New Life In Christ - Romans 6

DO NOT! Even though Paul has stated we are saved by grace and not by law, he continues to use ‘DO NOT’ in instructing us:

• Do not let sin reign (12)
• Do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness (13)

What happened to us?

• We DIED to sin (2).
• We have become UNITED with Christ in the likeness of His death (5).
• Our old self was crucified with Him (6).
• We have died with Christ (8).

The Word of God, the sword of the Spirit has cut to the heart. It has convicted us of our sin and rebellion against God. It has rightfully indicted us not only as sinners but as the reason for the very death of Jesus. In that sense, WE KILLED HIM. Yes, He died willingly, but he died to save US from OUR sin. He died because I SINNED.

THEREFORE: consider your selves to be dead TO Sin. Present yourselves alive from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. We have become slaves of righteousness. We have now been enslaved unto God.

Such godly sorrow worked a change of heart, mind, allegiance, and determination. Now seeing the grave results of our having chosen to sin, we are now resolved to live differently. Such death to sin and being made alive in Christ are dealt with in several passages that Paul wrote.

• Here in Romans 6,  we who were sinners were DEAD IN sin, but we died to sin, were buried with Christ in baptism, and were raised to LIVE in newness of life.
• In Colossians 2:10-13, we who were sinners were DEAD IN sin, but we were buried with Him in baptism, and having been made alive by the working of God, we were raised up with Him.
• In Ephesians 2:5-10, we who were sinners were DEAD IN sin, we were made alive together with Christ and raised up with Him, and have thus been created in Christ Jesus for good works.

Such change in our relationship with God is firmly based on our faith in God, our faith in Jesus, and our faith in the Word of God. All three passages inform us of WHAT happens in conversion, but Romans and Colossians ALSO tell us WHEN such takes place.

Such is the beginning of our new life in Christ. In this way, we according to our faith, obeyed from the heart and now live in a whole new way before God. THEREFORE: DO NOT let sin reign; do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness. Is that a description of your life?  

Hugh DeLong