ROMANS 6,7,8

Romans 6

Romans 6 NKJV

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Lest some might reason that since salvation is by grace and not by Law, they could continue in sin, Paul made it clear that one must die to sin before he can live in Christ

When one dies the natural death, he breaks all ties to the natural life. He leaves family, friends, and possessions here. In the same manner, when one dies to the old life of sin, one breaks all ties he had to the life of sin that he may live the new life in Christ.

Paul himself had died this death. He said, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).”

This is, and should be our same story...

Salvation is the gift of God. His gift of life in the Holy Ghost makes men new creatures in Christ II Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

Verses 3-5

Romans 6:3-5 “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,”

This simply is teaching us that when men die to sin by repentance, they should symbolize this death by being baptized (Burried) into Christ Death in HIs name (Jesus).

One should not be baptized before he repents, no more than one should be buried before he dies. However, after one truly repents (turns completely from the old life of sin) and is buried with Christ in water baptism, he will be raised up to new life in the Holy Ghost.

This explains how we obey the gospel of Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 15:1-4) and the meaning of Acts 2:38.”

Now there are times God will fill people with the Holy Ghost before they get baptized, this is Gods bidding but for the most part that person hhad had to repent for God to fill that person and the only thing left is for God to wash away their sin Through baptism.

Romans 6:6-20 “knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but…”

Through this portion of scripture we see that, when one dies to the old life of sin, one is buried with Christ, and receives new life in His Spirit, he is no longer bound by sin

John 8:31-36 “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?” Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”

The experience of the new birth gives power over the law of sin that works in the members of the mortal body. He who serves sin is bound by it, but when he becomes a new creature in Christ he is delivered from its bondage.

He must now use his members to perform “works of righteousness unto the Lord.

We must live at Christian life in this mortal body. Our mortal body belongs to the Lord as well as our spirit and soul.

“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” I Corinthians 6:19-20

We cannot permit sin to reign in this mortal body, for God will not dwell in an unclean temple I Corinthians 3:17

1 Corinthians 3:17 NKJV

If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

2 Corinthians 6:17 NKJV

Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.”

We must bring this temple under subjection to the Spirit of God.

Paul said, “I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castawayI Corinthians 9:27

Paul also wrote to the saints in Rome, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy Acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Romans 12:1

All Nature teaches us that after death there is a breaking forth of new life.

Lets look at Romans 6:11-12 “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.”

The word reckon means to count, regard, consider.

We are now in a position to disregard the demands of sin because we Have been released from its dominion. Through the resurrection to newness of life, we are given the power to make the choices for God and to carry them out.

We never loose our responsibility or freedom to chose whose servant we will be.

The death we should expeariance in our Christian walk should come from our own volition, this being cursified witth Christ comes only through a complete repentance and full surrender To the perfect will of God

Since we are no longer the servants of sin, but now alive to Christ, we can develop a sensitivity to the things of the Spirit and learn from to disregard the pull of former desires.

Question: How do we know were dead?

Lets look at Galatians 5:19-21

Galatians 5:19–21 NKJV

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Is any of this alive in us?

Use the Olive Tee Bible Study App to reference the definitions for the works of the flesh. And Fruits of the Spirit.

Lets look at the Fruits of the Spirit

Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”

Truth of the matter is that we cannot produce fruit except we die to self and to the world.

This is one of the reasons the Apostle Paul wrote: 1st Corinthians 15:31 “I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.”

Can you imagine a dead church? (No we dont like dead churches right? But God does) (If the Lord permits me id love to preach on the Power of dead Church)

Dead to the works of the flesh so that the fruits of the Spirit will begin to be produced.

How the Crucified life is achieved

A. A man must be born again

Repentance is dying to sin. The repentant turns his back upon sin and the world and is identified with Christ.

The person is the regenerated in salvation facilitating the victory that is availalbe in Christ Jesus.

B. Prayer and fasting

If we become prayerless, we can rest assure we wil become carnal.

It is only through much prayer that we can keep in touch with the power of God and maintain victory over the downward pull of o the world.

Along with prayer goes fasting.

Nothing can bring about much self denial like fasting does. Fasting helps us pick up our Cross and follow after His will.

Both prayer and fasting will cause our old nature to die and the old man to be nailed to the cross.

C. Surrender and dedication necessary

One of the important steps toward achieving the desired life in Christ is to make full surrender to the perfect will of God. Victory comes through surrender.

without complete consecration and surrender to the known will of God, ther cn never be success in achieving the crusified life.

As long as the Christian is rebellious and self- willed, he is still carnal and the old man is still alive in him.

Allowthe Spirit to Pray through you

Galatians 2:20-21 “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”

When the Holy Spirit prays through us, we simply become a yielded vessel of God, allowing the mind, and will of God to be prayed into us by the Spirit of God.

This is where the nature of God ithe beginning to be formed in us.

Not only pray in the Holy Ghost or in understanding but allow the Spirit of God to pray through you.

Romans 8:26-27 “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”

Romans 7

Romans 7:1–25 NKJV

Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives? For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man. Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead. I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good. Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

Verses 1-6

In verses 1-6 Paul continued with the subject of dying with Christ to the old life of sin.

In the previous chapter we noted that the striking phrase “we died to sin” was the center of the apostle’s argument, but now we are introduced to the added fact that we “have become dead to the law.”

In Paul’s teaching there is a clear connection between “the law” and sin.

He told the Roman believers, “Sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under law but under grace” (Rom. 6:14). The person living “under law” is dominated by sin; therefore, if there is to be any realistic release from sin, there must be a corresponding release from the law. That this is all part of the divine provision Paul now seeks to explain through his rare illustration.

Assuming that the Roman believers, both Jew and Greek, were familiar with the law—the Mosaic Law—Paul reminds them that the law has jurisdiction over a man only during his lifetime.

So for instance, in the marriage contract a wife is required to be faithful to her husband all his life. If she fails in this regard, she is called an adulteress, but as soon as her husband dies, she is free to remarry without there being any suggestion of impropriety. She is “released from the law of her husband.”

Paul’s application of the illustration is not altogether straightforward, but his obvious point is that, in the same way a widow is no longer under any legal obligation to her late husband, so the believer who was formerly married to the law is under no obligation to the law as a means of justification once the law dies. The problem with Paul’s illustration is that the picture does not fit, because in real life the law does not die but the believer dies to the law.

His point is clear nevertheless.

Those people who see their hope of being justified centered in their relationship to the law do not have happy marriages to the law. Married as they are to a law which is perfect, inflexible, demanding, and all-encompassing, they are soon driven to despair by their own incapability, in the same way that tender young brides have been known to be destroyed by domineering husbands whose rectitude was matched only by their insensitivity. Paul outlined something of the pressures experienced by the brides of the law when he wrote, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them” (Gal 3:10

Galatians 3:10 NKJV

For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.”

If we may take the marriage analogy a little further, we can imagine what it must be like for a bride to be confronted each day by a husband who has a list of things which must be done thoroughly and perfectly.

She must continue to do them; she must not only think about doing them but actually perform them. No half measures will be tolerated; no concessions to weakness will be made.

There will be no excuses, no explanations will be asked for or given, and failure in every case will result in the unfortunate bride being cursed for her inability and incompetence.

Now to add insult to injury, the enraged husband will then proceed to live in total inflexible adherence to his own impossible demands, humiliating the bride even more.

It is no surprise when the frustrated bride, living under such pressure, lashes out in anger and fear—or as Paul says, “The passions of sins which [are] aroused by the law. . . bear fruit to death” (Rom. 7:5).

This does not mean that Mr. Law is breaking his own rules or encouraging his wife to engage in lawless activity. On the contrary, his exemplary behavior is a witness to the perfection of his own demands but also to the imperfection of her abilities.

The resultant breakdown of relationship reaches its culmination when upon the death of Mr. Law the bride breathes more sighs of relief than she sheds tears of remorse.

No longer must she embark each morning on an impossible task, knowing full well that she must face each evening the inevitable condemnation of Mr. Perfection. She is free!

No doubt the Church in the church at Rome there were any people who had endeavored to keep the demands of the law, seeking thereby to earn the blessing of God.

Yet they were conscious that if their blessing depended on their meticulous fulfillment, their failure promised their ultimate condemnation.

Through the presentation of the gospel, however, they had learned that through the death and Resurrection of Christ they had been forgiven and reconciled to God, and, at the same time, “by the body of Christ” (v. 4)

they had been released from the law as a means of reconciliation. Like the bride of the illustration, they had greeted this death with more relief than grief. In fact, they had rejoiced in their liberty to the extent they had used it to be “married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead”

Warming to his theme of marriage as an example, Paul goes on to talk about the “fruit” of the union between the believer and the risen Lord.

The previous marriage had been “childless” because of the impotence of the law to reproduce anything but the “fruit to death” (v. 5) in a person devoid of the life of God.

In complete contrast, the new marriage between the living Lord and the loving disciple has the glorious potential of bearing “fruit to God” (v. 4). In much the same way that grandparents keenly await the arrival of grandchildren who are the product of the blended lives of their child and spouse, so the Father awaits the reproduction of a new quality of life in the believer which is the result of the life of the risen Lord being blended with that of the believer.

There is another stark contrast that is seen in the attitude of the believer when compared to that of the person living under the law.

Life under the law is a neverending list of rules and regulations which produce a never-ending stream of fears and frustrations.

But marriage to Christ is a relationship of love which freely submits and obeys with delight. The former attitude, described by Paul as “oldness of the letter” (v. 6), is often cold and resentful; the latter, which he calls “newness of the Spirit,” is fresh and spontaneous.

Any parent of a teenage boy will remember the days when rules and regulations about scrubbing teeth, combing hair, and washing necks were in force. At least i remember

I also recall the remarkable day when when i fell in love for the first time ( at least i thought i was )instead of dragging this reluctant adolescent

My folks found out that a transformation of attitude had taken place which required new rules limiting the amount of time I could spend in the bathroom.

Where once it was a battle to apply a comb to the hair, now it was a battle to be able to afford the shampoos, deodorants, axe body washes, more clothes. Why? This young man was in love for the first time.

This is the difference between oldness of letter and newness of Spirit!

Now there is a level of respect we must have for the Law.

It is often hard to maintain a balance of truth, and Paul, in his desire to remind his readers of their emancipation from the law, may have felt that his emphasis was such that a false impression of the law could have been gained. He handles this possibility by adopting a literary device with which we are now familiar:

  ⁷ What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.”

—Romans 7:7

  No doubt there were those who, on hearing Paul teach about the inadequacy of the law to reproduce a satisfactory life of righteousness, would leap to the conclusion that the law was sin—bad, contrary to God, the product of yet mother human attempt to thwart the purposes of God.

But Paul does not allow this conclusion and strenuously sets about showing that he has a profound respect for the law which is not at all diminished by his clear perception of its inadequacies.

In a very real sense, Paul owes his salvation to the Tenth Commandment, “Thou shalt not covet.”

Like the young man who, with open face, told the Lord that he had kept the commandments from his youth, Paul had lived a life of careful adherence to the law with such success that he could tell the Philippians that, “touching the law,” he was “blameless.” He had refused to steal, to commit adultery, to lie. Meticulously he had honored the Sabbath and had endeavored to love the Lord in the only way he knew. To all intents and purposes, Paul was a perfect example of a fine young man. But there was one major skeleton in his closet. He was covetous or lustful, but no one would ever have guessed from external appearance.

Recap:

He used the example of the marriage vow being broken by death. A woman is bound to her husband while he lives, but when he dies, she is free to marry another.

We, by dying with Christ, are freed from the law of sin. And by being born again we are joined (married) to Christ. Paul here used this only as an illustration, not as a discussion of the divorce problem. He taught on the subject of divorce in I Corinthians 7:1-17

Lets Return back to Romans 7: 7-14

Romans 7:7–14 NKJV

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead. I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good. Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin.

Paul defended the law of Moses as being just, good, and holy. Its shortcoming lay in the fact that it only had power to reveal sin (Galatians 3:21).

In verses 7-9 Paul expressed that he had not known he was a sinner until he became acquainted with the Law which showed him what sin was. He said, “I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died” (verse 9).

He had no feeling of condemnation until he heard the commandment of God that brought him under condemnation. The fault of the Law was not in God’s righteous law itself, but in the carnal nature of the people who “could not keep His law (Hebrews 8:7, 8). It was weak through the flesh (Romans 8:3-4).

The law of Moses partially restrained the people from sin but could not take away the desire nor give power to overcome it. By revealing sin, it made sinners conscious of the fact that they were already condemned and under the sentence of death (verse 9).

The commandment, which was ordained to show the people the way of righteousness, only brought them under condemnation by revealing the exceeding wickedness of sin. For this reason it came to be called the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2; II Corinthians 3:6-11). The Law was spiritual, but the people were carnal, sold under sin.”

verses 15-23

Paul described the carnal nature of all humanity, including himself, before they find redemption and deliverance in the Lord Jesus.

The unregenerated person may know what is right and good and desire to do it. However, in his carnal (natural) nature the desires and appetites of the flesh overpower him and he is unable to do that which he knows to be right.

He desires to do good, but the principle of evil (the law of sin that works in “his physical body) is stronger than his will power.

This principle is emphasized in the lives of those who become addicted to tobacco, alcohol, drugs, or pornography. In the same way all men are naturally addicted to sin before they are delivered by regeneration in Christ.

They are captives to the law of sin that works in the members of the physical body.

To be bound by sin is a miserable and wretched condition (verses 24-25).

Paul did not realize he was being driven by this principle when he persecuted the church in a fanatic zeal (Acts 7:57-59; 8:1-3; 9:1-20). After he met Jesus on the Damascus road and learned that He was the Lord God, he surrendered completely to Him.

He afterward testified that he received mercy and forgiveness from his sin because he had done it ignorantly in unbelief (I Timothy 1:12-13).

The plight of Israel under Egyptian slavery typified the bondage of sin. God, by the hand of His servant Moses, delivered Israel by His miraculous power. Anyone who is willing to surrender wholly to the Lord can be delivered by this same power. Jesus came to earth to preach the Gospel to the poor, to heal the broken hearted, and to give deliverance to the captives. (Preach a little while.)

The new birth of the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ, which makes one a new creature, is the greatest miracle ever performed on humanity.

One’s ambitions, desires, and outlook on life are completely changed when he receives this more abundant life from the Lord Jesus (John 10:10).

Everyone who is born again of His Spirit experiences this miracle.

The apostle Paul was one of the greatest biblical examples of one whose life was completely reversed. He testified of the things he once took pride in: circumcision, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, Hebrew of the Hebrews, as touching the Law, blameless (Philippians 3:4-5).

He doubtless referred here to the ceremonial law of Moses, which he had fully kept. He further said: But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of aII things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith” (Philippians 3:7-9

Romans 7:23-25 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

Paul here is expressing His frustration but it also revealing the awnser to us, the powerful remedy!