Romans 6:1-23

Overview

In Romans 6, 7, and 8, Paul leaves the topic of justification and now moves to the subject of sanctification. Justification is a judicial act of God that declares a person righteous before Him, based solely on their faith in Christ. Sanctification is the ongoing process that is happening inside a believer as they become more like Christ, and grow in holiness. This is why Paul called this transformation the fruit to holiness. Note how Paul referred to this process when he wrote, “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” (Rom. 6:22). Justification happens once at salvation, but sanctification is a continuous process of transformation in a believer’s life. Sanctification is a word that means to become morally pure, set apart for God, and consecrated to His calling upon your life. This is why in Romans 6, Paul addressed how you can be set free from sin’s power, because struggling with your sinful desires is the biggest reason why Christians don’t reach their full potential in their walk. Paul explained in this chapter the vital mechanics of how we have been delivered from sin’s control in our lives.

One point that you must understand as you begin to study Romans 6, is the usage of the word sin. When the Bible speaks of the forgiveness of our sins, most of the time the word is in the plural form of the word. When sin is discussed in the singular, it is referring to our sin nature. In addition, the word sin is used as a noun in this chapter which again reveals that the sin nature of man is being addressed. When the verb form of the word sin is used, it is referring to our acts of sin.

In Chapter 7, Paul will also describe one of the greatest difficulties we encounter when seeking to experience this victory over our sin nature. What is this problem? It is our attempt to keep ourselves free from sin’s power in our lives by self-effort and will power. However, in chapter 8, Paul will explain how the power of the Spirit enables us to experience the true freedom that we already possess in Christ. Therefore, these three chapters all fit together by explaining some of the most important truths concerning victory and freedom in the Christian life.

In Romans 5:20 Paul declared, “but where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.” Naturally when some consider the abounding grace of God to overcome all their sin, they might possibly come up with the idea that if God has so much grace, why not just continue to sin, and let God give them more grace? In this chapter Paul answers this question forcefully.

What should God’s abundant grace encourage you to do? (Vs. 1)

This is why chapter 6 begins with the question, “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” (Rom. 6:1-5). Should God’s grace encourage you to continue in your sinful behaviors so that God can bestow more of His abounding grace on you? Absolutely not!

The word continue in verse 1 is in the present tense in the original language which refers to a continual willful practice of sinful behavior. So, shall we continue living as we have before coming to faith in Christ? Paul answers this rhetorical question with a, certainly not! This terminology of Paul literally means, “Perish the thought.” In other words, this kind of thinking is completely twisted and contrary to God’s Word, and should never even be considered in a Christian’s mind. God’s grace should encourage you to stop practicing your sinful behavior, and empower you to follow Christ. Then Paul explains why we should never think that continuing in sin would even be an option. 

You have died to sin (vs. 2)
The most important reason why we should not continue to practice our sinful behavior is that we who are in Christ have died to sin. What does it mean when Paul used this terminology that we have died to sin? To understand this phrase, you must think about what happens to someone who physically dies. Death brings a separation from the life we have lived before, and from all past obligations and relationships. At death your spirit is separated from your body, and you enter into eternity with a new glorified body. However, in this context, Paul is using death to describe a figurative separation from your sin nature and its control over you, because you have become born again and have been given a new nature in Christ. When you died to sin this brought a separation from the guilt of your past sins, but most importantly, you have been given a freedom from the control of your sin nature. Therefore, a true believer cannot continue to willfully practice sin, because he has died to his sin nature, and has been freed from it. Jesus declared, “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” (John 8:34-36). Jesus made it clear to His disciples that there were only two options: they would either be a slave of sin, or allow Him to free them from sin. Remember that when Jesus or Paul referred to committing sins, or sin in the singular, he is referring to their sin nature. These two positions, being in Christ, or continuing to live like you did before coming to Christ, cannot co-exist. If you have truly died to sin, then you cannot continue practicing sin. It is impossible.

In 1 John 3:9, you see this same concept taught by the apostle. John said, “Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.” Both words used in this verse for sin are in the present tense, referring to a willful and continuous practice of sin. Also, the term His seed remaining in a believer, refers to the nature of Christ that has been planted within you by the power of His Holy Spirit. Therefore, if you have been born of God, it is impossible for you to walk with Christ, and continually choose to practice sin. Perhaps you may wonder, But what about those people who profess to be Christians, yet they are continually practicing sinful behavior? If someone behaves in this manner, God’s Word declares that they are not born again. That is the only conclusion you can come to, because a real Christian cannot continue practicing sin. Either you have died to sin and have been freed from sin’s controlling power, or you are still bound by your sin nature. The only other option is that a person who has professed Christ, and yet continues to practice sin is completely backslidden, and is deceiving themselves. Solomon declared, “The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, but a good man will be satisfied from above” (Prov. 14:14). In either situation the person who continues to practice sin is not walking with Christ!

In addition, it is important to understand that the Scripture differentiates between the willful continuous practice of sin, and individual acts of sin when we fail, and then immediately repent. In 1 John 2:1, the apostle declared, “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” John is acknowledging in this verse that Christians do commit individual acts of sin. John even included himself by using the word, “we” in this verse. However, the verb sins in the phrase, “if anyone sins,” is in the singular, referring to a singular act of sin. By definition, a single act of sin would have to be followed by repentance and the forsaking of that sin. Consequently, if there is repentance for this act of sin then, “we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” When John declared that, “we have an Advocate” for our sin, this verb to have is also in the present tense, meaning that we continually have an Advocate who will stand up for us, and help us with our struggles with sin. In addition, the word Advocate is the Greek word parakletos, which means one who has come along side you to help. Thank God that we have our Advocate standing before the Father now, and He has also sent the Helper, the Holy Spirit, to be with us in our struggles here in this life (John 14:16)!

How did you die to sin? (vs. 3-5)

You died to sin by believing in Christ, and being baptized into His death. Paul wrote, “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” (Rom. 6:3-5). The reason you have died to sin’s dominion and control over your life is simply because you have received the newness of life in Christ Jesus. You are in Him, and He lives in you by the power of the Holy Spirit!

What does it mean to be baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection? The word baptized means to immerse or to overwhelm fully. When you believed and received Jesus by faith, you were baptized into Christ, and immersed fully into Him. He was also fully immersed in you. Just as you were identified with Adam and received his sinful nature when you entered this world, likewise, when you entered into a relationship with Christ you were forgiven and received His righteousness and His divine nature within you (2 Peter 1:4). Remember we studied in Romans 5:18-19 where Paul declared, “Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.” When you were born into this life you were united to Adam’s sin, but now being united with Christ you have received all that He possesses. Today because you are united with Christ, His death has now become your death to sin, and His resurrection has become your resurrection to life and freedom from your sins, and your sin nature. What a glorious truth this is to comprehend!

Another way you can be sure that you have died to sin is by the simple fact that you are not practicing sin today. You could only be free from sin’s control because you have died to sin. The fruit of your life is proof that you have been given a new nature that enables you to follow the Lord and to walk after Him. You are living a totally different way than you used to live, which only proves that you have escaped the corruption of this world by your new life in Christ (2 Peter 1:3-4).

Therefore, we know that we died to sin, because His Word declares it, and because of the fruit that is obvious in our lives. The ultimate basis of our freedom from sin’s control over us is because we are in Him. The basis of our freedom is not because of anything that we have done, it’s because of what He did. It’s a finished work. Our freedom has been accomplished!

What do you possess in this unification with Christ?

Consider for a moment all that you have received in Christ. You were chosen in Him before the foundations of the world (Eph. 1:4). You have forgiveness from all your sins (Eph. 1:7). You have been declared righteous even as He is righteous (2 Cor. 5:21). You have been sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise (Eph. 1:13). You have been given boldness and access into the Father’s presence simply because you are in Him (Eph. 3:12). All that is necessary for you to go to heaven is the fruit of the fact that you are complete in Him (Col. 2:10). In Him your fleshly nature has been circumcised from you in order to free you from the bondage of sin’s power (Col. 2:11). You have been set free from the law of sin and death, and made alive by the law of the Spirit of life that is in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:2). All these blessings are yours because you are in Christ. But the greatest of all these blessings is the fact that you have been set free from the power of sin, because this is the most practical thing you can experience every day of your life. Now, you may be thinking, If I am so free from the power of sin, why do I struggle so often with the desires of my flesh? Paul now answers this question in the following verses.

How can you experience freedom from the power of your sin nature?

How to experience real freedom from your sinful desires is one of the most important questions to answer in the Christian life. If you can’t take what Scripture has taught about your victory over sin, and actually experience overcoming your struggles, then you will be extremely discouraged until this is accomplished. This is why Paul explains these four simple steps to freedom in the following verses. These steps are the mechanics of how you can be set free, and experience that freedom from your sin. May God open your eyes to these powerful truths! 

Knowing (Vs. 6-10)

Paul declares, “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” (Rom. 6:6-10).

In verse 6, Paul begins by declaring, “knowing this.” Now, he would not tell us to know this truth unless it was absolutely essential for us to have this insight that he was about to reveal. But, what must you know? He wanted you to know that your, “old man was crucified with Christ.” Just as Christ died on the cross, so you died with Him. Your sin, and all of the old you, died with Him that day. When He died, you died. When He rose, you rose with Him. Just as death has no more dominion over Him, so you are also free from sin and death. Sin and death have no more dominion over Him, or you! Why? Because you have been identified with Christ in His death and resurrection, simply because of your faith in Him.

Many of you do not know this truth, that the old you, or your old man, was crucified with Him. You may know this truth intellectually, but you do not really know it with true spiritual insight. If you truly did grasp this truth, then you would not be struggling and losing the battle with your sin nature. You would be experiencing the freedom that is promised here. Therefore, ask God right now to open your spiritual eyes to understand and know these truths. Paul prayed often for this spiritual understanding for those he ministered to. For the Ephesians he prayed, “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places” (Eph. 1:17-20). Paul also prayed for the Colossian church declaring, “For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy” (Col. 1:9-11). Therefore, will you also pray in agreement with Paul that God would open the eyes of your understanding, so you might be able to grasp this truth within your heart? Ask Him right now!

What does it mean that your old man was crucified with Him?

Next, what does it mean that your old man was crucified with Jesus Christ? The old man is synonymous with your sin nature, or that motivating force within you that desires sinful things. The old man is also synonymous with the flesh that battles with the Spirit who lives within you. You have also been given a new nature, which is referred to as the new man throughout the New Testament (Gal. 5:17; Eph. 4:22-24; Eph. 2:3; 2 Peter 1:4). Thus, when Paul declared that your old man was crucified with Christ, this means that this act of conquering your sinful nature is a past and completed work. In other words, God doesn’t have to do anything more for you to be free from the power of sin that once dominated you. All you must do is believe that this is a finished work, and receive it through prayer. Your sinful nature was done away with or destroyed with Jesus Christ on the cross 2000 years ago! These words done away with in verse 6 means to “render inoperative.” Think of it, your sin nature has been rendered inoperative by the power of God. It’s like you pulling the power plug out of the wall socket for an electric light. You have rendered that light inoperative. How? Because you have removed it from its power source. That is the key! Jesus Christ has pulled the plug on the power source of your old nature, and removed you from its power to control you anymore.

The Lord knows exactly how to deal with the power of sin that seeks to dominate and control you. Jesus did not just die for your sins (plural), which are the fruit of your sinful nature, but He went and destroyed the source that generates those sins in the first place. He nailed your old man to the tree right along with Himself. Your old nature was crucified there with Jesus Christ when He was put to death. He died to sin once, and you died also once and for all. He rose once, and you rose right along with Him, which allows you access to the resurrection power of Jesus.

Why am I still struggling?

Now perhaps you are thinking right now, That sounds great, but why then do I still struggle with my sin nature and what it desires? There are several possible options. Let me explain some of these reasons with you.

• You really don’t know this truth. If you are losing the battle with your sin nature, you must face the fact that you don’t really know what is described in Romans 6:6. You can’t know it. You cannot be convinced of this truth, and still be controlled by the power of sin in your life. It’s impossible. This word knowin verse 6, describes an experientialknowledge concerning this truth. It’s the difference between knowing intellectually that fire is hot and will burn you, and sticking your finger in the fire and knowing this truth by the experience of pain. How can you get this experiential knowledge? Ask the Holy Spirit to convince you and bring revelation to your heart that the Word is true by whatever means He chooses. Remember, Jesus told Peter concerning the knowledge he had gained that, “flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 16:17). This is how it occurs. Your Father in heaven will open your spiritual understanding of this truth to your heart. Ask Him right now to open the eyes of your understanding, so that you might be absolutely convinced that this fact is true.

• You don’t understand the promise.Do you understand that being free from the dominionof sin is different from being free from the presence of sin. You will always sense the presence of sin in your heart and mind, and be tempted with sin, but it is never to have dominion in your life again. Paul made this clear a little later in this chapter when he declared, “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace” (Rom. 6:14). You must be clear on this fact, and understand what God is actually promising in this passage. The word dominion means to rule, or to be a master over you. This is why Paul used the terminology in verse 6, “that we should no longer be slaves of sin.” Before you were a Christian, sin did have control over you, and you were a slave to your sinful desires (Eph. 2:1-3). In addition, you must also be clear that there is no sinless perfection in this life. In fact, the Apostle John said, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). The promise that God is making in Roman’s 6 is that you will be free from your sin nature controlling you ever again. But this does not mean that you will not have to battle the temptations of sin. I will explain this more later in this chapter.

To help you understand this battle a little better, there is a wonderful promise in Hebrews 2:14-15 that gives you a great parallel to help you understand this truth. The apostle declared, “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Heb. 2:14-15). In this text in Hebrews, the writer used the same Greek word destroy that Paul used in Romans 6 to reference the work God did to your old man. Note that Scripture declared that Jesus came and died to destroy [render inoperative] the works and power of Satan. However, Satan is still very active today in his attempt to distract and hinder you in your faith. He still tries to lie, to tempt, and to condemn us. But God’s Word teaches that his power has been rendered inoperative in your life. This doesn’t mean that Satan is gone, and you will never have any temptation from him again. But it does mean that you have been freed from his power and his dominion by the work of Christ. In the same way God doesn’t promise you that you will be free from sin’s presence, likewise, I am not free from Satan’s presence. But you are free from Satan’s dominion and control over your life just as you are free from sin’s dominion and mastery over your life. Do you see the parallel?

• You don’t understand that your old man is dead in Christ. The text declares that, “our old man was crucified with Him”(Rom. 6:6). The work of crucifying your old man occurred with Christ, and only with Christ. Scripture does not teach that God has crucified the old man in you.In fact, the old man is very much alive in you right now, and that’s why you still have to battle with temptation every day. Scripture declares that there are two natures fighting a war inside every believer that is in Christ. These two natures are described several ways in the Bible. As I have already explained, these two natures are called the old man and the new man, or the flesh and the Spirit. Describing this battle Paul declares, “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish” (Gal. 5:17). Does this not describe the battle you experience inside you every day? What most Christians don’t understand is that this battle is normal, and is the proof that they are truly a child of God. However, many believers think that because they fight and sometimes lose this struggle with sin, they are somehow not true Christians. This is not correct thinking! Yet, the most important truth that believers fail to realize in this regard, is that all that Christ has accomplished is in Jesus positionally, and each Christian must appropriate what He has done for them personally by faith through prayer.

Therefore, when Scripture declares that the old man is dead, it is referring to the fact that your sin nature is dead positionally in Christ. Only in Christ is this work accomplished. But you may be wondering, How can I get what I have positionally in Christ, into my life practically so I can experience the benefits of His work? This only occurs as you take the next step taught in this text. You must now reckon yourself to be dead to sin.

Reckoning (Vs. 11)

The second step to finding freedom from the power of sin in your life is found in verse 11. Paul declares, “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 

Paul’s command is to, “Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin.” What does it mean to reckon yourself to be dead to sin? The word reckon is the same word we looked at earlier in Romans 4 which is translated there as impute. This is an accounting word meaning to credit or account something to your ledger or inventory. First, God has stamped and credited my spiritual ledger with His righteousness. Second, now Paul is asking Christians to account what God has done for them to be true. In other words, Paul is saying, “I want you to account or credit as a fact that your old man was crucified with Christ.” You do that by faith, by believing what God has said, and taking your position in Christ, and considering yourself as dead to sin. This word reckon is also in the present tense, which means that you must continually believe and account this truth to be a reality.

If you attempt to account this fact by your feelings, it won’t happen. Why? Because it doesn’t feel like your old nature is dead, especially when you have just been overcome by your anger or lust. Only when you account that God’s Word is true by faith, will you then experience the reality of this fact. You must actually believe in spite of your feelings. When the power of sin rages inside you with the fire of lust or pride, or when the feelings of resentment dominate you, your feelings rule at that moment. But this is when you must obey the Word in spite of your feelings. You must believe the facts instead of your feelings. You have to believe and reckon what God’s Word declares, that your sin nature has no right to master you any longer. If you believe your feelings, your feelings will tell you that you are still mastered by sin. 

Paul explains these same truths when he exhorted the Colossian church to put to death their old ways. He told them, “For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God… Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds” (Col. 3:3-9). The concept taught here of putting off these works of the flesh and their evil desires, is exactly what it means to reckon yourselves dead to sin. Therefore, be assured, as Paul taught, you died with Christ and your old sinful nature has been rendered inoperative. Put off your evil desires and sinful behaviors and reckon them to be dead with Christ. You must also reckon that you are now alive in Christ. Don’t let the flesh reign in you anymore! Instead, ask for His resurrection power to reign inside you.

Resisting (Vs. 12)

Resisting is making a choice to not allow the flesh to reign inside you. Paul taught, “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts” (Rom. 6:12). Therefore, to believe and reckon as true the fact that you are dead to sin, is simply a choice that you make to not obey your sinful desires, or to allow them to dominate you anymore. It all comes down to a choice. You are free to choose! If you resist your sinful desires then you will reckon yourself dead to sin and alive to God. Making these choices is where your real freedom begins. You must recognize this fundamental choice! You will either choose to obey the lusts of your flesh, or you will obey God and reckon yourself to be dead to sin. However, this is more than will power and a choice that enables you to resist. Your resisting entails your surrender to God, and to the power of the Holy Spirit.

Presenting yourselves to God (Vs. 13) 

The last step to finding the freedom that Christ has given you entails presenting yourself to God, and surrendering to the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul declared, “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” (Rom. 6:13). This word present means to yield or give yourself over to, and it’s also in the present tense, which means you are to stop yielding yourself to sin, and keep on yielding yourself to God. Presenting yourself is simply surrendering yourself, that’s all. Just present yourself and yield yourself to Him, instead of yielding to sin. This is the final choice you make to resist your sin nature. You must do this every day!

It is essential to note that three times you are encouraged to make a choice in these verses. He encourages you to, not let sin reign in your body, not to obey your lusts, and not to present or yield your members to sin. This fact reveals that your choice is very important. In addition, all three of these exhortations are in the present tense, which also tells you that your choice must be a continuous decision every day of your life. Let not, obey not, present not – these decisions are your choice. If you want to make these choices, then your response should be to simply present yourself to God. In other words, yield to Him instead of yielding to sin.

Here is where your freedom becomes complete. As you yield to God, the Holy Spirit sets you free from the power of sin and transforms your life. Paul explained how this all takes place in Galatians 5:16. He declared, “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” If you choose to surrender and present yourself to God, the Holy Spirit will naturally fill you and keep you from being controlled by your flesh. This is how you stop allowing sin to reign in your mortal body and obey His Word. You can only obey this truth by the Spirit’s power. Notice how Peter taught the same thing when he wrote to believers that, “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart” (1 Peter 1:22). Remember, you can only obey the truth through the power of the Spirit. He gives you the power to obey, and His power is what puts to death the deeds and desires of your flesh. In Romans 8:13, Paul also explained this same truth when he wrote, “If you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” If you want the life of Christ that will set you free from sin, and His power to do this work within you, these steps are the only way you can experience it.

Paul’s conclusion (vs. 14)

Verse 14 is Paul’s simple conclusion to this matter. He declared, “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace” (Rom. 6:14). This verse reveals another very important truth in your victory over your sin nature. Why can sin not have dominion over your life? The answer is very simple. You are living under the grace of God, and not under a law or self-effort principle with Him.

What’s the difference between being under grace versus a law principle? It is the difference between depending on God to enable you by His grace and power, as opposed to depending on yourself and your own self-effort to live the Christian life. It is the difference between His power in your life, versus your power. Remember, Paul has already explained that grace is bestowed only as you in faith surrender and trust His promise (Rom. 4:16). Instead of struggling in your own strength to be good enough, you allow His grace and power to transform your desires from within. Which principle would you rather have at work in your life?

Not understanding this difference between grace and law is one of the fundamental reasons why so many Christians continue to lose the battle with their sin nature. They have simply not sought the grace and power of God to set them free. Did you know that the Bible teaches that the harder you try in your own strength to fight your sin nature, the stronger the power of sin becomes? Paul taught, “The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law” (1 Cor. 15:56). The more you labor to defeat sin from a law principle of self-effort, the stronger sin becomes. There is only one person stronger than your sin nature, and that one is the Holy Spirit. He will empower you by the grace that is sufficient for all your weaknesses (2 Cor. 12:9). If you will simply humble yourself and ask God for His grace, He will give it to you (James 4:6). You have not, because you don’t ask (James 4:2).

So, the answer to Paul’s original question, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” has been answered (Rom. 6:1). Grace is precisely what enables a person not to continue in sin. Grace also doesn’t give a person a license to sin. This would be a total perversion and misunderstanding of grace, and the truth of God’s Word (Jude 4).

Three good reasons not to continue in sin (Vs. 15-23)

Paul concludes this topic by giving us three good reasons why we should not continue to willfully practice sin. Paul continues, “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” (Rom. 6:15-23). What are the reasons he gives here?

If you continue in sin, you are a slave of sin (Vs. 16-18)

The first reason you should not continue willfully practicing sin is that if you yield to sin you become a slave of sin. In other words, you are really not free. Jesus told the Pharisees, “Whoever commits sin is a slave of sin” (John 8:34). The word commits in this verse is in the present tense, which means that John is referring to a willful and continual practice of sin. If a professing Christian lives in this manner, they are in reality still a slave of sin. If you speak to someone who is continuing to practice immorality and they don’t think they are a slave of sin, just ask them to stop doing whatever sin they are involved in. Tell them to just stop using drugs or alcohol, stop committing immorality, or stop getting angry. They will realize very quickly that they won’t be able to do it. No one can quit practicing sinful behavior except by the power of God. Many times, people simply don’t realize that they are a slave of sin. 

In addition, neither do Christians realize that when they yield to sin, they lose their freedom and become a slave to the very thing that God has set them free from. God has set you free, if you will receive it. If you are not experiencing this freedom in any area of your life, let me encourage you, yield to Him. Become slaves of Jesus Christ, and you will truly be free, because whom the Son sets free is free indeed (John 8:36)! This freedom came as you chose to believe and obey Christ in the beginning, and it can be yours again, if you will simply choose to trust and obey Him. Notice what Paul declared in verses 17-18. He said that when you, “obeyed from the heart” you were set free from sin. Obedience is not a feeling; it’s a decision of the heart. Choose to obey from the heart and you will be free again.

If you continue in sin, your servitude will become progressively worse (Vs. 19-20)

The second reason you should not continue to practice sin is sin’s power is always progressive. He explained, “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” (Rom. 6:19-20). Note that Paul declared that sinful actions only lead to more sin and lawlessness, because sin is progressive and possessive by nature. Sin will always want to take captive more of you and your life. Remember, the sinful desires of your heart are never satisfied with what they have experienced. Sin always wants more. When you begin to yield, this will only lead you to yield more. Perhaps you think, Oh, I can stop here. I won’t compromise anywhere else. You are just deceiving yourself. You are underestimating sin’s power over you.

In Isaiah 9:18, the prophet declared that sin and wickedness are like a raging fire that consumes everything in its path. Sin is revealed in this passage to be progressive, consuming all that it touches. What happens when you light a piece of paper on fire? Doesn’t it progressively burn more and more of the paper until the fire consumes it all? This image that Isaiah gave was to be a word picture to instruct us. Paul also affirms the same truth in Ephesians 4:22. Why does he command us to put off the old man? Because he tells us that, “The old man…grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts.” The word grows in this verse is in the present tense, which means that once you allow a little corruption into your heart, your sinful nature will want to captivate more, and take that sin to the next level. In other words, if left unchecked, your sinful nature will cause you to continually grow more and more corrupt. This is a very good reason to put off the old man and surrender to Jesus. Wherever you are losing the battle with your deceitful lusts, why not put them off right now and be free?

If you continue in sin, the end result will be death (Vs. 21-23)

The third reason we should not continue in sinful behavior is that the fruit of this kind of behavior will always lead you to death. Paul asked his readers to consider the death they experienced before they came to faith in Christ, when they gave themselves over to the practice of unrighteousness. He wrote, “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” (Rom. 6:21-23). Paul wanted his readers to first remember the death they experienced inside before they were saved, but he also wanted them to remember the life and the fruit to holiness they experienced after coming to Christ. Remembering both of these experiences is very profitable to keeping you walking on the straight and narrow path in life.

What kind of death was Paul referring to in this passage? He cannot be speaking of physical death, because they were still alive and living in this world. The death Paul was referring to was the spiritual emptiness and frustration that results from a person living separate from God, who is life. Paul explained this concept in his letter to Timothy when he referred to some of the women in Ephesus who were living in immorality. He declared, “She who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives” (1 Tim. 5:6). Spiritual death and emptiness are always the result of sin! This is why Paul said “the wages of sin is death.” You can be living and breathing, but be oh so dead inside. Don’t you remember what it was like before you came to faith in Christ? The same is true for any professed believer that is playing around with sinful behavior and living independent from God. I’m sure you don’t want to experience death anymore, and if you continue living in sin apart from God you will experience the second death.

The glorious thing is that when you yield to God you experience another fruit, that Paul described as holiness. The word holiness means one who is set apart to be purified and consecrated to God. This is how you become more like Jesus. The words you have your fruit to holiness are in the present tense in the original language. This means that when you surrender to be the slave of God, the Lord is going to be at work bringing about that work of purity and transformation in your life. Isn’t this what you really want? Jesus said that, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). The verb in this verse, that they may have, is also in the present tense. Jesus wants to continually give you His life within your soul. The enemy of your soul wants you to experience death and destruction. Who will you yield to? Remember also that when this life is over you get to experience everlasting life. It’s all a gift of God. You have the blessings of life now, and that which is to come (1 Tim. 4:8). What a blessed gift of God. 

So, which do you want, the wages of sin, or the gift of God? Sin’s wages are terrible! You don’t want these wages, or the fruit of death inside your soul. The important thing is that the fruit of His life inside you will produce holiness, and the lasting change you desire in your life. You get to become more and more like Him. That’s what holiness is all about. I pray that right now the Holy Spirit will reveal these truths to your heart, and keep you from any of the errors Paul has addressed in this chapter. In Christ, you’re free, whether you feel like it or not. Will you apply these truths to your life and enjoy the freedom Christ has made possible for you? Choose to yield to Him today!