Romans 6:1-14: For the Believer, Sin’s Control and Rule Have Ended; Jesus’ Reign Has Begun

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)

Romans 5:12-21: The Results of Sin and Redemption from Sin

 

Humanity and Sin

Paul’s point in this section is to display that just as the human race was condemned based on the transfer of Adam’s first sin to their moral record, in the same way, believers are declared righteous based on the transfer of Jesus the Messiah’s righteousness to their moral record. The main idea here is that humans are saved in precisely the same way that they were lost—through the act of another. “As Adam, by his one transgression, brought condemnation to all connected with him, so Christ, by His act of righteousness (His sinless life and substitutionary death) brought justification to all connected with Him” (Steele & Thomas 1967).

I. Adam, the first representative of humanity, by his one sin brought sin and death upon the whole human race vs. 12-14

A.    Paul’s view of original sin is stated in vs. 12-14

1.      Sin entered the world through one man (Genitive of agency)

2.      Death came because of the original human sin (spiritual, physical, and everlasting death in the lake of fire)

3.      Adam’s one sin was transferred to the account of all humans yet to be born. We come into the world with legal guilt because we all sinned when Adam sinned

4.      How do we know Adam’s original sin was placed on our moral account as legal guilt? Because all humans die, only those with legal guilt die. We were born spiritually dead; we start dying physically at least after maturity, and we all are born under the sentence of everlasting death. This proves Adam’s one sin affected us all

5.      Anticipated question: Since sin is violating the law, and the law did not come until Moses, how did all those people sin or have guilt without breaking a law?

a)     Sin was in the world before Mount Sinai, Exodus 20 and the Mosaic law

b)     The law given to Adam was not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the middle of the garden

c)     Since death, which results from sin, came to every human from Adam to Moses (including children), then all those humans must have had legal guilt on their record for violating some law

d)     Universal death cannot be explained by a violation of the law of Moses (people died before it was given), or the moral law written on the heart (Rom 2:12-16), for infants and toddlers cannot understand or obey this law, nor are they accountable for suppressing the rational knowledge of design around them (Rom 1:19-25) which many pre-teens are not even capable of understanding and then suppressing (this is a teenager/adult sin), but children of all ages are subject to death

e)     Thus, since death is universal among humans, they must have legal guilt and be designated as sinners because of Adam’s one sin. His rebellious act and its consequences were transferred to all human beings’ moral record

f)      Many humans have died who did not knowingly sin and rebel against the Creator and His clear special revelation by a direct command, nor were they representatives of the human race

g)     Adam was a representative man just like Jesus the Messiah is also

h)     Paul’s view has implications for acceptable interpretations of Genesis 1-3. It rules out the gap theory, day-age, and theistic evolution because there was no death until the original sin in Gen 3. Only dead animals can become fossils

B.    Pelagius’s view contradicts Paul’s view. His followers say that every person must have their own personal fall into sin; humans are born sinless and without legal guilt. Adam’s sin was not transferred to their moral record. If they continue to choose not to sin, they can merit heaven on their own

1.      Humans are born neutral towards sin; therefore, the doctrine of original sin is false (Pelagius)

2.      Humans voluntarily choose to sin of their own free will; they do not have a sin nature until they fall like Adam (Pelagius)

3.      The Council of Orange in 529 AD declared Pelagianism as heresy

C.    The Generic or Semi-Pelagian view that men are born spiritually alive and only die because of genetic heredity and just have a slight lean towards sin, but by their free will they can choose not to sin, also contradicts the Apostle Paul here 

II. The representative actions of Adam and Jesus have a significant difference vs. 15-17

A.    Jesus did much more for His people than remove legal guilt from their record. He also satisfied God’s wrath against all their personal and willful sins against God

B.    Jesus transfers his perfect righteousness to His people as a free gift of grace

C.    Justification results in the person now reigning in abundant life both currently and in the future glory through the continual work of Jesus in heaven on their behalf 

III.  The representative actions of Adam and Jesus and our legal status vs. 18-19

A.    Adam’s sin resulted in the condemnation of all he represented by a transfer

B.    Jesus’ cross-work resulted in the justification of all He represented by a transfer 

IV. Law and Grace for those connected to Adam and Jesus vs. 20-21

A.    The revealed law of God increased every human’s guilt before God and everlasting punishment (death) under the reign of Adam (and thus sin)

B.    The revealed grace of God super-abounded by transferred righteousness, bringing loving favor and everlasting life to all those under the reign of Jesus the Messiah and Lord—the believer/slave’s Master

Rom 5:1-11: Blessings that Result from Justification by Faith and Christ’s Transferred Righteousness being placed in my Destiny Account

 

Christ’s Transferred Righteousness

Justification by faith does not mean that we are saved by having faith in faith. The two-directional transfer of sin and righteousness provides the basis or ground for our justification (being declared righteous by God as a legal act). Our personal sins were transferred to Jesus’ account while He suffered and died on the cross. Christ became legally responsible for my sin, and he endured the just punishment I had earned, but He was the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. Before this, however, Jesus lived a perfect life by completely obeying all of God’s laws. All His righteous acts are transferred to the believer’s record and life account after they deeply trust in Him. So, the basis of a child of God’s justification is the work of Jesus on the earth and on the cross. The means by which a sinner receives the benefits of Christ’s saving work (which is both His sinless life and His sacrificial death) is by faith in the person and work of the God-Man Jesus. There are truths to believe about a Person to surrender to by an act of our will. This is a problem because our wills are stubborn and rebellious. “No one can be justified apart from faith, yet, no one is justified on the basis of his faith” (David Steele, 31). Faith is the instrumental means (the channel) by which the Messiah and His righteousness are appropriated by the sinner. Jesus saves us through His life and work after we come to Him in faith, repentance, and surrender to His Lordship. Faith is a gift from God and is not a human work.

I.                  The blessings that result from transferred righteousness, which follows saving faith vs. 1-5

A.      This is something that happened to us — past action, passive voice vs. 1

B.      We switched from being enemies of God and His righteousness to being friends at peace with Him

1.      Those who break God’s laws and love sin are rebels against His kingdom

2.      Because He is the Holy Creator of the universe, man is in cosmic rebellion

3.      A holy God cannot have fellowship with a sinner until the sinner is redeemed

4.      We are standing inside the covenant fellowship by the grace of God, not by human performance

C.      The Lord Yeshu’a, the Messiah, is the bridge between man and God vs. 1

D.     Access to the grace of God comes through a living and active faith in the person and work of Jesus the Messiah and Divine Lord (access to grace: a past event with continuing results)

1.      We began to stand in grace after we embraced the Messiah by faith vs. 2

2.      We continue to stand in His grace and His power vs. 2

3.      Grace includes God’s mercy, love, acceptance, and the granting of the power and strength to change, the gift of new affections and abilities vs. 2

E.      The promise and future certainty of being able to enjoy the presence and glory of God

1.      The gracious covenant relationship with God assures our final salvation vs. 2

2.      We like Moses, long to see God’s glory, so we look forward to heaven vs. 2

F.      The God-given ability to persevere through current tests and difficulties vs. 3-4

1.      We can rejoice in being persecuted for the gospel and our association with Jesus

2.      Tribulation handled properly brings perseverance, steadfastness, endurance, Christlikeness, humility, patience, and integrity

3.      No pain, no gain! Pain is God’s P.A. system turned up loud so we can hear it

4.      Tests and difficulties responded to with faith and love build Christian character

5.      Notice the progression: “Endurance produces character, and character produces hope” (proven character is integrity)

6.      Those who have relied on God in love and faith through dark valleys have found Jesus to be enough and God to give and give grace, power, love and strength. Every genuine believer who depends on Jesus will find their hopes realized

7.      Real believers are not disappointed; make-believers are, because they have a mental assent towards a false Jesus who cannot give them strength and grace

G.     The Holy Spirit indwells us and brings God’s love to our inner core vs. 5

1.      We have evidence that we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit — the fruit of the Spirit

2.      Faith, hope, and love, and the greatest is love. God transforms haters into lovers

3.      The believer is a special recipient of God’s love 

II.                 The basis of the righteousness received by faith vs. 6-8

A.      The fact is that Jesus died at the appointed time in plan of God for the ungodly

B.      The fact is that we were helpless, powerless, unable, and spiritually dead

C.      The fact is that we were not attractive, and we were not like God at all (ungodly)

D.     The fact is that God proved His love for His people by the gift of His Son to die in their place while they were still ungodly rebels, sinners, and not good in His sight at all

E.      Salvation’s foundation is God’s grace and redemptive plan to pour out His wrath on Jesus in our place. Christ died for us. That is the basis of our justification 

III.               The assurance that comes because of justification received by means of faith vs. 9

A.      We are declared righteous based on Jesus’ sacrificial death (through His blood)

B.      We receive the gift of transferred righteousness by means of trusting in Jesus’ true person and work. Faith is the empty hand that receives the gift of transferred righteousness

C.      Because Christ’s work has been applied to our account, we are delivered from the wrath to come on sin and sinners. Jesus’ death was utterly unique—a penal, wrath-bearing sacrifice

D.     Since believers have already been reconciled to God and declared righteous by Him in court and because Jesus died in their place and name (substitute) following their exercising faith, how much more will they be delivered (saved) from the wrath to come by Jesus? The answer: A lot more, it is a sure thing

IV.               The assurance of Jesus’ successful work of bringing all His sheep all the way home vs. 10-11

A.      Jesus’ death reconciled us; it moved us from enemies to friends

B.      Wrath is over for the child of God because they have been declared righteous (past tense, passive, participle, referring to a historical event)

C.      The blood of His own Son given for a sinner cannot be taken back

D.     Reconciliation: the act of causing two people or groups to become friendly again after an argument, disagreement, battle, war or fight

E.      If Jesus lived a holy life in our place, died in our place, and rose again as our example, and this caused us to move from an enemy to a friend, now that He is at the Father’s right hand praying for us as our defense attorney, He will do even more to make sure that He does not lose one sheep (John 10:23-30, 14:19, 17:1-24; Matt 28:18; Rom 8:11; Heb 7:25; 1 Cor 15:23; Eph 1:20-22)

F.      This grand plan of salvation transforms us from cursers to worshipers, glorifying God for the finished work of Jesus, God the Son. We are full of abounding joy—not fear of failure

Romans 4:1-25 God’s Acceptable Transferred Righteousness Illustrated by Abraham

Transferred Righteousness

Book theme: The righteousness of God revealed and applied to sinners

Chapter theme: Acceptable righteousness before God does not come by human works but is transferred to the account of the person who believes the powerful gospel of the Messiah Jesus

Paul has been saying that Jewish ceremonial rituals do not save sinners or remove their unrighteous standing before God’s courtroom. The first question that Paul then expects from the Jews is: If only faith counts before God and not human works, especially circumcision, then how was Abraham saved? Was Abraham delivered from the wrath of God to come by faith or by works? Remember, Paul, Abraham was the first Jew circumcised in obedience to God.

I.                  Abraham was justified by faith and not by works, so he cannot boast vs. 1-3

A.     If Abraham was declared righteous in God’s court by works, then all the glory and praise would go to Abraham for his salvation, not God vs. 1-2

1) He earned it; therefore, give him the credit

2) Abraham could brag that he did enough works to get into heaven

3) Those who were not saved just were not good enough at working

B.     Abraham believed God’s promises, and righteousness was transferred to him

1) Righteousness was transferred to Abraham’s account. vs. 3 (Gen 15:6)

2) Abraham received this credit righteousness after he believed God

C.     Abraham did not receive credit for faith or for works. God did not owe Abraham payment for either. He received salvation through grace after believing vs. 4

D.     Abraham was declared righteous through faith and not through works. vs. 5

1) Righteousness is transferred to the believer’s account, and then God declares that sinner righteous in His courtroom

2) The Old Testament emphasizes faith, love for God, and loyalty above all ceremonial practices. Paul is being true to the Hebrew Bible

E.      David also taught that to be blessed by God included receiving alien righteousness on one’s account vs. 6-8 (Psa 32:1-2)

1) The sinner’s sins are forgiven, wiped away as if they did not exist

2) The sinner’s sins are pardoned (covered over, hidden)

3) God will never consider these sins as chargeable by death again at any time or any place once the dual crediting occurs—the believer’s sin to the Messiah, the Messiah’s righteousness to the sinner

4) A true believer will have their life evaluated, and their works considered at the bema seat of Christ, but they cannot be disqualified for heaven once this transfer of credit happens and they are given everlasting life

II.                Abraham was circumcised. Is not circumcision necessary for salvation? vs. 9-12

A.     The case of Abraham is cited as an illustration and proof of the gospel method of justification by faith apart from works, including worship rituals

B.     No ritual or duty is necessary for deliverance from sin’s power and penalty (salvation), nor is it a ritual part of salvation in any way

1) Neither circumcision nor baptism gets our sins forgiven or Jesus’ righteousness transferred to our account

2) Neither does the Lord’s Supper, sacraments or ordinances of the church, church membership, or going forward result in our justification before God

3) {Q} Paul, does salvation come to the circumcised or uncircumcised? Is it for the keepers of the whole ceremonial and purity laws or those who do not keep them?

4) {A} Salvation, which requires the free gift of a transfer of righteousness to a sinner, is by faith only (vs. works) and by grace only (vs. merit). Sinners are justified after they believe because of God’s free love and awesome mercy

5) {Q} Was Abraham acquitted by God before his circumcision or after?

6) {A} Abraham’s faith and justification came years before his circumcision. He practiced believers’ circumcision, and it was a testimony to the faith he already possessed

7) God as judge declares believers not guilty of the crimes charged against them and has recorded the righteous works of His Son under their name with the clerk of heaven’s court

8) Abraham is the father of the faith-line and the bloodline. You can have both, but only one is needed to get to heaven---the faith-line

III.              What was the condition of the promise to Abraham that his descendants would inherit the world? vs. 13-17

A.     To enter into an intimate covenant relationship with God by believing God’s words

B.     Love for God and covenant loyalty produce good works, but these works do not bring or maintain salvation. Works are a testimony to all that salvation has occurred; they result from salvation, not the cause of it in every era

C.     Promise, faith, inheritance, and grace would be useless if a man was saved by the ceremonial law, works, earned his compensation and personal merit

D.     The law does not produce faith; it sets the standard for just punishment

IV.              The example of Abraham’s faith vs. 18-25

A.     The difficulty of believing this promise considering the circumstances vs. 17

1) He received the promise when he was 100 years old

2) He saw he was most likely sterile before he reached old age; now it was very likely

3) He saw Sarah was barren and had now gone through menopause, where it was physically impossible to conceive children

B.     The determination of Abraham’s faith despite the circumstances vs. 18-21

1) He believed in the future certainty of something that was hopeless without supernatural intervention

2) He did not give up after he made the mistake of trying to help God out with Hagar, and God said that Sarah would have the son of promise

3) Abraham was fully convinced, as a conviction, a core belief that God could do right now what He promised in the past, so he kept on trusting

4) Even after his mistake and discouragement, he did not allow his heart to be filled with unbelief

5) His faith led him to consistently, but not perfectly, live for the glory of God, and as an active worshiper, to ascribe worship to God. We are saved to worship the Triune God of the Bible

V.                The results of Abraham’s faith vs. 22-25

A.     Abraham’s belief resulted in God’s gracious declaration of his righteous

B.     Abraham’s belief resulted in the transfer of the Messiah to comes righteousness to Abraham’s final destiny account in God’s courtroom records

C.     God kept His promise, and Abraham became the father of many nations Gen. 12

D.     Abraham became an example for all who are saved by grace through faith (for our sake, the results of faith are an example to us)

E.      New covenant faith is in the person and work of Jesus the Messiah vs. 24-25

Here is the powerful gospel that includes the resurrection of our Lord from the dead. His death, burial, resurrection, and his Lordship must be believed. Jesus was killed for our rebellious deeds, and as our substitute, even His resurrection assured our justification

The resurrection of Jesus the Messiah demonstrated the fact that God the Father accepted Jesus’ sacrificial death as the full payment for the believer’s sin and thus shows that those who trust in Jesus are declared righteous in God’s courtroom and court record

• The Hebrew Bible already taught transferred righteousness.
•  Loving God so intensely that you put your life in danger defending God’s honor
•  They provoked the LORD with their deeds, and a plague broke out against them. But Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was stopped. It was credited to him as righteousness throughout all generations to come. (Psa 106:29-31 HCSB)
•  Abram believed the LORD, and He credited it to him as righteousness. (Gen 15:6 HCSB)
•  Paul does not contradict Jam 2:21, Paul and James are using the terms “works, faith, and justification” very differently.