Romans 6:1-14

The last section of Romans left off with "where sin abounded, grace did much more abound." Paul starts this section with an argumentative question: "Shall we continue to sin, that grace may abound?" Because we know that grace is magnified when it encounters sin, should we try to amp the process by adding more sins to be taken care of by grace? Paul's answer was, "God forbid." Heavens NO! We should not indulge in sin so that we can say that we live under grace and grace is so amazing to take care of the mound of sin upon which we continue to add more sins. We are free under grace, but that does not give us freedom to sin. It gives us freedom to serve God.
     If you've been reading my blog, you know that I like to pick out key words that repeat in a section. In this section, the concepts of death and of life are conspicuous. Paul ended the last section teaching that by sin, death (separation from God) entered the world. Here, he has a little different spin, so hold on. The reason that we are not freed by grace to sin as much as we want is that we are dead to sin. We are separated from it, and it no longer has a hold on us. As Christians, Christ saved us from the penalty of sin at conversion, but He continually saves us from the power of sin through sanctification. Baptism is a wonderful picture, used here by the writer, to show what happens to the new believer at the point of justification. When the one being baptized stands in water, he makes a cross with his body and the water. He is them immersed in the water to symbolize Christ's burial. Thank goodness the preacher does not leave him under the water, but he is then raised to mimic Christ's resurrection. Paul says, "You partook of Christ's death when you claimed Him as Savior. He died to sin ONCE. Once is all it takes. You also took fellowship in His burial, which was a public sign of His death. Because He didn't stay dead, neither should you! You are raised to walk in a newness of life!"
     Life is the other key word in this passage. In verse 5, Paul uses the word planted to represent the dying process. When we take on the seed of righteousness who is Christ, we are made dead to sin and are planted in Him. Plants don't stay in the ground, but they grow. As Christians, we are commissioned to come up out of the ground and grow. We cannot continue to go back to the old ways of death. We must walk forward and let Christ continue the process of renewal. Sin and death do not have power over the Messiah. Because we take on Him in our conversion, we also are not under the power of sin. You are under grace to live! So be FREE to live for God.
     Are your 'members' yielded as instruments of righteousness or unrighteousness? Are you choosing to walk in grace and life? Or are you choosing to walk under the power of sin and the law?

Romans 5:12-21

      There are two choices laid before every man: death or life. Paul begins discussing the origin of those consequences of decision. By one man, Adam, sin entered the world and death by sin. When Adam was in the garden, everything was perfect. He walked every day in sweet fellowship with God, had a duty to perform, and was able to enjoy the full blessings of the Lord without any hardship. God, to protect Adam, had one stipulation to this life. Adam was to avoid eating the fruit of one tree. Because Adam did not heed the instruction of the Lord, he was separated from the Lord. That very day, death set into his body and into the earth. Adam no longer had eternal life and fellowship with God. The earth was no longer easier to till. The cycle of death had come to this perfect planet as punishment of the sin of one man. Adam passed down this sin to all of his son and daughters. They passed down sin to their sons and daughters. And now we are in the 21st century. Sin has been passed to us, too. The consequences of this sin is death.
     Death means "separation." When our bodies die, they are separated from the ones that are still living. The day Adam ate the fruit, and the day we commit our first sin, we are separated from a holy God. If you remember from earlier blogs, God's JUST nature will not allow Him to tolerate sin; He has to punish it. Because sin reigns and has control of our bodies, we are subject to mortality and condemnation. We will one day physically die and because of sin spiritually die. If Adam were to continue to hide in the bushes with the fig leaves, he would have suffered both deaths. BUT GOD has mercy. He is willing to hold back His wrath, which we deserve. He has abundant grace! He longs to give us the things that we do not deserve. He made a way for Adam, and for all mankind, to come back to Him and have sweet fellowship once again.
     For if by one man's sin death entered into the world, what do you think would happen by one man's complete righteousness? There was a "second Adam." Jesus came as 100% man and lived a perfectly sinless life. He did this so He could extend God's righteousness and life to others in exchange for death. He took the death and the punishment so that we can take the gift of life freely from Him. Now, that is exciting! In the garden, Adam was told to make a sacrifice. The way that he was able to reunite with God in fellowship was that he had faith looking forward unto the sacrifice that Christ would make. Adam killed the lamb and made himself a covering with that lamb. Because Christ has already made the perfect sacrifice, we no longer have to use animals to make coverings for our sins. We have a sacrifice who will wipe away our sins. He covers us with His own righteousness and makes us perfect, as though we had never sinned. Then He gives us the gift of eternal life with Him.

     Where sin abounds, grace abounds so much more! There is no sin that you could ever commit that would keep you from being able to receive the gift of God. Do you have His life? Or are you a walking dead man?