August 13, 2020
Over Grace
Romans 6:1-14
Kirsten Hancock
Central Truth
Those of us who have accepted the gospel have died with Christ and are no longer enslaved to sin. Not that Christians will never sin again, but the power of sin has been defeated for us.
Key Verse | Romans 6:1-2
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?
Romans 6:1-14
Dead to Sin, Alive to God
1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self 1 6:6 Greek man was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free 2 6:7 Greek has been justified from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
Dive Deeper | Romans 6:1-14
Paul is writing to clarify an opposing view that many Roman Jews were arguing—that the gospel Paul was preaching would lead people to continue in sin. They were not trying to justify an excuse to sin, but they did not understand in their new freedom that they were no longer under the law but rather under grace.
Paul shows why their interpretation of the gospel is mistaken. Those who have died with Christ have also died to sin (Romans 6:2-3). They now have the opportunity to walk in a new life (Romans 6:4) and have been set free from sin (Romans 6:7). The Roman Jews have a new identity and purpose in Christ: to live for Him and be instruments of righteousness, as we do today.
Sin will have no dominion over you (Romans 6:14). That is not a command but a promise. We are under the new covenant of grace in Christ. Not that Christians will never sin again, but we are no longer slaves to sin. The power of sin has been defeated for us on the cross!
Before coming to Watermark, I believed in a false gospel: that because Jesus had already died for my past and future sins, I didn’t have to change. Grace abounds, right? The truth is that Jesus did die to forgive all my sins, but He also died so that I no longer have to be a slave to sin. What I hadn’t realized was that sin was only hurting me and my relationship with God and others. When I finally understood that I was a slave to sin, I wanted to rid it from my life.
My new life in Christ—walking in step with Him and following His commands—is so much better than my life ever was while living for myself and for the next adrenaline high. I have more joy, peace, and purpose. I now walk in the true freedom that Christ paid for with His death and resurrection.
I pray you would live in light of this truth today and not waste another day enslaved to sin!
Discussion Questions
1. Do you currently live under the belief of "sin all the more because grace abounds"? Why do you believe God has given us commands and statues to follow? Like Todd always says, "God isn't trying to rip you off; He is trying to set you free."
2. As believers, we are called to use our lives as instruments for righteousness (Romans 6:13). Would the people around you say you are a slave to sin or righteousness?
3. What is your understanding of grace? Has that changed? How would you describe grace to others now that you know that grace is not an excuse to continue to sin (Romans 6:1-2)?
4. By Christ's death and resurrection, we are no longer slaves to sin (Romans 6:6), death no longer has dominion over us (Romans 6:9), and we can walk in new life (Romans 6:4). What GREAT news! What is your story of grace that Christ has written into your life? With whom can you share your story of grace today?