Romans 6
Grace Brings New Life and New Freedom
Up to this point, Paul has painstakingly persuaded the Roman church that the righteousness of God has only ever been imparted to men based upon mercy rather than merit. All men are guilty before God because of sin but are offered forgiveness from God through Jesus.
Now the apostle addresses what was probably an actual question that frequently followed this teaching: “If God’s grace is given freely and without measure, what reason remains for His followers to pursue holy lives? Won’t everything we do just all be washed out with grace in the end?”
In 5:20-21 Paul concluded that, no matter how much sin increases, God’s grace increases all the more to meet it. He now warns against using that truth as an excuse for carelessness about sin. - Don Fleming
Should We Continue in Sin?
Vs. 1-2 - What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? Absolutely not!
Vs. 15 - What then? Should we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? Absolutely not!
This is a natural question the reader of Romans has at this point, because for five chapters Paul has been arguing that salvation is a free gift that comes to all who will receive it. Every other religion in the world operates on the premise, “I obey, therefore God accepts me.” The gospel flips that on its head—it says, “God has accepted me, therefore I will obey.” God has accepted me by a free act of grace. - JD Greear
It is a terrible thing to seek to trade on the mercy of God and to make it an excuse for sinning. Think of it in human terms. How despicable it would be for a son to consider himself free to sin, because he knew that his father would forgive. That would be taking advantage of love to break love's heart. - William Barclay
A New Life
Died to Sin
Vs. 2 - How can we who died to sin still live in it?
The logic of the text is this: Yes, more sin means more grace, and His grace always outstrips our sinning; but believers do not therefore sin it up all the more because his grace is not a transaction. Rather, His grace comes to us through union. When Jesus went down into the grave to die for our sins, we too went with him down into that grave to die to our sins. What would we say to an adopted orphan wandering out of the front door of the mansion of his new family and down to the food stamps line? We'd say, “What are you doing? That's not who you are anymore.” - Dane Ortlund
Newness of Life
Vs. 4 - Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life.
Their union with Christ means that with Christ they died to sin, with Christ they were buried, and with Christ they rose to new life. They pictured this in their baptism and they must now show it to be true in their daily lives. For believers in Christ, the old life has gone, the new has come. - Don Fleming
Sin has no further claim on Christ because He paid the penalty for sin. Sin no longer has a claim on us because He died as our representative. We are free from sin’s domination because of our union with Him. - Thomas Constable
Under Grace
Vs. 12 - Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires.
Note that Paul did not say that it is impossible to live in sin or that sin is dead to the Christian (i.e., that it no longer appeals to us). He meant it is unnecessary and undesirable to live in sin, to habitually practice it. - Thomas Constable
Vs. 14 - For sin will not rule over you, because you are not under the law but under grace.
The apostle concluded this section of his argument with a word of encouragement. Sin will no longer master the believer. The basic reason for this is that we are not under the Mosaic Law as the authority under which we live but under grace. Satan can no longer use the Law to hinder the believer’s progress. God has redeemed us, not by the Law but by grace. We now live under that authority. Paul dealt with the tension this situation creates for the believer in chapter 7. - Thomas Constable
A New Freedom
Analogy
Vs. 18 - having been set free from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness.
These verses are another of Paul’s extended analogies. People have a choice about which master they will serve. Paul used the figure of slaves. Whoever you obey, you come under his power.
Slavery and redemption are common biblical metaphors for spiritual death and salvation. The Hebrews were once in bondage (literal and physical) in Egypt. God broke the bondage so they could come out from Egypt and worship Him. Similarly, the Roman Christians were once in spiritual bondage to false gods, but God liberated them so they could be slaves to righteousness. - Edwin A. Blum
As was seen earlier in Romans 6, we can be legally free and still choose to live like a prisoner. Paul has a simple command and encouragement for the Christian: be what you are. - David Guzik
Apology
Vs. 19 - I am using a human analogy because of the weakness of your flesh.
Paul actually apologizes for using this picture. He says: "I am only using a human analogy so that your human minds can understand it." He apologized because he did not like to compare the Christian life to any kind of slavery. But the one thing that this picture does show is that the Christian can have no master but God. - William Barclay
Vs. 22 - But now, since you have been set free from sin and have become enslaved to God, you have your fruit, which results in sanctification—and the outcome is eternal life!
Paul argued that slavery to sin results in undesirable and unprofitable fruit. So why would anyone want to continue in that kind of bondage? Slavery to God, he countered, produces desirable and profitable fruits of sanctification. This “enslavement” leads to complete freedom.
Wages and Gifts
Vs. 23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We know this verse. We always use it as a short explanation of salvation, which it is. But the context is a description of what happens in our lives when we allow sin to gain dominance. We start to experience death. In Romans, death and life are not just options for the afterlife, they are conditions you experience now. Sin promises freedom. But it is the freedom of the fish who hops out of the water. - JD Greear
Summary
Paul has answered his question from Romans 6:1. Why don’t we just continue in habitual sin so grace may abound? Because when we are saved, when our sins are forgiven, and God’s grace is extended to us, we are radically changed. The old man is dead, and the new man lives.
In light of these remarkable changes, it is utterly incompatible for a new creation in Jesus to be comfortable in habitual sin. A state of sin can only be temporary for the Christian. - David Guzik
