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Who is Your Lord?
Paul ends Roman’s chapter five with contrasting the super-abounding grace (unearned love and blessings) system of salvation that has existed since the fall into sin by Adam with an ineffective merit system created by man, namely, merit by legalism. He stated that where sin abounded, grace super-abounded even more and overcame sin. Paul anticipates even stronger objections at this point. Paul your gospel is too good and too easy. Paul, you are encouraging sinful living. Since there is no law in your system of salvation, then there can be no holy living. How can there be salvation and sanctification without a merit system based on law-keeping (legalism)? [Answer: Abraham modeled and Moses, David, and all the prophets taught the opposite of this view in the Hebrew Bible; salvation is by grace through faith. Ceremonial law is not the most important thing in scripture.] Thus, Paul’s view cannot be true. God is holy, and His salvation would promote holiness, and without a system of merit, men will never seek to earn their salvation and thus, behave properly. In Romans chapter 6, Paul answers this objection thoroughly.
I. The doctrinal
basis of Paul’s answer to the objection against his gospel message vs. 1-5
A. A strong
warning. God forbid, don’t even think like this vs. 1-2a
B. A logical reply
to the objection vs. 2b-5
1. We have died to
sin [We must ask, in what sense are we dead?]
2. How then can we
live in what we have died to? We cannot!
3. We had a once -
and - for-all break with sin—its authority, rule, control, and enslavement — at
our conversion. Righteousness was applied to our account
4. We died to sin
positionally through our identification with the Messiah. Our public baptism
pictured our union with Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection if it followed
our regeneration, repentance, faith, surrender, and conversion. When the
Messiah died, the believer died. When He was buried, the believer was buried. When
He arose, the believer arose.
5. Thus, the
believer has died to the rule, control, and reign of sin in their lives and has
been spiritually raised to a new kind of life under the authority of Jesus the
Messiah, God the Son.
6. At our
conversion there was an instant change of rulership, authorities, masters—we
are now under Jesus the Messiah’s authority and power and no longer under king
sin’s authority. Now we can say no to sin. Jesus is our Lord. Yet, sin did not
disappear, nor is perfection possible while we are still in these fallen bodies.
We remain a slave, what changed was masters.
II. The doctrinal
basis of Paul’s answer to the objections practically applied vs. 6-14
A. Learn and
understand the reality of your identity with Christ vs. 6-7
B. Learn and
understand the Messiah’s victory over sin and death vs.8-10
C. Choose to
believe that you are positionally dead to sin’s authority and spiritually alive
in the Messiah to obey God’s Word vs. 11
D. Choose not to
surrender to sin’s lordship with your body or mind vs. 12
E. Choose not to be
continually yielding to sin’s enticements and lies, but rather surrender
yourself to God’s authority and truth vs. 13
F. Sin is not the
believer’s master; thus, you must not obey its orders
1. God does not
approve of you based on a legalistic merit system, but through a grace system
2. The believer is
not under the condemnation and death penalty of the law. The moral law says to
us only, “Do this.” It does not say to us, “do this or die” as it warned us
before our conversion
3. The believer
does not function spiritually under the dynamic of a legal code or merit system,
but under the dynamic of a grace system. But this grace system is not without
the moral law as a guide, but the Governor is Grace.
III. The kingdoms
have been changed for every genuine Christian vs. 5-11
A. The dictator of
death has been replaced by the president and congress of life vs. 5
1. We are joined
with the Messiah in his death positionally (at justification)
2. We are united
with the Messiah in his resurrection positionally
B. Sin’s dominion
has been broken vs. 6 [Not its presence or its enticements]
1. Sin’s authority
over us ended when we were crucified with Christ
2. Sin’s rule was
removed by the death of the Messiah
3. Sin is no longer
our slave master; now, the Messiah is our slave master
C. Christ died once
for all ages and removed sin’s dominion over His people vs. 7-8
D. Death’s mastery
was taken away by the Messiah vs. 9
E. The Messiah
victoriously and historically died for sinners vs. 10 (past event)
F. The Messiah
lives and glorifies the Father in his office as Lord vs. 10 (present)
G. Everyone who is
joined to the Messiah is free from sin’s dominion and rule vs. 11
IV. The
responsibilities have changed for every genuine Christian vs. 12-14
A. Sin must not be
allowed to reign over us or be obeyed by us vs. 12
1. Continue to
reject sin’s claim of authority
2. Continue to
refuse to obey sin’s orders
B. Stop
surrendering your body parts as weapons of sin’s army as you did before
C. Start
surrendering your body parts as weapons of the Messiah’s army vs. 13
V. The authority
and dominion of sin have ended for every genuine Christian vs. 14
A. The law can no
longer condemn us. The moral law only helps guide us
B. The system of
grace governs and empowers us to live pleasing to God. We do not lie in sin unafraid;
grace gives us the power to get up and flee from sin
C. The motivation
and obligation are different under a legalistic dynamic (fear &
performance) than under a grace dynamic (love & gratitude)
