ROMANS: FROM CHAINS TO CHANGE

Pastor Jonathan Falwell 

Romans 6:1-23 NKJV 

1. God’s grace frees us, but it should also change us

Romans 6:1–4 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4Therefore 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.

• Paul begins this section (chapter) of his letter with an important rhetorical question
• To continue in sin after the receipt of God’s grace is nothing short of abuse of His grace
• Through salvation, we have been freed but it should command change
• This chapter has a focus on SANCTIFICATION

1. Our former self is dead

vss 5–11 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6knowing 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. 7For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

• In our salvation, we have experienced the symbolism of “dying to self (sin), while rising to new life”
• 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Romans 6:7 (NLT) For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.

• We are no longer bound by sin, so we are no longer bound by the results of sin: death!
• Thus, our lives should reflect new life, both here and for eternity

Charles Spurgeon said, “If you will not have death unto sin, you shall have sin unto death. There is no alternative. If you do not die to sin, you shall die for sin. If you do not slay sin, sin will slay you.”[1]

1. Armed and dangerous

Vss 12-14 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13And 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. 14For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

• New life requires new actions; sin should be the exception not the rule
• “instruments” (Gk – hoplon) which means weapons
• Through God’s grace, we no longer live under the old way of living

1. You belong to something

Vss 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 morelawlessness, so now present your members as slaves ofrighteousness for holiness.

John Stott said, “Sin shall not be our master, because our position has radically changed from being ‘under law’ to being ‘under grace’. Grace does not encourage sin; it outlaws it.”[2]

Romans 6:16 (NLT) Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.

• Again, Paul uses the rhetorical question to emphasize his point
• We belong to whatever controls us; sin or righteousness
• Holiness should be our aim

1. To live or die

Vss 20-23 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. 23 For the wages of sin isdeath, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:20 (NLT) When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right.

• There was no value in our former way of living
• We have chosen to “die with Him and to rise again in newness of life”
• Charles Spurgeon said, “The life of Christ is in you by reason of His death. For you the Holy Spirit has so worked in you that the life of God is within you, and you can never die! Because Christ lives, you must also live.”[3] 

[1] Charles Haddon Spurgeon, 2,200 Quotations: From the Writings of Charles H. Spurgeon, Baker Publishing Group, quote 2045, (1995).

[2] John R. W. Stott, The Message of Romans: God’s Good News for the World, The Bible Speaks Today (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2001), 169.

[3] Charles Spurgeon, Through the Eyes of C.H. Spurgeon, Knowing And Doing, Volume 54, Sermon #3092, published by Lucid Books (2012).