As we continue our study in doctrine, I hope that everyone is keeping in mind what our study is supposed to lead to. Remember this blog is called doctrine AND doxology. We are not just trying to become intellectually adept in the doctrines of the faith (although that is part of it). We are also hoping that our increased knowledge of God will lead us to live a greater life for Him and His glory. That is what this post is primarily about.
Again this post is a summary of a John Piper message which really impacted me. His text was Romans 6: 1-14.
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
I felt it was necessary to post the whole thing because this issue is of utmost importance in the Christian life.
Paul is speaking to the Romans in this book. It is an interesting point that, at this time in Paul's life, he had not been to Rome yet. But He had a great interest in the church there and in their growth. Paul had just finished a long discourse in chapters 1-5 about how salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ alone and by His grace. Now he makes a sudden change in tone and begins to talk about the "living out" portion of the Christian life. In chapter 5, He finished up by talking about how sin used to abound in our lives but now grace so much more abounds since we are in Christ. Christ, as the second Adam, has imputed His righteousness to us so that we are positionally pure before God. But then he goes into chapter 6 and lets us know that while we should be, we are not pure in our practice. He asks since grace is now abounding, should we continue to sin so it can abound more and more. He answers with "God forbid!" In other versions it says "May it never be so!" So even though grace is abounding, that is not a license for us to sin all we want. It is completely the opposite.
He goes on to explain why we cannot keep sinning. "For how shall we who are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" He tells us that we are dead. A dead man can't do anything, including sin. Now we know that he did not mean we are literally dead but rather that our FLESH is dead. We are alive in Christ now and the old man, which is still in our nature, should be dying more each day. (2 Cor. 5:17) Our body of flesh was crucified with Christ on the cross, therefore we should no longer be living as slaves to sin as it says in verse 6.
So does this passage which speaks about our "works" or about how we are supposed to live as Christians contradict what Paul had previously said about salvation by faith alone, grace alone, in Christ alone apart from works? Was he saying "well I didnt mean it is completely apart from works. You have to keep some laws." NO. This passage in no way contradicts the previous verses. It instead teaches us that we must begin a process of sanctification, after our justification at the moment of conversion, wherein we start to live as though we are dead to sin, which we are. In other words, If you are saved, your flesh is dead. But we still sin. So we need to start LIVING like our flesh is dead. We cannot continue to "present our bodies as instruments of unrighteousness." The works we do and the way we live after salvation show that we have truly been justified and that a work of sanctification is happening in our hearts (or will). (James 2:18)
Ok, in conclusion I want to go back to the fact that Paul had never been to Rome. Notice how he asks them in verse 3 "Or do you not know....?" It is interesting that He asks them this because he had never been there to teach them, but He expected them to know about this issue which he was writing them about. He was in a sense saying this is just common sense for the Christian. We should realize that when we are saved, our flesh has died and we have been called to a life that is lived for Christ and no longer lived to fulfill our lustful passions.
I hope this had made sense. I feel this is an extremely important issue in our lives as Christians. Let us together strive to live as dead men. God bless you guys.
Blogging for His glory, Aaron Soutar
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