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Romans Chapter Six

 
Chapter Six general Review
 
OBJECTIVES IN STUDYING THIS CHAPTER
 
1) To understand what takes place in baptism
 
2) To appreciate the freedom from sin which we may now enjoy in Christ
 
SUMMARY
 
In chapter five, Paul made the statement "where sin abounded, grace 
abounded much more" (5:20). Aware that some readers might misconstrue
what he said, Paul quickly points out that grace is no excuse to sin
since through grace they have died to sin (1-2). To emphasize this, he
reminds them of their baptism into Christ, in which they experienced a
burial into the death of Christ and rose to walk in newness of life,
having died to sin (3-7). Dead to sin, they are now free to live as
instruments of righteousness for God (8-14).
 
Another reason not to continue in sin is explained in terms of 
servitude. We become slaves to that which we obey, either sin or God 
(15-16). But Paul is grateful that the Romans had begun to obey God 
and were free to become His servants (17-18). How important it is that 
they continue to do so is to be seen in the outcome of serving sin 
contrasted to serving God. Serving sin earns death, but in serving God 
one receives the gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus (19-23)!
 
OUTLINE
 
I. WE ARE DEAD TO SIN! (1-14)
 
 A. THROUGH BAPTISM WE DIED TO SIN (1-7)
 1. Shall we sin, that grace may abound? No, we died to sin! (1-2)
 2. In baptism we were buried into Christ's death (3-4a)
 3. We should walk in newness of life, having been united together
 in the likeness of His death, crucified with Him, no longer
 slaves of sin, but freed from sin (4b-7)
 
 B. DEAD TO SIN, ALIVE TO GOD (8-14)
 1. Having died with Christ, we may live with Him over Whom death
 has no dominion (8-10)
 2. Alive to God, we should not let sin reign in our bodies
 (11-12)
 3. But rather present our bodies as instruments of righteousness,
 for we are under grace (13-14)
 
II. WE SHOULD BE SLAVES TO GOD! (15-23)
 
 A. WE BECOME SLAVES TO WHOM WE OBEY (15-18)
 1. Either of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness
 (15-16)
 2. Through obedience to God's Word, those who were slaves of sin
 become slaves of righteousness (17-18)
 
 B. THE MOTIVATION FOR SERVING GOD (19-23)
 1. Serving righteousness produces holiness (19)
 2. Serving sin produces death (20-21)
 3. Serving God produces the fruit of holiness, and in the end,
 eternal life (22)
 4. The wages of sin is death, but God gives the gift of eternal
 life in Christ Jesus our Lord (23)
 
WORDS TO PONDER
 
baptism - from the Greek word "baptizo" meaning to "immerse", it most
 commonly in the New Testament refers to the burial in water
 in the name of Jesus for the remission of our sins
 
sanctification - the process of "sanctifying" or "setting apart for a
 devoted purpose"; in the New Testament it begins with
 baptism and continues on as we grow in Christ
 
REVIEW QUESTIONS FOR THE CHAPTER
 
1) List the main points of this chapter
 - We Are Dead To Sin! (1-14)
 - We Should Be Slaves To God! (15-23)
 
2) Why are Christians not to continue in sin? (2)
 - Because we died to sin
 
3) What happens when one is baptized into Christ? (3-7)
 - They are baptized into His death, being buried with Him and united
 with Him in the likeness of His death, where the old man is
 crucified with Him and the body of sin is done away, making it
 possible to be freed from sin and to rise to walk in newness of
 life
 
4) How should we present the members of our bodies? (13)
 - As instruments of righteousness to God
 
5) Why does sin no longer have dominion over the Christian? (14)
 - Because the Christian is not "under law", but "under grace"
 
6) What was necessary to become free from sin? (17-18)
 - To obey the doctrine of God from the heart
 
7) What is the result of presenting your members as slaves to right-
 eousness? (19)
 - Holiness, or sanctification
 
8) What three steps are described that eventually lead to eternal life?
 (22)
 - 1) Being set free from sin 2) Becoming slaves to God 3) Bearing
 the fruit of holiness
 
9) What is the just payment for sin? But what does God give us in
 Christ? (23)
 - Death. Eternal life.

Shall We Continue In Sin? (6:1-23)
 
INTRODUCTION
 
1. In Romans, Paul addresses the problem of sin...
 a. In the first two and a half chapters, he demonstrates that all
 have sinned - cf. Ro 3:23
 b. In the next two and a half chapters, he declares how we can be
 justified through faith in Jesus Christ - cf. Ro 5:1-2
 c. He concludes that where sin abounded, grace abounded much more
 - Ro 5:20-21
 
2. Paul then anticipates an erroneous inference...
 a. "Let's continue in sin, that grace may abound!" - Ro 6:1
 a. A conclusion that is repulsive to him - Ro 6:2a
 
3. Today, many Christians may live in reference to sin as though they
 had the same idea...
 a. Living as though there is no need to be diligent in overcoming sin
 b. Perhaps reasoning, "If I sin, I can simply confess and God will
 forgive"
 -- I.e., continue in sin that grace may abound!
 
4. Yet a careful study of the sixth chapter reveals why such a thought
 is absurd...
 a. Paul provides four reasons why we should not continue in sin
 b. When understood, they will prompt us to say with Paul: "Certainly
 not!"
 
[Shall we continue in sin...?]
 
I. NO! WE DIED TO SIN! (2)
 
 A. WE WERE CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST IN BAPTISM (3-4)
 1. Baptism is a burial into the death of Christ
 2. Baptism is where we were crucified with Christ - cf. Ro 6:6
 3. Thus baptism (not repentance) is where we die to sin
 -- Having been crucified with Christ should impact how we live
 - cf. Ga 2:20
 
 B. WE CAN NOW WALK IN NEWNESS OF LIFE (4-5)
 1. Just as Christ rose from the grave, so we rise from baptism to
  walk in newness of life
 2. We are now a new creation in Christ - cf. 2 Co 5:17
 
 C. WE ARE NO LONGER SLAVES OF SIN (6-7)
 1. The very purpose of dying to sin in baptism, to be free from
 sin!
 2. A point Paul will expound upon later
 
 D. WE CAN NOW LIVE WITH CHRIST (8-10)
 1. Christ now lives with God in newness of life
 2. Because we died with Christ, so can we! - cf. Ep 2:4-6
 
[The idea of being alive in Christ leads to Paul's second major point in
response to the question "Shall we continue in sin?"...]
 
II. NO! WE ARE ALIVE TO GOD! (11)
 
 A. SIN DOES NOT HAVE TO REIGN IN US (12)
 1. We who were dead in sin can now choose not let it reign in us!
 2. We are no longer debtors to sin - cf. Ro 8:12-13
 
 B. OUR BODIES CAN NOW BE INSTRUMENTS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (13)
 1. We can present ourselves to God...
 a. As alive from the dead
 b. As instruments of righteousness to Him
 2. I.e., we can now glorify Him even with our bodies - cf. 1 Co
 6:19-20
 
 C. GOD'S GRACE FREES US FROM SIN'S DOMINION (14)
 1. Sin no longer needs to be our master
 2. In Christ, we have been set free! - cf. Ro 8:1-2
 
[This freedom is not license to sin. On the contrary, consider Paul's
third point in response to the question "Shall we continue in sin?"...]
 
III. NO! WE ARE TO BE SLAVES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS! (19)
 
 A. WE ARE SLAVES TO WHATEVER WE OBEY (15-16)
 1. Grace is no excuse to sin
 2. We are either slaves of sin, or slaves of righteousness
 3. If we continue in sin, we once again become slaves of sin!
 - cf. Jn 8:34
 4. For Christians to continue in sin makes things worse - cf. 2 Pe
 2:20-22
 
 B. WE BECAME SLAVES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (17-18)
 1. We were slaves of sin
 2. But when we obeyed from the heart the doctrine (i.e., the
 gospel which commands baptism), we were set free from sin
 a. Not just sin's condemnation - cf. Ac 2:38; 22:16; Ro 8:1-2
 b. But also sin's dominion - cf. Ro 8:12-13
 3. We were set free from sin so we could become slaves of
 righteousness!
 
 C. WE ARE TO SERVE RIGHTEOUSNESS LIKE WE ONCE SERVED SIN (19)
 1. We previously offered our bodies as slaves of sin
 2. So now offer our bodies as slaves of righteousness for the
 purpose of producing holiness - cf. 1 Pe 1:14-16
 
[Finally, we note Paul's concluding point in response to the question
"Shall we continue in sin?"...]
 
IV. NO! THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH! (23)
 
 A. THE FRUIT OF SLAVERY TO SIN IS DEATH (20-21)
 1. The end of those enslaved to sin is "death"
 2. Such "death" is separation from God
 a. Living in sin separates us from God now - cf. Isa 59:1-2
 b. Dying in sin will separate us from for eternity - cf. Re
 21:8
 
 B. THE GRACE OF GOD OFFERS ETERNAL LIFE (22-23)
 1. By His grace we have been set free from sin, via baptism! - Ro
 6:2-14; cf. Ti 3:4-7
 2. By His grace we can now be slaves to God, through continued
 obedience! - Ro 6:15-19
 3. By His grace we can bear the fruit of holiness, which in turn
 leads to eternal life! - Ro 6:22; cf. 2:4-11
 
CONCLUSION
 
1. Shall we continue in sin?
 a. If we understand what Paul has written in this chapter...
 b. ...then we will cry out with him: "Certainly not!" (NKJV) - Ro
 6:2,15
 
2. Paul's strong response has been variously translated...
 a. "It is not to be thought of!" (Knox)
 b. "Not at all!" (Williams)
 c. "That be far from us!" (Conybeare)
 d. "Of course not!" (Phillips)
 e. "May it never be!" (NASB)
 f. "Far be it!" (Rotherham)
 g. "Never!" (Moffatt)
 h. "By no means!" (Goodspeed, NRSV)
 i. "Certainly not!" (NEB, NKJV)
 j. "Heaven forbid!" (TCNT)
 k. "God forbid!" (KJV, ASV)
 -- May we develop the same response to taking sin lightly!
 
Have you been set free from sin...? Have you become enslaved to sin
once again...? Let the grace of God deliver you from the guilt and
power of sin by responding to the gospel of Jesus Christ!

God's Gift Of Eternal Life (6:22-23)
 
INTRODUCTION
 
1. An familiar verse is that found at the end of Romans six...
 
 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life
 in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Ro 6:23)
 
2. This passage is often used to suggest that eternal life is...
 a. A gift given when one becomes a Christian
 b. A gift requiring no effort on the part of the recipient(s)
 
3. It is true that elsewhere we learn that....
 a. Eternal life is described as a "present possession", enjoyed now
 by the Christian - 1 Jn 5:13
 1) Referring to a relationship made possible by knowing God and
 Jesus - cf. Jn 17:2-3
 2) A feature of that which Jesus describes as the "abundant life"
 - cf. Jn 10:10
 b. Salvation is not merited or earned - cf. Ti 3:4-7
 1) Even though it does require obedience - He 5:9
 2) The gospel contains that which must be obeyed - cf. 2 Th 1:8;
 1 Pe 4:17
 
4. But in the context of Romans six, the gift of eternal life as
 described by Paul...
 a. Is not a present possession, but something received at the end of
 life! - cf. Ro 6:22
 b. Is received not without effort, but as the result of a holy life!
 - cf. Ro 6:22
 
[As we carefully consider verse 22 along with the rest of the chapter,
note first that eternal life is...]
 
I. GIVEN TO THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN SET FREE FROM SIN
 
 A. BY DYING TO SIN...
 -- Paul begins chapter six by revealing:
 1. One who dies to sin should no longer live in sin - Ro 6:1-2
 2. He who has died has been freed from sin - Ro 6:7
 
 B. IN BAPTISM...
 -- He then explains how and when one dies to sin:
 1. Where we are baptized into His death - Ro 6:3-4
 2. Where we are united together in the likeness of His death - Ro
 6:5
 3. Where our old man was crucified with Him - Ro 6:6
 a. That the body of sin might be done away with
 b. That the we should no longer be slaves of sin
 
[Those who have died to sin in baptism have been set free from sin. But
now note that according to verse 22 eternal life is...]
 
II. GIVEN TO THOSE WHO HAVE BECOME SLAVES OF GOD
 
 A. NO LONGER SLAVES OF SIN...
 -- Consider what Paul wrote:
 1. We have died to sin - Ro 6:1-2
 2. We now live with Christ - Ro 6:8-11
 3. We are not to let sin reign and have dominion over us - Ro 6:
 12,14
 
 B. NOW SLAVES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS...
 -- Consider what is now the duty of Christians:
 1. We are to present ourselves to God as alive from the dead - Ro
 6:13
 2. We are to present our members as instruments of righteousness
 to God - Ro 6:13
 3. We have become slaves of righteousness through obedience - Ro
 6:16-18
 
[As slaves of God, we are now to be obedient slaves of righteousness.
From verse 22 we learn that eternal life will therefore be...]
 
III. GIVEN TO THOSE WHO HAVE THE FRUIT OF HOLINESS
 
 A. WHO WERE ONCE SLAVES OF SIN...
 -- They were slaves of sin:
 1. When they presented their members as slaves of uncleanness and
 lawlessness - Ro 6:19
 2. When they were free in regard to righteousness - Ro 6:20
 3. When they produced shameful fruit leading to death - Ro 6:21
 
 B. WHO ARE NOW SLAVES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS...
 -- They are now slaves of righteousness:
 1. For the purpose of holiness - Ro 6:19c
 2. For the fruit leading to holiness - Ro 6:22
 
[Finally, from verse 22 we learn that for those who have the fruit of
holiness, eternal life is...]
 
IV. GIVEN AT THE END OF LIFE
 
 A. AT THE END...
 -- Eternal life is given to those:
 1. Having died to sin - Ro 6:22a,1-11
 2. Having become slaves to God - Ro 6:22b,12-18
 3. Having had the fruit of holiness - Ro 6:22c,19-21
 
 B. ETERNAL LIFE...
 -- Some observations concerning that which comes at the end:
 1. Some translations say "everlasting life" (KJV, NKJV), but it is
 the same expression translated "eternal life" in verse 23
 2. Here Paul speaks of our "future hope", given at the Judgment:
 a. Of which Jesus often spoke - Mt 25:46; Mk 10:29-30
 b. As Paul did elsewhere - Ro 2:4-7; Ti 1:2; 3:7
 c. Pertaining to that life with God we enter into in the age to
 come - cf. Re 21:3-7
 
CONCLUSION
 
1. From our study of the context of Ro 6:22-23, we have seen that
 eternal life is...
 a. Given to those who have been set free from sin
 b. Given to those who have become slaves to God
 c. Given to those who have the fruit of holiness
 d. Given at the end of life
 
2. If so, then how is eternal life called a "gift" (or "free gift")...?
 a. Because it requires the kindness, love, mercy and grace of God
 - cf. Ti 3:4-7
 b. Despite our obedience, we have not earned or merited this gift of
 eternal life
 
3. Do we desire to receive "God's Gift Of Eternal Life"? Then one must
 ask...
 a. Have I been set free from sin by dying to sin in baptism?
 b. Have I become a slave to God, presenting myself as a servant of
 righteousness?
 c. Am I bearing the fruit of holiness in my life?
 
Let Jesus be your author (source) of eternal life as you humbly obey
Him... - cf. He 5:9; Mk 16:15-16

－－《Executable Outlines》

Two Kinds of Slaves

Not under Law

But under Grace

I. Union with Christ

1. The Depiction of Baptism

2. Crucified with the Lord

3. Live with the Lord

II. Slaves to Sin

1. Offer to Sin

2. Instruments of Wickedness

3. Result in Death

III. Slaves to Righteousness

1. Offer to God

2. Instruments of Righteousness

3. Result in Eternal Life

Two Kinds of Slaves

Not under Law

But under Grace

IV. Union with Christ

1. The Depiction of Baptism

2. Crucified with the Lord

3. Live with the Lord

V. Slaves to Sin

1. Offer to Sin

2. Instruments of Wickedness

3. Result in Death

VI. Slaves to Righteousness

1. Offer to God

2. Instruments of Righteousness

3. Result in Eternal Life