This post is intended for members of the Killearn Dead Theologians Society sunday school class on Feb. 13, 2005, though folks who are bored and like reading Bible study outlines are more than welcome to peruse it. This week, we are covering the last two questions from class two weeks ago that we did not get to along with the seven verses at the start of Romans 6.
In Chapter 5, Paul explains how we are justified in God's sight, reconciled to God and have peace with Him through our faith in God because of the atoning acts of Christ on the cross. We are also told that we now have hope because Christ's resurrection and God's grace grants eternal life to those who believe. In this way, Christ is the "new Adam", for as Adam's decision to sin led to death for our race, eternal life is offered to our race through the work of Christ. Having established that those who have faith in the triune God are reconciled to Him, Paul address in Chapter 6 how Christians are to view sin in the light of God's grace exhibited in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Paul begins by tackling the question of whether God's grace gives the Christian a license to sin.
1) In Romans 5: 20-21, Paul points states that God's grace abounds (is more powerful) than our sin that leads to death, with the result being that God's grace (unmerited favor and love) reigns through righteousness (note that God is loving and holy) and leads us to eternal life through Jesus Christ. Paul then asks (Rom 6:1) whether the fact that grace is stronger than sin and death permits us to continue in sin, because the more we sin the more God can exercise his grace towards us. In other words, should we sin since it gives God the opportunity to display his love and forgiveness?
Wesley notes that Paul had already mentioned this issue in Romans 3: 7-8, where he writes that many people are "slandering" him by saying that the gospel he preaches tells people to do evil that good may result. It appears that Paul is intent on disproving the sort of argument that says humans may commit evil in order to bring glory to God, or to allow God to exercise His glory.
--What are some of the possible reasons that people had (have) for saying that the Gospel encourages sin? Do you think it is always impermissible for a person to do evil under the rationale that it will bring glory to God and allow Him to display His glory?
2) In Romans 6:2, Paul gives his answer, an emphatic "certainly not!" He then follows with a question, "We died to sin, how can we live in it any longer?" Wesley explains what being "dead to sin" involves, namely, to be freed from the guilt and power and sin. Calvin uses the opportunity in his commentary to note that regeneration is necessary for a person to be reconciled to God and live a holy life, thus it is foolish to think that regeneration leads to sin.
Paul goes on to explain in verses 3 & 4 that once we become Christians we are baptized into Christ's death so that we can be raised to live a new life. To summarize, just as the purpose of Christ's death and resurrection had a purpose (to pay the penalty of our sins for the purpose of conquering death), our decision to submit to Christ results in his atonement being applied to us, freeing us from being slaves to sin and allowing us to live in love and holiness as God intended. Paul will expand upon this point for the rest Chs 6 and 7.
In verses 5-7 Paul states that we are part of Christ's death and resurrection, and that our old self was crucified with Christ and that we are no longer slaves to sin. Wesley states that the crucifixion of our old self takes place gradually by virtue of our union with him (recall Jesus' teaching of Him being the vine and we the branches). This crucifixion allows us to be freed both from the guilt of past sin, and the power of present sin. Calvin also states that the crucifixion of the old self takes place over tme and adds that we should not think that this doctrine is not true.
--What do you think are the keys to putting the old self to death? What does God contribute to the process? What do we contribute to the process?
--Christ's death is sufficient to pay the completely pay the penalty for our sins. Why is it that our baptism into His death does not result in the cessation of sin? Is it possible to eventually not sin? Explain your answer.
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