Book of Romans
3-28-2012 Vol. 6 Part 20
Psalms 65:1-13 Psalm of David. Praise is awaiting You, O God, in Zion; And to You the vow shall be performed. O You who hear prayer, To You all flesh will come. Iniquities prevail against me; As for our transgressions, You will provide atonement for them. Blessed is the man You choose, And cause to approach You, That he may dwell in Your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, Of Your holy temple. By awesome deeds in righteousness You will answer us, O God of our salvation, You who are the confidence of all the ends of the earth, And of the far-off seas; Who established the mountains by His strength, Being clothed with power; You who still the noise of the seas, The noise of their waves, And the tumult of the peoples. They also who dwell in the farthest parts are afraid of Your signs; You make the outgoings of the morning and evening rejoice. You visit the earth and water it, You greatly enrich it; The river of God is full of water; You provide their grain, For so You have prepared it. You water its ridges abundantly, You settle its furrows; You make it soft with showers, You bless its growth. You crown the year with Your goodness, And Your paths drip with abundance. They drop on the pastures of the wilderness, And the little hills rejoice on every side. The pastures are clothed with flocks; The valleys also are covered with grain; They shout for joy, they also sing. Father we praise you, we give you all the glory. We thank you for all that you bless us and our families with. We thank you Father God for sending your only begotten Son to us. We thank you Jesus for dying on the Cross for us so that we have a way to Heaven by putting our faith in your death and resurrection. In Jesus name we pray! Amen!
Romans 6:15-23 NKJV
In the previous lesson we heard Paul’s answer to those who thought they should “go on sinning that grace might abound.” Paul responded that they had died to sin, how then could they go on sinning? He went on to explain his answer, emphasizing that the key to living a life free from sin’s dominance was to reckon themselves dead to sin but alive to God in Jesus Christ and to stop presenting themselves as instruments of unrighteousness, and to present themselves as instruments of righteousness to God.
15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Once again Paul anticipates his listener’s questions and addresses them before they can ask the question. This lesson starts out with a question that is very similar to how last week’s lesson started, but is different. It started with (v. 1); Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? (v. 1) is asking “shall we continue sinning” and (v. 15) is asking “shall we sin”. The results are different also. In (v.1) the anticipated result is that grace can multiply unto the individual by continuing in sin, and in (v.15) the anticipated result is, being under grace and not the law, then we can sin because grace abounds. The answer to both is no, you can’t have it both ways. Anyone proposing to sin or continue to sin whether in Paul’s time or our current time is rationalizing that there are no longer any moral restraints and that every man can do what was right in their own eyes. Jude warns us about such people and grace preachers. Jude 1:4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. To summarize these two verses, grace is not a ticket for us to sin, but to free us from sin. Grace not only justifies a believing sinner, it transforms him.
16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death (Satan), or of obedience leading to righteousness (God)? What this verse is telling us is that we are slaves to sin, Satan, which leads to everlasting death, Hell, or slaves to God, which leads to everlasting life, Heaven. All of us are, or have been slaves to one or the other. Jesus makes this very clear to us in the Gospel of John. John 8:31-34 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." 33 They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, 'You will be made free'?" 34 Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.
These two powers, sin and obedience oppose each other and are constantly at battle. Paul tells us that in Galatians 5:17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
It is impossible to be a slave to both of these powers at the same time. Jesus tells us that in Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other (Believer), or else he will be loyal to the one and despise (meaning to think lightly of; know about, but disregard) the other (Non-believer)..………..
We proclaim who we serve not by what we say but by what we do. Jesus tells us that in Matthew 7:20-23 Therefore by their fruits you will know them. 21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' 23 And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'
John tells us that we can proclaim to have fellowship with God, but if we continue in sin then we are liars. 1 John 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. John also tells us if we proclaim to know Jesus but don’t keep His commandments we are liars too. 1 John 2:4 He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. Paul is giving praise that his listeners had stood fast in the faith they were delivered into. They were delivered from sin bondage by a regeneration of a new nature from the inside out. The old universal reality of the natural nature of man was put to death when they accepted the Gospel.
18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. This verse is stating the fact that when a person accepts Jesus as their saviour, they are delivered from the bondage of the inherited sin nature, but only to become bound to a life of righteousness. This bondage is one of glory. It isn’t bondage in a believers eyes, because they are eager to serve the Lord.
19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. Paul is referring to the term slave when he stated, “I speak in human terms”. He is keeping it simple so we can understand what he is alluding to. The rest of the verse is pertaining to our body parts. Remember last week when talked about our body parts causing us to sin. Here Paul is emphasizing that our members can cause us to sin and continue to sin until sin is out of control like cancer. Sin can be viewed as a type of cancer where if left unchecked it will consume us and cause spiritual death, Hell. Paul is telling us to use our members now to promote our sanctification by doing things for the Glory of God Almighty. We should shout out to God and say here I am God, use me as you see fit.
20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. Verse 20 is referring to our state of being, as a sinner, righteousness is something we don’t think about much. We sin and justify our sinfulness with other people’s actions, or say it is the thing to do in modern times. For instance it is common now days for couples to live together without getting married. If confronted the response is come on, get with the times, you old fuddy duddy, but the pure and simple fact is that they are sinning in God’s eyes, with this type of lifestyle.
21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. Verse 21 is asking a question of what good things did you produce while living in the old lifestyle the sin nature. When a person has a Spiritual Birth the veil is lifted from the person’s heart and now the believer sees all the sinful things they were doing in the old life. They all of a sudden realize how much they have offended Jesus with their old life. They are heartbroken and see how awful they were and they didn’t produce any fruit that was worthy to offer to God. They see their old man was sending them to eternal death, Hell.
22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. Verse 22 is once again stating the fact that when a person is set free from the sin nature by placing their faith in what transpired at the Cross they become servants of God. What comes forth from then on, from this saved person is fruit of holiness. New love for God, new language, new actions, new love for people, etc. This fruit ends with everlasting life, Heaven, provided the person keeps his eyes focused on the Cross of Christ.
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Verse 23 reiterates the fact the all mankind is born with the inherited sin nature which leads to eternal death, Hell. But by believing in the sacrifice Jesus endured for us on the Cross and what it stands for; the gift of eternal life, Heaven, can be granted to a person. This gift of eternal life is the only way to Heaven.
Our sin nature is put to death when we become a believer. Another way to view this transformation is that our old human nature was replace with a new human nature. The old human nature was one that allowed us to sin and we had no pre-conviction or after sinning conviction. We just shrugged it off. Why did this happen this way? Because all you have is your own human conscience to guide you and it is corrupted by what Satan did in the Garden of Eden. He deceived Eve resulting in both she and Adam eating of the fruit, resulting in every human being born with the inherited sin nature. Before a person has a Spiritual Birth they are living to please their flesh and self gratification of worldly things. In short how a person is living pleases Satan, they are actually living for Satan, because flesh and worldly things belong to Satan.
Here is an example of the old and new nature. When horses run in the wild there is a pecking order. There is always an alpha horse that rules. All the other horses submit to the alpha horse because the alpha horse sets the law and commands obedience. Then I come along and take one of these wild horses and start breaking it. The first couple days the horse is disrespectful of me and wants to do things his way according to his wild nature. As days go by and I lay down the law to the horse, the horse starts to submit to me as the new alpha being. Trust, respect, obedience, and love become the new nature of the horse. The horse gives it all to me and becomes a new horse, the horse is attentive and strives to please me in whatever I try to teach it, it takes on a new nature, the old wild disrespectful horse dies to me and the wild nature no longer has dominion. This is the way it is when a person becomes a believer. This is what Paul is telling us and trying to help us understand the transformation of a person when they have a Spiritual Birth.
One other thing I would like to take the opportunity to point out with this example is our free will that God has given us. Take this newly transformed horse and turn it back out into the wild and it will go back to its old way of life. Lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil. We as human being have to choose what lifestyle we will live, and the life style we choose is the lifestyle we become. Sin or Holiness?
So you see the old nature dies to the new nature, but it is still present and continues to battle with the new nature. If we don’t focus on Jesus and what he did on the Cross for us, and study his word daily, our old sin nature will take over and dominate again. This is why the Holy Ghost takes up residence in our body to assist us in this battle.
When the new nature takes over, the old man, the old human nature is crucified in Jesus death and buried. The Holy Ghost takes up residence within our bodies. Then we have the Holy Ghost telling us in a much bolder way than our conscience ever could, when we even think about sinning. If we disregard the warning of the Holy Ghost and carry out the sin, the Holy Ghost will place such conviction within you, that you will find no peace until you make things right and repent. Any true believer will know what I’m saying here and will agree, but an unsaved person will not understand because they have no experience concerning this matter. They will doubt what is being said just like Thomas doubted instead of believing in what he was being told. This thought alone should drive an unbeliever to seek God with a passion to know the truth. This should peek the human nature of an individual to know if they are saved and going to Heaven or Hell when they die. But it doesn’t, because being a human being and having the inherited sin nature from eating the fruit of good and evil they view themselves as being good, which is mans point of view and not God’s.
A person receives an automatic sin alarm, the Holy Ghost, when they become a true believer. The Holy Ghost is there to convict you even if you contemplating doing something wrong. You see the indwelling of the Holy Ghost is like a rail road crossing gate in a dense fog. You drive up to a rail road crossing and the gates are down with the red lights flashing. You sit there awhile and then roll down your window and hear nothing. Then the temptation enters your mind. Should I go around the gates? Should I disregard the warning? Should I put faith in what I know and take matters into my own hands and proceed? You decide not to heed the gates, red lights, and the traffic law and as you proceed across, a train broadsides you and kills you, all because you decided to do it mans way. You didn’t put your faith in Jesus to take care of you, you didn’t heed the gates and red lights (Holy Ghost), you didn’t obey the law (God’s Commandments). The Trinity consists of 3 functions, which is a study of its own.
You say this isn’t reality because if a person rolled down their window they would have heard the train, but I didn’t mention the fact that you had the radio blaring, or you were on your cell phone, or you were busy texting someone, which all represent distractions of the world which is Satan’s goal, to take our eyes off Jesus and doing things our way to please him.
I pray and hope you are understanding what we are when we have a Physical Birth, and what we can become when we have a Spiritual Birth.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ,
for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes,
Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Unless you are Born Again, you cannot enter into Heaven, the Kingdom of God."
Bill
Last Week’s Trivia: How can we apply Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s actions toward Nebuchadnezzar to modern day living?
Answer: The answer is very simple. At the sound of the designated music, they would not bow down and worship the golden image Nebuchadnezzar had set up. First it was a man made law, second it was to worship something other than God. Their faith was in God and his laws, they didn’t practice idolatry. The same hold true today for a believer.
This week’s Trivia: What is fruit in a person’s life?
Verse List: | · 2 Peter 2:18, 19 | · Colossians 1:21, 22 |
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