Frameworks:
Romans 6
(The
objective of these ‘Frameworks' is to provide an easy-to-read
layout of the text in order then to use these individual verses
for verse-by-verse study or meditation. To focus each
verse we have also added in italic a description of what is happening)
CHAPTER
6
v.1-14
Now we are Dead to Sin, but Alive in Christ
v.15-23
Now we are Slaves to Righteousness
[Context:
Because we believe it is important to follow the flow of Paul's
teaching we continue to provide a brief summary of each previous
chapter to provide present context:
Ch.1
The sinfulness of the world
Ch.2
All – Jew & Gentile – are under God's judgment, background
is irrelevant
Ch.3
Jews are the same as Gentiles in that salvation only comes through
faith in Christ
Ch.4
Abraham illustrates how justification (being put right with God)
only comes through faith – now, believing what God has said about
Christ
Ch.5
Peace with God is a natural outworking of justification, as well
as his grace that enables fruit to grow in us even through tough
times. How amazing that Christ died for us when we knew nothing
of him. How incredible that Adam's sin opened the door to bring
about a sinful mankind and death, while Christ's death opened
the door for individuals within mankind to receive eternal life
NOW
he, using the same style of human arguing as he used to teach
in chapter 3, shows that sin now longer has a place in our lives;
we consider our old sinful lives dead and buried and our new life
in Christ has been raised by his power to be free from the power
of sin]
v.1-14
Now we are Dead to Sin, but Alive in Christ
v.1
(should we sin
so God's grace is seen more) What
shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?
v.2
(No
way! we've died to sin so we can't do it any longer) By
no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in
it any longer?
v.3
(becoming
part of Christ, God considers we experience what he experienced,
such as his death) Or
don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus
were baptized into his death?
v.4
(so
figuratively speaking, the picture of our baptize is a picture
of our ‘death' [to the old life] and when we came up it was a
picture of us being raised to a new life) We
were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order
that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory
of the Father, we too may live a new life.
v.5
(if
being ‘in Christ' means heaven considers we died with him, it
also means we were raised with him) For
if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly
also be united with him in a resurrection like his.
v.6,7 (so
if we consider our old life was put to death, the body that sinned
died, so we have been set free from the power that used to rule
us and make us sin) For
we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body
ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer
be slaves to sin— because
anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
v.8
(so if we died
with him, we will also live with him) Now
if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with
him.
v.9
(having been
raised, death now has not hold on Christ; similarly with us)
For
we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot
die again; death no longer has mastery over him.
v.10
(when he died
he died to the world of sin but, being raised, he is now utterly
God focused) The
death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives,
he lives to God.
v.11(so
we are to view ourselves, dead to our old lives but alive to God
through Christ) In
the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in
Christ Jesus.
v.12
(our part is
not to let sin come back) Therefore
do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its
evil desires.
v.13
(we are not
to let sin have a part in any aspect of our lives as we live God-focused
lives) Do
not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness,
but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought
from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as
an instrument of righteousness.
v.14
(sin has no
hold over us because we're not abiding by rules [which we might
get wrong] but by God's grace (just aware of His love]) For
sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under
the law, but under grace.
v.15-23
Now we are Slaves to Righteousness
v.15
(back to human
reasoning – can we sin because we don't have to obey God's rules?
no way!) What
then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under
grace? By no means!
v.16
(a slave is
obedient to a master, and that's true for us) Don't
you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient
slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves
to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to
righteousness?
v.17
(we are no longer
slaves to sin) But
thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you
have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that
has now claimed your allegiance.
v.18
(we've been
set free from it to live righteously) You
have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
v.19
(now we give
ourselves to righteous and holy living) I
am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations.
Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and
to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves
to righteousness leading to holiness.
v.20
(as a sinner
we were free to do the wrong that we wanted) When
you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness.
v.21(did
that benefit us? no, it just brought death) What
benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now
ashamed of? Those things result in death!
v.22
(now, given
to God we reap holiness and eternal life) But
now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves
of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result
is eternal life.
v.23
(sin's payment
is death [physical and spiritual separation from God] but God's
gift through Christ is eternal life) For
the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life
in Christ Jesus our Lord.