By Audrey Bauman

Romans 6: 1 – 14   NLT

Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? 2 Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? 3 Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? 4 For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.

5 Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. 6 We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. 7 For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. 8 And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. 9 We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. 10 When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. 11 So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.

12 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. 13 Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. 14 Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.

Let's start by going back to the last verses of Romans 5:

"God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. 21 So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Paul was explaining that God's grace is now the most important thing we need to know and embrace. God doesn't accept us because we keep all the laws given in the Old Testament. Those laws just show us how sinful we actually are. 

Our verses in chapter 6 begin with a question that the Jewish leaders asked because they thought that Paul's explanation of God's grace was quite ridiculous.

"Should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace?"

Part of me thinks that is one crazy question.  Who would ask a question like that?  But when Paul is writing to the Jews, he is facing a group who has lived by 613 laws given in the Old Testament – apparently that excludes the 10 Commandments.  I imagine they were used to figuring out just exactly what any law required.  So to be told that keeping all those laws didn’t guarantee acceptance with God, they were sure Paul was wrong. If keeping laws wasn’t the way to God, then why not go crazy and do whatever you wanted.

Paul's reply to the question was abrupt and short. "Well then, should we keep on sinning so that

God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace?  Of course not!

The next verses give us an explanation of how God's grace works in our lives. Paul uses baptism to illustrate what happens to us when we believe Jesus' death and resurrection seals our acceptance by God. First - baptism is not the way we are accepted by God. It is our faith in what Jesus has done. There are some churches that focus on some rite of baptism as the way to be accepted by God. That is not what the Bible teaches.

For example - earlier in Romans, Paul talks about Abraham's acceptance by God was his faith in what God was asking him to do. Later circumcision became the practice to indicate a person was a Jew. It was not the original promise between God and Abraham. "If his good deeds had made him acceptable to God, he would have had something to boast about. But that was not God’s way. For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” Romans 4: 2 - 3

Baptism is used as a picture of what faith in Jesus is like. This past Sunday, we witnessed several people being baptized. Before they were baptized, each person told us how they met Jesus and put their faith in Him. They often talked about the incredible changes in their lives as a result of their faith in Jesus. It is a special moment when a person makes that public statement through baptism that Jesus' death and resurrection has saved them, but that is not the moment when they actually became one of God's family.

These verses in Romans 6 use baptism as an illustration of how God saves us. Just as Jesus died and was raised to a new life, when I/you believe that Jesus did that for me/you ... then I/you become a new person. "Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin." (v. 5 - 7)  Going down into the water is a picture of the amazing change God does for us when we believe in Jesus. Sin no longer controls us; "it loses its power in our lives". 

"Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus ...  give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace." (v. 9 - 14)

We have a new life when we believe that Jesus died and was raised to new life. We now live under God's love and grace. It doesn't mean that we are perfect. Sin hasn't completely left each one of us, nor left this world. But sin no longer has power over us. God's Spirit now lives within us and gives us a new life eager to live for God.

“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. 

The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 

2 Corinthians 5:17   (NLT)   

Isn't this exciting? Amazing? 

Take some time today in prayer to praise and thank God for what He has done for you. Think about the changes in your life that God has helped you make - changes to be more like Jesus. Think of those bad things that God has helped you overcome.

Our song for today is I Lift My Hands by Chris Tomlin.