Romans 6:1-4

                                                                         Romans 6:1-4

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.

 

Since we are justified by faith apart from the works of the law, some may presume that this would lead to a life of disobedience.  God’s grace is always greater than our sin, but that does not mean that sinfulness in unimportant.  Christ died to set us free from sin, not to make us free to sin.  In justification through faith, Christ makes sanctification available to all who believe.

 

GRACE IS NOT PERMISSION TO LIVE IN SIN: Since the sinfulness of men displays the grace of God, some people use it as an excuse to sin.  The thought is that since God is glorified in this demonstration of grace, it could be seen as a means of bringing glory to God.  Paul is anticipating the questions that Jews might rise in objection to the teaching of being saved by grace through faith.  The answer is that we should not keep on sinning so that grace might abound.  We are called to a life of holiness that is only made possible because we have been set free from sin.

 

BAPTISM IS DEATH TO A LIFE OF SIN: We were identified with Christ in His death.  He died for our sins, but his death liberates us from the penalty and power of sin.  We are no longer enslaved to sin because when Jesus died on the cross; we were there with Him.  When we place our faith in Him; we are saying that His death was our death.  As our substitute, He takes on our sin and by faith we receive His righteousness.  All who experience forgiveness of sin are also set free from bondage to sin because we have died in Him.

 

RESURRECTION IS TO NEW LIFE FROM SIN: We not only died in Christ, but were raised with Him to newness of life.  We have been given a new nature because of our identity with Christ.  God’s Spirit lives in all who believe.  We are no longer dead in our sins but have been given new life and vitality in a life of obedience to God.  Baptism symbolizes this rebirth into newness of life that we have in Christ.

 

APPLICATION: Don’t use salvation from sin as an excuse to sin.  Recognize that we have been set free from sin by the death and resurrection of Christ.  Fight temptation to sin with the understanding that we are equipped to win that battle in the power of the Spirit.

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