “you are slaves of the one whom you obey.” This person has not died with Christ, therefore they are not true believers.
We don’t have to be afraid to preach salvation by grace alone for fear that someone might abuse it. If someone truly trusts in Christ they will be united to Him in His death, and therefore sin will lose its power over them.
What sins are you struggling with? What sins “seem” to have power over you? If you are a Christian, they don’t! You do not have to live in slavery to sin! We are dead men walking.
TDurham
2 comments:
Durham, when you asked the question, "what sins are you struggling with?" even though this might have meant to be rhetorical, I felt the need to confess what I'm struggling with presently. This is a long comment I know, but this is a straight from the heart confession and is not meant for instructing or teaching. I simply wanted to share with those I consider my church, what was going on with me.
Nolan recently gave me a book (through God's sovereignty) titled Knowing God by J.I. Packer. I just finished chapter two and man did it blow me up. For so long, I have paid so much attention to the obvious sins but not until recently am I becoming aware of the monster within me. I don't really know the best way to explain everything so I guess, I'll first list the things in the book that I underlined concerning my struggle and then talk about it....
"If we pursue theological knowledge for its own sake, it will make us proud and conceited. We shall come to think of ourselves as a cut above other Christians because of our interest in it and grasp of it; and we shall look down on those whose theological ideas seem to us crude and inadequate."
"To approach Bible study with no higher a motive than a desire to know all the answers, is the direct route to a self-satisfied self-deception. We need to guard our hearts against such an attitude, and pray to be kept from it."
"People who know their God are before anything else people who pray, and the first point where their zeal and energy for God's glory come to expression is in their prayers."
"If there is in us little energy for such prayer, and little consequent practice of it, this is a sure sign that as yet we scarcely know our God."
"Prayers are always the best evidence for a man's view of God."
"We must learn to measure ourselves, not by our knowledge about God, not by our gifts and responsibilities in the church, but by how we pray and what goes on in our hearts."
I am the guy who likes to have all the answers. Is this my only motive in studying God's Word and pursuing theological knowledge? No, but it is a motive that becomes evident still. This is a reason I would fear becoming a pastor. What if people liked what I had to say and filled the seats? I may start digging myself more than the power of God working through me.
These references here that I listed from this book are speaking directly to me. This is my constant struggle. My prayer life is shameful. When I measure myself not by my knowledge about God but by my prayer life.... I find myself lacking big time. Like Durham just posted, Praise God for His grace because I am addressing this wickedness with Him and He will deliver me from it. Praise God for His patience and mercy, without which I would be screwed!
Praise God Almighty, my Father in Heaven for the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and patience that lead me to repentance!!!
-Terry
What a blessing the E-Fellowship is! I am struggling with the same thing! Specifically, prayerlessnes. There is a great post from a guy named Kevin DeYoung that ripped me to shreds. Here is a sampling(go to gospelcoalition.org & click on blogs to go to Kevin's blog):
"If you know you are needy and believe that God helps the needy, you will pray. Conversely, if we seldom pray, the problem goes much deeper than a lack of organization and follow through. The heart that never talks to God is the heart that trusts in itself and not in the power of God. Prayerlessness is unbelief.
Prayerfulness, on the other hand is an evidence of humility and faith, which is why God loves it when we pray."
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