Romans Chapter 6

The Chains Of Sin Are Broken

Text: Romans 6

Introduction

Since we have begun our study in Romans, Paul has demonstrated the need for all people for righteousness in the first three chapters. He continued on through the fifth chapter through Whom righteousness is established and how it is received.

The righteousness every believer received is called “imputed righteousness.” God gives this to everyone on the basis of faith. This is a doctrine called “justification.”

In our study tonight, Paul shifts into talking about what happens (or should happen) within a believers life following a believing faith in Jesus. Paul will be discussing SPIRITUAL MATURITY in chapters 6-8. This doctrine is called “sanctification” (a life-long process of transformation).

One thing you can count on is this:

Quote: Any justification that does not lead to sanctification is a sham. Any sanctification not founded upon justification is an exercise in legalistic futility and does not deserve the name. (NAC Romans)

VERSE 1

Paul is predicting the suggestion leading off from what he said in 5:20.

“If God’s grace in increased when sin increases, then wouldn’t it make sense to sin more?”

KEEP IN MIND — Some in that day (as well as today) are always looking for a reason within our own faith to create some excuse for their sinful lifestyle.

Quote: Romans 6:1 (NAC Ro): W. Barclay writes, “How despicable it would be for a son to consider himself free to sin, because he knew that his father would forgive.”

This kind of question would probably come from Jews who thought a “faith alone” doctrine of salvation would encourage irresponsibility.

VERSES 2-3

Paul responds with a confident NO!

Question: What is the most impactful reality in someone’s mind with a loved one passes away?

Death separates!

Receiving Jesus’ death by faith brings a “death to sin” into your life; death to the control of sin.

Colossians 3:5 “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:”

1 Peter 2:24 “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”

Question: How many of you still feel sin continuing in its force to dominate your life and conduct?

Quote: R.A. Knox said, “breathe its air again?”

VERSE 4

Question: What does burial certify? ANS — death is certain.

Baptism is the ritual act that portrays this burial.

Paul is using this ritual act as a symbol to increase their understanding of the “effectual cause” in the death of Christ. Paul wanted them to know this was a work completed in the moment of faith.

Question: Was death and burial the end of the story?

“newness of life” could be stated “a new sphere which is life.”

Ephesians 2:1 “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;”

To be alive in Christ is to enter the SPHERE OF HIS LIFE!

Your life should major of the things He majored on during his earthly ministry.

John 10:10 “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

Your life now should be different from your pre-conversion days.

HOWEVER…this difference is not achieved in a short time. It is not based on everyone’s personal convictions.

We are to do all we can to cultivate someone’s hunger for God’s Word, prayer, walking in the Spirit, and service.

God does a far better job straightening out the kinks they we can.

VERSE 5

Question: What was Jesus’ victory over?

His victory is put to our account and therefore should bring about a particular change over time.

DEATH PRECEDES LIFE!

So, as Christ’ resurrection follows His death, so should a new life follow death to sin.

VERSES 6-7

I am thankful the confidence God’s Word provides me when it comes to knowing what happened to me following faith in Christ!

Question: What truth about the event of Jesus’ crucifixion provides confidence in the resurrected life? ANS — v6

Us being crucified with Christ was essential to stripping our sin nature of its power.

Question: What control is resurrection beyond? DEATH!

Question: Have you ever reached the point of exhaustion? What does it mean to be exhausted?

Thats the point sin reached when it brings about death. It is powerless after that point.

VERSE 8

Question: How many of you appreciate a thorough teacher? Paul was one of those teachers.

Paul was writing to Christian believers in Rome and made sure to stress certain truths that would help them grasp living the new life the Spirit had given them.

“shall also live with Him” is not a future reality!

Paul is speaking about the life to be lived on earth.

While “death” does bring a negative application, it is also the gateway to new life in Christ.

Galatians 2:20 “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.”

VERSES 9-10

Romans 6:9–10 (NAC Ro): But Christ’s resurrection broke forever the tyranny of death. That cruel master can no longer exercise any power over him. The cross was sin’s final move; the resurrection was God’s checkmate. The game is over. Sin is forever in defeat. Christ the victor died to sin “once for all” and lives now in unbroken fellowship with God.

We often speak of the magnitude of Jesus’ death, however, without His resurrection the “good news” would cease to be “good.”

Jesus is FOREVER CROWNED AS KING OF KINGS!!!

SATAN IS FOREVER DEFEATED!!!

SATAN’S FATE IS FOREVER SEALED!!!

VERSE 11

Regard sin as something you have completely died to.

Take you place with Jesus!

This is your responsibility to this very seriously!

Fitzmyer writes: “Ontologically united with Christ through faith and baptism, Christians must deepen their faith continually to become more and more psychologically aware of that union.”

Sin still tries to flex it’s appeal and power.

Question: Do you know what “morbid” means?

Living with a positive reaction toward sin should seem very morbid to the believer!

Illustration: Like hugging up with a corpse for companionship.

The believer’s perspective should be radically altered!!!

VERSE 12

Paul is now moving into the practical implications that flow from the relationship we have been talking about.

Romans 6:12 (NAC Ro): Sanctification separated from justification encourages legalism, while sanctification fused with justification assumes that God will do it all.

Legalism — living from the power of rules instead of new life.

Sanctification fused with justification — Living as if the sanctified life is an automatic thing that comes from bring born-again.

LISTEN…the sanctified life becomes authentic and real when you base it on the fact “in Christ” you died to sin and are alive toward God.

Notice how Paul describes sin as a RULER.

VERSE 13

Stop presenting your bodies at the disposal of sin!

Don’t let sin take command over any part of your body!

Illustration: It would be like me handing this pen to one of you and allowing you to write anything you want with it!

Either sin or the Savior will be writing a story with your life. WHICH STORY DO YOU WANT TO TELL?

To be “alive unto God” is to present your body to be disposed of as God sees fit.

Quote: Barclay, “of making ourselves weapons in the hand of God or weapons in the hand of sin.”

VERSE 14

Paul informs the believer that they have entered into the era of grace that provides power over sin accessible.

When you make sinful mistakes, don’t forget, YOU ARE NOT A SLAVE TO SIN!

The Devil loves to play mind games with you.

“under the law” = under a weight that can’t be lifted by you.

“under grace” = under the power of God’s grace that lifted the weight of the law off your shoulders.

THE BELIEVER IS A SLAVE OF GOD

VERSE 15

Paul anticipates another misappropriating of the truth he just unpacked.

Paul will correct the potential thought, “Since we are under grace, it doesn’t really matter if we sin.”

What should freedom from the law promote from our lives?

To be freed from a moral standard that I could never uphold, I am eternally grateful and indebted.

It puts an unmeasurable feeling of joy, thankfulness, and desire to give what I can as a way of saying thank you to the one who accomplished it for me.

Being under grace does not provide for you a freedom to live with a spontaneous sinful lifestyle, but rather freed to live in a way that reflects the true nature and character of God.

VERSE 16

You are going to be a slave to someone!

Your allegiance will be to someone who will lead you to something or somewhere.

Quote: J. Denney writes, “There is no absolute independence for man…our nature requires us to serve some master

The unbeliever makes the mistake to think they have to give up freedom should they receive Christ.

Freedom one receives from Christ is a far greater and joyful freedom than that sin offers.

Sin offers a freedom from union with God.

Jesus offers freedom from sin, death, eternal punishment and separation from God, and so much more!

Matthew 6:24 “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

Joshua 24:15 “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

A believer should never stoop to saying, “I couldn’t help but sin due to the circumstances.”

Quote: Sin is not simply something that we can’t help doing but something we choose to do in direct violation of the will of God. It may be forgiven but it is not something that is excusable due to extenuating circumstances. The righteousness to which obedience leads is the righteousness of personal growth in spiritual maturity. (Robert Mounce)

VERSE 17

Who is thankful Jesus freed you from your old master; SIN?

“Form of doctrine” — ChristIan belief and practice

“from the heart” — whole-heartedly”

This requires an abandonment from all things other than the truth of God’s message.

Christian service is unique in the fact it is always voluntary.

Here are some thoughts to help the Christian get a better grip on what they should live obediently to God’s Word:

“to which you were delivered”

By whom were you create a child of God?

Jesus or THE WORD.

You were created by God’s Word!

Should you not remain obedient to the Person who made you?

Quote: The gospel message with all its ethical implications represents an existing body of truth into which new believers are brought by faith. The message is not brought to the converts but vice versa. (Robert Mounc)

VERSE 18

They had become WILLING servant of righteousness because they had been freed from sin by Jesus Christ.

Your new obligation is to holiness and growth.

VERSE 19

From verse 15 to now, Paul had been using analogies to teach a deeper theological truth about their spiritual life.

“I speak in human terms”

He knew human analogies can fall short sometimes.

Paul presents the before and after:

Prior to faith in Christ, they had surrendered their bodies to sin and grew in their wickedness.

Faith in Christ brought about a new transaction!

Instead of sin, this time it was to righteousness.

Quote: Freedom is not a question of whether or not we would like to serve but the choice of which master we will serve. Righteousness leads to holiness; sin as a master promotes wickedness. Righteousness reverses the moral direction taken by sin and leads to sanctification. In both cases a process is under way. (Robert Mounce)

VERSES 20-21

These verses sort of describe a tug-a-war match that a believer has when they entertain sin. YOU CAN’T WIN!

(v21) How many of you are ashamed of sinful moments in your past?

The only thing you receive from such activity is DEATH!

VERSE 22

Every believer has become a slave of God!

In the culture we live in today, that sound like anything but a good thing.

There is eternal benefit from this!

Serving God brings holiness and blessings.

“All good things come down from the Father of lights”

Matthew 7:13–14 “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

VERSE 23

This is the grand finale of this chapter!