Romans 6

Romans 6:1:
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?

Paul begins this chapter by posing a question about the implications of the statements that ended chapter 5. There, he wrote that where sin increased, God's grace "super-increased." That is, as sin increased, so did God's grace abound to cover the sin of all those who trusted in Christ's death to cover their sin. We literally cannot out-sin the grace of God. [SOURCE: Bible Ref]

Because of Christ's substitutionary death.. our old life is dead to sin and our new life is alive to Him. We are no longer 'positioned' in Satan but 'positioned' in Christ. We have been given a secure, permanent and eternal position, which is a free gift of God's super-abounding grace to all who trust in Christ as Saviour.

The question in Romans 6:1 was not imaginary, and not just in the first century. For instance, the infamous Russian monk Rasputin rationalized his immoral acts by saying God’s grace needed something to forgive. So if God forgives, then why should God or I care how I live? What makes it better to choose a life free from “sin’s” domination (i.e. attitudes and actions that hinder your relationship with God, others, even yourself) over a life of slavery to sin?

Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.”
By the grace of God we have been given salvation. Grace is a subject that could be discussed for days. I like to say that grace is “God’s riches at Christ expense.” This gift may be free to us, but it cost Jesus His life. We need to be careful however, because grace does not give us a license to continue to sin willfully. Romans 6:1 addresses this. “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” Paul answers his own question in the next verse. “God forbid” or may it never be. That is pretty strong language. We have no right to keep on sinning, hoping that God will keep on forgiving us. -Brent Wright

Romans 6:3:
Know ye not. that so many of us were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death?

Baptism is a gospel ordinance commemorating the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. In baptism public testimony is given to the effect that the one baptized has been crucified with Christ, buried with Him, and is raised with Him to walk in newness of life.

Romans 6:4:
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.

The day after Easter, the newspaper headline read: "Entire World Celebrates the Risen Christ." On the same page under smaller headings ran stories about war and death, racial clashes, and an ultimatum issued to the United States by a hostile nation. How contradictory. The headline declares that the entire world celebrates the risen Christ, but the balance of the page tells of people disregarding the blessing and grace Christ provided by His resurrection. Apparently the millions of people around the world who flock to churches on Easter don't all live as if they believe in the historical resurrection nor recognize its true spiritual significance.

Even Christians can err in this way. Sometimes we simply go through the motions of expressing our faith without acknowledging our identification with Christ. In Romans 6, Paul said that we have been crucified with Christ and have died to sin. But we have also been raised with Christ so we can "walk in newness of life." That's why the apostle said, "If then you were raised with Christ Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth" (Col. 3:1-2).
Having been crucified with Christ, we are now privileged to live for Him. As we do, we show our gratitude for being "risen with Christ."

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

The likeness to Christ consists chiefly in two things--the likeness of His death and resurrection. The death of Christ was the consummation of His humility and obedience, the entire giving up of His life to God. In Him we are dead to sin. As we sink down in humility and dependence and entire surrender to God, the power of His death works in us, and we are made comfortable in His death. -Andrew Murray

Romans 6:6-14:
6 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.
7 For he who has died has been freed from sin.
8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,
9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.
10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.
13 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.

Romans 6:14:
For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace

God’s kingdom is about; righteousness. Right standing with God is imputed into the life of those who trust in Christ. Then the Jesus follower is empowered to live for righteousness. 1 Peter 2:24 says; “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness…”
Because Jesus bore our sins, sin no longer has mastery over those who walk in the power of the Holy Spirit because they’re under grace not law (Romans 6:14).

The transformed life is rooted in righteousness. Christ died to give us grace to live a righteous and holy life. It is not a cheap grace that makes people to live a defeated and sinful life. It is the transforming grace that gives you power to live above sin. It is the grace that purifies us within, makes us live a life that God Himself Has ordained. Christ did not die on the Cross of Calvary, went through all manner of torture on the cross, for us to live a sinful and shameful life. Jesus died to give us power to live above sin and also, that sin will not have dominion over us (Romans 6:14).
There is an ongoing battle for our bodies. Although, Jesus Christ has defeated the old slave master, sin, yet it continues to raise its head, attacking Christians. It tries to take hold of us, but we are not supposed to let it have power over us. Sin will have dominion over your life as much as you allow it, so, you must war against it — not let it reign over your mortal body. Paul says fight against sin and do not let it rule over your body (Romans 6:12). You cannot say you are ready for the rapture if you live in sin. The transformed life cannot allow sin to control his/her body or allow any part of his body to be tool of unrighteousness. -Ejikeme Ejim

Romans 6:15-19:
What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!
16 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?
17 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.
18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
19 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.

In humility, we remember that all Christians were once slaves of sin. Look at verse 17, “thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart.” Verse 18, “we have been set free.” This obviously means everyone, before the new birth, is a slave of sin. Everyone presents the members of their bodies as obedient slaves to the desires of the flesh. Verse 19 reminds us that we all once presented our members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness.” And why did we present our members as slaves to sin? We did it because it felt good, at least it felt good for a little while.
Look over at Ephesians 4:17-19. These verses help us identify impurity, “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.”
Giving oneself up to sensuality is the same as presenting oneself as an obedient slave of sensuality. We simply want to feel good and so we try any and every slave master which offers a way to joy. Do this and you’ll be happy. Quit that and you’ll be happy. Buy this, win this, ditch this, and earn this and you’ll be happy. Desperately we present our members as obedient slaves of impurity and lawlessness which produces only more lawlessness as we try to be happy.
The old adage is true: Sin always takes you further than you wanted to go and costs you more than you wanted to pay. Right now, in a sane moment when you are not at work trying to prove your worth or drown your sorrows, discern the end of your way of life. The end of these things is death (6:21). The wage you are earning is death (6:23). Polished in our Sunday best, we are still addicts willing to sacrifice everything but gaining only death. Be sober minded. --Paul Duncan

Romans 6:20-22:
For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.
21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.
22 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.

In ancient Rome, slavery could pay wages. That is, slaves could earn a little money, either on the side or from their master. And if they were lucky, they might eventually buy their freedom. On the other hand, it was also possible for their master to give them the gift of freedom. Wages and gifts are two different economies, both in the world and in sanctification. -Shawn Lazar

Paul uses the Greek word translated “fruit” as a metaphor for converts to Christ (e.g., Romans 1:13; Colossians 1:6) and for the expressions of a godly life (e.g., Romans 6:22, 7:4; Ephesians 5:9; Philippians 1:11; Colossians 1:10). John the Baptist also admonished his hearers to bear “good fruit” and Jesus himself taught the importance of producing “good fruit.” We could say, then, that the presence of the Spirit’s “fruit” is a telltale sign of a Christian. -William EW Robinson

Romans 6

romans 6:23