Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ Slaves to Righteousness ... · Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ Slaves to Righteousness Romans 6:1-23. ... 12. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal

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Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ

Slaves to Righteousness

Romans 6:1-23




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Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ

Slaves to Righteousness Text: Romans 6:1-23, 1. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2. God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3. Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4. Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7. For he that is dead is freed from sin. 8. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9. Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 12. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those




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that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 14. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. 15. What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. 16. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 17. But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 18. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. 19. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. 20. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. 21. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 23. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Introduction: I. From writing of grace through righteousness Paul now turns to the steps of righteousness by which grace is accessed. II. Salvation by grace through faith includes compliance with the law of liberty, the law of righteousness.




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Commentary:

Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ Romans 6:1, What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? I. What are we to say in response to salvation by grace through faith? II. Shall we continue in sin so that grace may abound more and more?

A. Some of those to whom Paul wrote may have been inclined to believe that if a Christian has faith it doesn’t matter what kind of life he lives.

B. Paul now makes his response to this untenable position.

Romans 6:2, God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? I. God forbid such a thing! II. How in the world could anyone who has died to sin live any longer in sin?

A. How indeed!

B. A form of “dead to sin” is used three times in this chapter.

1. Romans 6:2, 7, 11, God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? For he that is dead is freed from sin. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.




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2. Christians are dead to sin and alive unto Christ, not the other way around as was the case before their conversion.

C. 2 Corinthians 5:14, For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:

1. “We are legally dead to sin by being in Christ and by

vicariously participating in the death of Christ. (Steele via Coffman, Commentary on Romans, page 207).

2. Christ justified believers from sin. We are never to live in

sin again. Romans 6:3, Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? I. “Don’t you know? Are you ignorant of this basic fact?” Paul asked. II. All who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death.

A. Christians have been baptized into Christ, into the benefits of his death.

B. Certainly those who are in Christ, dead to sin under no

circumstances are to continue living wickedly!

C. How do we get into Christ? We are “baptized into Christ.”

1. Galatians 3:26, 27, For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Romans 6:4, Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.




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I. We were buried with Christ through baptism into death . . .

A. This verse and its symbolism clearly point to immersion.

B. Tholuck via Coffman wrote, “In the early days of the church, persons, when baptized, were first plunged below, and then raised above the waters”

II. As Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of God, we are raised from the waters of baptism to walk in newness of life.

A. Christians, those who have truly undergone scriptural baptism, have been raised to walk in newness of life, lives of righteousness, morality and integrity.

B. 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.

Romans 6:5, For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: I. We have been united with him in the likeness of his death,

A. Christ died on the cross and was buried.

B. Christians died to sin and were buried in baptism. II. We shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.

A. Christ was raised from the tomb to live in glory.




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B. Christians were raised from baptism to walk in newness, purity of life.

Romans 6:6, Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. I. Our old sinful self, man, life was crucified, made dead with Christ.

A. The “old man” is dead and gone!

B. The Christian’s status is one of deadness, non-responsiveness to sin.

C. 2 Peter 1:9, But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot

see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

II. The purpose of this is that:

A. the body of sin might be done away.

B. that we should no longer be in bondage, slaves to sin.

C. Colossians 3:5-8, Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

Romans 6:7, For he that is dead is freed from sin. I. Legally, literally, factually speaking,




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A. only those who have died to sin . . .

B. are justified from sin.

II. Only those who have been justified from sin can expect to go to heaven, please God. Romans 6:8, Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: I. If we died with Christ, A. Dying to sin, dying with Christ is essential to salvation. II. We believe we shall live with him.

A. This is the promise made to those who have died with Christ.

B. Those who have died with Christ are confidently assured they will live with him.

Romans 6:9, Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. I. Christ, who was raised from the dead, dies no more, is no longer susceptible to death.

A. Death no more has dominion over him!

B. Christ’s resurrection was not like those of Lazarus, Jairus’ daughter, the widow’s son of Nain who died again.

C. 1 Timothy 1:17, Now unto the King eternal immortal, invisible,

the only wise God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.




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Romans 6:10, For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. I. Christ’s death to sin was a once forever kind of thing.

A. It does not need to be repeated.

B. Hebrews 7:26-28, For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.

II. Now Christ is alive forevermore to the glory and in the service of God the Father. III. This is the way it is to be with all Christians.

A. Christians die to sin once for all time. We don’t straddle the fence between right and wrong.

B. Christians are to be consistently alive to devoted service to God.

Romans 6:11, Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. I. Christians are to consider themselves:

A. dead to sin.

B. alive unto God in Christ Jesus.




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1. Salvation, being alive to God is only possible in, through

Christ Jesus. II. Salvation requires that we stay dead to sin and alive unto God in Christ Jesus. Romans 6:12, Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. I. Christians must not let sin, therefore, reign in our mortal bodies.

A. Christ, not sin, is to reign in our hearts!

B. Christ in our hearts and sin in our bodies is an oxymoron, a ridiculous thing to imagine.

II. We must not obey, yield to the lusts of the flesh ever again! Romans 6:13, Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. I. The parts of our bodies are all to be offered to God as instruments of righteousness,

A. Christians are people who have been brought from death to life. II. not to sin as instruments of wickedness.

A. It is absurd to believe that regenerated people can have a pure heart while their bodies serve sin!

B. No such dichotomy can be made.




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1. Humans are unitary beings consisting of mind, heart, spirit

and body.

2. Christians are not to have hearts, minds, spirits and bodies that are serving different masters, all “flying off in different directions.”

Romans 6:14, For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. I. Sin shall not have dominion over Christians, shall not be our master because: II. We are not under law.

A. Law (of Moses) would require perfect adherence for justification.

B. No human can perfectly keep law and thereby achieve salvation.

III. You are under grace!

A. Thanks be to God! There is grace.

B. There is hope for weak, sincere Christians who are subject to lapses and frailties, imperfections.

C. This is true because of Christians’ association with, being one

with, being in Christ.

D. What we cannot do for ourselves, Christ does for us!




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E. 1 John 1:7, But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

1. “Cleanseth” is a present participle meaning that the

cleansing of sins of Christian is an on-going continuing process.

Slaves to Righteousness

Romans 6:15, What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. I. What then? What conclusions do we reach from these facts? II. Shall we sin occasionally because we are not under the law (of Moses), but under grace?

A. Some may have concluded that since grace covers sins, the more they sinned the more grace would be showered on them.

1. They regarded this outpouring of grace as desirable thing.

2. They welcomed this license to sin, to live in an

unrestrained manner . . .

3. while still regarding themselves as holy. III. God forbid!

A. Sin dethrones Christ from being Lord of our lives.

B. Christians are not to willingly sin even now and again.

C. Sin is to be avoided “like the plague!”




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D. He who serves sin is the servant of sin. He who serves

righteousness is the servant of righteousness.

1. How could anyone think he could serve sin and be a servant of righteousness or vice versa.

2. No man can serve God and mammon. It is one or the

other! Romans 6:16, Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? I. Everyone is a servant of the person or thing he obeys. II. Our choice:

A. Obey, serve sin and die.

B. Obey, serve righteousness and live.

1. Romans 1:5, By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:

2. Romans 16:26, But now is made manifest, and by the

scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:

III. Faith alone clearly will not save!

A. Hebrews 12:14, Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:




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B. 2 Peter 2:20, For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

Romans 6:17, 18, But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. I. Give thanks to God! II. You were servants, slaves of sin.

A. Paul did not thank God that the Roman Christians had been slaves of sin, but that they had been converted to Christ.

III. You became:

A. obedient

1. Obedience does not exclude faith and faith does not exclude obedience.

B. from the heart, wholeheartedly.

1. Only sincere, heartfelt allegiance to God is acceptable.

C. to that form of teaching to which you were entrusted, whereunto

you were delivered.

1. What is this form of doctrine to which Paul refers?

2. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye




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have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

IV. Being made free, set free from sin,

A. This “form of doctrine” is the road from bondage to sin to freedom from sin.

B. Freedom from sin equals justification.

V. You became servants, slaves of righteousness.

A. The ceremony by which a slave was freed, this process being called manumission, may have been in Paul’s mind when he thought of the process by which a person becomes a Christian, is set free from sin.

Romans 6:19, I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. I. I (Paul) am going to say this is a way you can understand it.

A. I (Paul) have to do this because you have trouble understanding things like this when expressed in a usual manner.

II. Before you were converted you used the various parts of your body in service, as slaves, to the devil (impurity).




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A. Your conduct became progressively more sinful. III. Now that you are Christians, the parts of our bodies are to be used as slaves to righteousness toward ever increasing holiness, sanctification.

A. Paul pleads for righteousness on the part of every Christian.

B. Hebrews 12:14, Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

C. Just as it was unthinkable that a freed slave would continue

working for his old Master, it is absurd that a Christian freed from sin would continue serving the devil.

D. Christians, as the Lord’s slaves, are to do without hesitation or

question everything Christ wants done. Romans 6:20, For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. I. Before the Romans to whom Paul was writing became Christians, they were:

A. servants of sin.

B. devoid of righteousness. II. This is true universally! III. Slaves obey only one master!

A. Sinners serve the devil.

B. Christians serve Christ.




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C. It is not possible to serve both! Romans 6:21, What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. I. When you were serving sin, what good did it do you? . . . what benefit did living in sin produce?

A. Sin would only lead to death.

B. Now that you are serving righteousness, you are ashamed of those evil things you formerly did.

II. A righteous lifestyle in required of Christians! Romans 6:22, But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. I. Christians have been set free from sin . . .

A. free from the guilt of past sins.

B. free from the practice of sin. II. Christians are now slaves, servants of God. III. The deeds, fruits, benefits of this lifestyle are sanctification, holiness and ultimately eternal life.

A. Galatians 5:22-24, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temper-ance: against such there is no law.




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IV. Godly living produces present blessings and eternal life in the world to come.

A. What a return on your investment! Romans 6:23, For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. I. The wages of sin is death!

A. The wages of all kinds of sin is death, not just the wages of big sins.

B. Wages indicates sinners earn their pay: death.

C. What if we were all paid for our conduct at the end of each day?

1. There is no way we could begin to earn salvation.

2. Luke 17:10, So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all

those things which are commanded you say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

3. 1 John 5:11, And this is the record, that God hath given to

us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. III. Whom will you serve, Christ or the devil.

A. 1 Kings 21:20, And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the Lord.




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Questions

Romans 6:1-23 1. May Christians continue sinning so that God’s forgiving grace may abound, increase? Why or why not? ____________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. In what ways, how are Christians dead to sin? __________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Explain how baptism is associated with our death to sin, our being buried with Christ and our being raised to live a new life? ___________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 4. How are we united with Christ in his death and in his resurrection? __ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 5. How is it that we are still tempted even though our old self has been crucified with Christ? How can the body that is dead to sin still be sensitive to sin? ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________




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____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 6. Why do we have to die (verse 7) in order to be freed from sin? _____ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 7. If we ______________ with ______________, we ______________ that we will also ______________ with him. Christ ______________ to ______________ once for all; but the ___________________ he ______________, he ______________ to _________________. 8. Count yourselves ________________ to __________________ but _______________ to God in Christ Jesus. Do not let ______________ ______________ in your ______________ ______________ so that you ______________ its ______________ ______________. 9. We are not under law, but under grace. What does this mean? Do we have to obey any religious laws? _______________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 10. How do manumission and Christian conversion relate to each other? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 11. Slavery to ________________ leads to ______________. Slavery to ________________ leads to ______________.




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12. Define “the form of teaching” mentioned in verse 17. ____________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 13. “You have been _________________ ________________ from __________________ and have become ___________________ to __________________.” 14. If we are saved by grace through faith, does our lifestyle really matter? If so, why? _________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 15. Does salvation by grace through faith rule out obedience? _____________ Explain. _____________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 16. As you used to offer the ______________ of your ______________ in _______________ to ______________ and to ______________ _________________, so now offer them in ______________ to _________________ leading to ______________. 17. What benefits are there to a life of sin? _______________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________




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18. What benefits are there to a life of holiness? ___________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 19. The _______________ of ______________ is ______________, but the _________________ of __________________ is ______________ _________________ in _________________ _________________ our _________________. 20. Now that you are a Christian of what are you ashamed? (See verse 21). ______________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 21. Do you know people who don’t appear to be ashamed of anything? ______________ How do you figure that? _______________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


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Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ Slaves to Righteousness ... · Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ Slaves to Righteousness Romans 6:1-23. ... 12. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal