Gospel Light Christian Church Thru-The-Bible Series (8.5)

The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 6:11-23 - Read this Bible passage once through before referring to the notes below.

Introduction:

Up to this point, we have learnt about a Christian’s legal standing (justified) before the Judge (God). Justification is obtained in one step (by faith). In this passage we learn how a justified man becomes sanctified, ie, how a man who is a Christian legally-speaking becomes a Christian practically-speaking through the process of sanctification.  Sanctification is achieved gradually throughout the life of a Christian, and is never completed in this life. It is finally perfected in heaven.

Believers are Dead to Sin, Alive to God (Part 2)

v.11 Since we are in Christ’s family, we must consciously realise (ie, reckon) that we are no more Adam's child but Christ's child. This conscious realisation will help us to behave accordingly. In fact, this conscious realisation is one of the most important means used to sanctify us. A child who realises that he is a prince will behave more like a prince, than one who does not realise that he is a prince.

Therefore, we are commanded to reckon (ie. consider) ourselves alive unto God. Every morning when we wake up, let us be reminded that we are God’s child – and that we must remember, by God’s grace, to behave accordingly.

v.12 Before Adam sinned in the Garden, he had control of his God-given natural appetites and activities (eg. sex, eating, imaginations, emotions, speech, etc.). All of these desires were made subservient to Adam's higher (spiritual) purpose - which was to glorify God. But after his fall, Adam's higher (spiritual) faculties were largely destroyed, so that instead of the higher faculties ruling over the lower, the opposite occurred. Lusts are simply God-given desires gone out of control.  However, because of the strength we have from the indwelling Holy Spirit, sin need not reign in our mortal body, that we should obey it in the lusts thereof.

v.13 As Christians, we desire to yield (ie, present, offer – which signifies an attitude to be taken in recognition of the facts) ourselves unto God (because of our new heart) but often we offer our members (ie, parts of our body, eg. imagination, eyes, tongue) to commit sin because of weakness (not purposely). In other words, deep in a Christian’s heart, there is the desire to do right, but he loses control of the members of his body whenever he attempts to overcome sin in his own strength.  If a "Christian" habitually desires to sin in his heart, he is not a real Christian!

We are commanded not to yield our members as instruments of unrighteousness. Though sanctification is primarily God's work in our lives, God works by commanding us and giving us the grace and strength to obey (COL 1:29, PHI 2:12,13, EPH 4:22-32).  Sanctification involves determination and effort on the part of the Christian to make our yielding to God a habit of life.  Many Christians say “God will change me” and then sit back, and while “waiting” for sanctification, continually allow their sinful habits free reign. Some even excuses their sinful activities by claiming that since sanctification is process, it is all right to have some sins in the process!  Others, such as Charismatics, want a shortcut and they ask for a “sanctifying experience,” eg. they seek a so-called “baptism of the Holy Spirit” (often evidenced by speaking in tongues) that offers a suggestion of instantaneous spiritual growth, while the sinful habits of life remains unchanged.

v.14 As Christians, sin shall not have dominion over us because the grace of God is the supernatural enabling of the indwelling Holy Spirit to overcome sin. An unsaved man does not have the desire or strength to overcome sin, so he "camouflages" his sin rather than seek to conquer them.  But for the saved believer, the truth of this verse means that the Christian has no reason or excuse to sin.  Every time a Christian sins, it is because he chose to do so.

v.15 When men hear that they are "not under the law" the spirit of antinomianism naturally arises.  Paul openly and emphatically condemns such a spirit.

v.16 If a man offers himself to serve another, it is obvious that his loyalty is to that person. There are only two possible choices to any Christian – he is either a slave of sin or a slave of righteousness.  Whenever a Christian presents himself to a sinful activity, he is in effect subjecting himself to sin as his master again.  But whenever a Christian presents himself to God for righteousness, he is submitting to Christ as his lawful Master to obey Him.

If a "Christian" still habitually desires to yield himself to sin, then it is obvious that his loyalties are not to God but to Satan.  In other words, he is still a servant (ie, slave) of sin. Therefore, if one who claims to be a Christian does not desire to do right, then his salvation is questionable. A Christian may not always do right but deep in his heart he wants to do right. A non-Christian is more concerned about not getting caught rather than doing right.

v.l7  We praise God that we who were once under the control of sin have been freed from that slavery to sin after we “obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine” (ie, we trusted Christ as our Savior, when the Gospel was declared to us”).

v.18  The picture is that of a Redeemer who came to the marketplace and purchased us from our former master – sin.  The message is that we are not freed from sin as master to serve ourselves (cf. 2CO 5:15), neither were we freed from sin to serve sin again (cf. ROM. 6:14-15).  We are freed from sin to serve our new Master – Christ, ie. we are now slaves of righteousness.

v.19 In this verse, Paul uses familiar human terms to make it understandable to us who are spiritually dull (ie, infirmity of the flesh).  Just as we have offered our members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity, we are now commanded to offer our members to righteousness which leads to holiness. It is our responsibility, with God’s help, to keep our members from sinning (eg. we should not look at pornography). In the process of sanctification, we have an important part to play.

v.20 When we were Adam’s sons, we were expected to behave like him (ie, we were free from righteousness).

v.21 The reward of that lifestyle of sin is spiritual death (ie, separation from God).

v.22 We must constantly be reminded that we are now God’s child, enslaved to Him for righteousness – so that we will remember to behave accordingly.

v.23 The life of sin that we used to live as Adam’s child would cause us to be separated from God eternally (ie, death) but the gift of God, Jesus Christ our Saviour, gives us eternal life with God.

Summary

1. Our main responsibility in the process of sanctification (ie, of becoming Christ-like) is to rest in our union with Christ, ie. we are in Christ’s family. We should therefore bear His characteristics. We should not behave like unsaved people because we are no more a part of Adam’s family.

2.  Next, we must not present our members to partake in sin. In other words, we should make it our habit to flee from temptations and seek the right.

3.  Without Christ, we cannot do this but with His grace we can.