Romans 6:1-3
Paul must have faced an enormous amount of opposition to his message of grace, for Romans 6:1 chronicles one of three moments in the book of Romans that Paul defends his gospel from those who feel that he has taken grace to an extreme. Look at the three moments, and notice that Paul defends both his ministry and the power of God’s grace:
“And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) ‘Let us do evil, that good may come?’ Whose damnation is just” (Romans 3:8). – It had been erroneously spread about that Paul was encouraging Christians to sin so that grace would come in. He must have been preaching a lot of grace!
“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?” (Romans 6:1) – Answering to his message of abundant grace only two verses prior (5:20), Paul knows that people might take his message of abundant grace and think that sin will naturally follow. “How can it?” he asks. We are dead to sin, so continuing to practice sin is not even an option.
“What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.” (Romans 6:15). Why bring this issue up again if it is not being said of the Apostle Paul? He was obviously facing a day-to-day battle with those who were against his radical stand on God’s grace. In this instance, he shoots down the idea that since we are not under law, we should just go ahead and sin. Perhaps this is what the Jewish world that clung to works and law was accusing Paul of the most.
The reason that a constant defense of God’s grace was needed in Paul’s day, and is still needed today is that the enemy knows the mighty power of God’s redemptive grace. He does not care whether or not the believer fails or falls into sin, for even Satan knows the power of God’s love and favor. Instead, he wants you to believe that God is angry with you or is somehow displeased. If Satan can keep the believer working to achieve goodness and grace then they will always be bound by their flawed performance instead of freed by Jesus’ perfect performance.
How can you and I continue to walk in a sinful lifestyle once we come into a revelation of God’s amazing grace? The answer is, “We can’t!” Paul said in verse 2, “God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” Through the resurrected power of Christ in us, we are dead to the drawing power of sin. Our change has come about not by our dedication or our works, but by His finished work. In other words, our transformation from darkness to light has been an effortless one.
Your knowledge of this awesome transformation is the key to your walking in victory successfully. Paul asks, “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death?” (Romans 6:3). When you came to Christ, you did not join an organization that tries to live like Jesus; instead, you were placed into the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross, thus you receive all of the benefits that the cross paid for.
Once grace is elevated to the wonderful standard that Paul preached, it will become obvious that sin is the LAST thing that believers want to be involved in. Grace never condones failure, but it removes the guilt from failure, and it provides the means by which that failure can be avoided.
Paul must have faced an enormous amount of opposition to his message of grace, for Romans 6:1 chronicles one of three moments in the book of Romans that Paul defends his gospel from those who feel that he has taken grace to an extreme. Look at the three moments, and notice that Paul defends both his ministry and the power of God’s grace:
“And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) ‘Let us do evil, that good may come?’ Whose damnation is just” (Romans 3:8). – It had been erroneously spread about that Paul was encouraging Christians to sin so that grace would come in. He must have been preaching a lot of grace!
“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?” (Romans 6:1) – Answering to his message of abundant grace only two verses prior (5:20), Paul knows that people might take his message of abundant grace and think that sin will naturally follow. “How can it?” he asks. We are dead to sin, so continuing to practice sin is not even an option.
“What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.” (Romans 6:15). Why bring this issue up again if it is not being said of the Apostle Paul? He was obviously facing a day-to-day battle with those who were against his radical stand on God’s grace. In this instance, he shoots down the idea that since we are not under law, we should just go ahead and sin. Perhaps this is what the Jewish world that clung to works and law was accusing Paul of the most.
The reason that a constant defense of God’s grace was needed in Paul’s day, and is still needed today is that the enemy knows the mighty power of God’s redemptive grace. He does not care whether or not the believer fails or falls into sin, for even Satan knows the power of God’s love and favor. Instead, he wants you to believe that God is angry with you or is somehow displeased. If Satan can keep the believer working to achieve goodness and grace then they will always be bound by their flawed performance instead of freed by Jesus’ perfect performance.
How can you and I continue to walk in a sinful lifestyle once we come into a revelation of God’s amazing grace? The answer is, “We can’t!” Paul said in verse 2, “God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” Through the resurrected power of Christ in us, we are dead to the drawing power of sin. Our change has come about not by our dedication or our works, but by His finished work. In other words, our transformation from darkness to light has been an effortless one.
Your knowledge of this awesome transformation is the key to your walking in victory successfully. Paul asks, “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death?” (Romans 6:3). When you came to Christ, you did not join an organization that tries to live like Jesus; instead, you were placed into the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross, thus you receive all of the benefits that the cross paid for.
Once grace is elevated to the wonderful standard that Paul preached, it will become obvious that sin is the LAST thing that believers want to be involved in. Grace never condones failure, but it removes the guilt from failure, and it provides the means by which that failure can be avoided.
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