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The Book of Romans Chapter Six
Preface
In this chapter Paul leaves the topic of salvation as positional in Christ, which is one of justification and known as spirit salvation—the grace-gift of God based solely upon the vicarious sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary by which He made the full penalty-payment for man’s sins and which grace-gift may only be obtained by the non-meritorious means of faith alone in Christ alone.
In this chapter he addresses the practical and progressive aspect of salvation (chapters 6-8), which traditionally has been called sanctification, but which may be more accurately known as soul or life salvation. Here Paul is not speaking about the believer’s deliverance from eternal hell (lake of fire) but from the power of sin in the believer’s life, which will result in a future quality of life (labeled “eternal life” in verse 23).
Even though they were defined in a previous chapter and just so the reader may understand clearly the different aspects of God’s grand salvation plan that addresses man’s tripartite nature of body, soul (life), and spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 4:12), the following explanations are provided:
As mentioned in the commentary on chapter 2, the warning that was presented in verses 1-10 regarding the consequences of sin has a dual application. In fact argument can be made that it has more application to the believer than to the unbeliever, as may be apparent in verses 5-10.
But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who “will render to each one according to his deeds”: eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (Romans 2:5-10)
This passage in chapter two speaks of “eternal life” being the results of one’s “deeds.” And so far as it pertains to the deeds of a believer, it has no room within spirit salvation, since the only deeds that pertain in this aspect of salvation are those of Jesus Christ Himself. But “eternal life,” as seen as “quality of life (referring to the Messianic Era),” which is an alternate and justifiable use of the phrase, is in fact a reward for a Christian’s faithfulness, i.e., perseverance in righteous living—one of two outcomes in soul (life) salvation.
Now Paul continues this theme, which intrinsically involves what Paul previously mentioned in Romans 5:5, that the love of God (Holy Spirit) has been poured out in the believer’s heart. The presence of the Holy Spirit within the believer and the outgrowth of God’s love as the natural result of the Spirit’s presence speak of his new nature and availability of a new life. Yet this life is centered around and dependent upon four key words discussed in chapter six, which are know (vss. 3, 6), reckon (vs. 11), disallow (vs. 13) and present (vs. 13).
Romans 6:1-14 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
Paul said at the close of chapter 5 that grace superabounds over all man’s sin, which could lead a Jewish objector to conclude the following: “If the gospel of grace teaches that man’s sin provides for an even greater display of God’s grace, then doesn’t it suggest that man should continue in sin that grace may be all the more abundant?” To address this Paul resorts to what is known today as the Socratic Method in which he asks a question in order to solicit intelligent consideration and to develop a position.
The question is: “Shall we continue in sin [a life of sin] that grace may abound?” And without hesitation and with emphasis Paul answer’s his question: “Certainly not!” This emphatic denial regarding man continuing in sin extends through chapters 6 to 8. And this application is strictly to believers and therefore concerns soul (life) salvation, which Paul addresses in a number of ways. This section (vss. 1-14) speaks to a believer’s death to the principal and power (dominance) of sin (a product of Christ and His work), whereas the remainder of the chapter speaks to the possibility of the believer’s death to the practice of sin.
The foundation for successfully living is first to know something. Paul expresses this knowledge that the believer must possess with two questions: (1) “How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? and (2) Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? And without question this “knowledge” must stem from and be grounded by faith in God’s Word. The only way a believer can know it is by taking God at his Word. And amazingly, both faith and God’s Word are interrelated and interdependent.
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17)
The following remarks by Arlen L. Chitwood in his book The Study of Scripture are appropriate in this regard:
God delights in an individual living in one realm alone—the realm of “belief,” “faith.” God delights in an individual, “by faith,” keeping his eyes fixed on the revealed goal out ahead and moving toward that goal—“the goal which God has revealed in His Word.” God delights in an individual, “by faith,” fixing and keeping his attention centered on that which “He Himself” has revealed to be of utmost importance. . . .
The beginning points and prerequisites for coming into an understanding of the Word are very simple:
A person must first of all “see” the Word for what it is—the God-breathed Word that not only reveals God’s plan and purposes within the framework of the ages but that which is also able to build a person up and give him an inheritance within the one age toward which all things move—the coming Messianic Era (Acts 20:32).
Then, in order for the latter to occur, “a person must believe God and govern his life accordingly.” And to do this he must begin at the point of finding out what God has stated, for “faith comes by [‘out of’] hearing, and hearing by [‘through’] the Word of God” (Rom. 10:17).
And there’s no limit to “the heights” a person can rise in the realm of faith, for there’s no limit to “the depths” of God’s revelation to man. “The latter is inexhaustible, and so must the former be as well.”
Paul explains the incongruity of a believer living in sin. He states that he has “died to sin.” The Greek aorist (past) tense for “died” suggests a specific point when the action occurred, which was at one’s salvation. Death, whether physical or spiritual, means separation, not extinction (cf. vss. 6, 7, 14). In this case death to sin is separation from sin’s power or dominance, not the extinction of sin (vss. 18, 22).
He further explains how the believer “died to sin,” that the believer has been baptized [immersed] into Jesus Christ, which involved being baptized [immersed] into His death [to sin]. Here he is not speaking of water baptism, but the baptism that is performed by the Holy Spirit at point of salvation when the believer is immersed into Christ, which is in fact His body (1 Corinthians 12:13).
To understand this baptism as “water baptism” would suggest that such baptism “saves;” however, the New Testament consistently denies baptismal regeneration, presenting water baptism as a public attestation to an accomplished spiritual work (cf., e.g., Acts 10:44-48; 16:29-33). The spiritual reality Paul is speaking about is that by faith believers are “baptized (placed) into Christ” and thereby are united and identified with Him.
This is supported by the statement, “We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death.” Christ’s burial shows that He actually died (cf. 1 Cor. 15:3-4). Christians’ “burial” with Christ shows that they in fact died with Him to their former sinful ways of living. The purpose of their identification with Christ in His death and burial is that just as Christ was raised from the dead (lit., “out from dead ones”; cf. Rom. 4:24; 8:11) through the glory (a synonym for God’s power; cf. Eph. 1:19; Col. 2:12) of the Father, we too may live a new life (lit., “so also in newness of life we should walk about”).
The Greek word “newness” (“kainoteti”) speaks of life that has a new or fresh quality. The resurrection of Jesus was not just a resuscitation; it was a new form of life. In the same way the spiritual lives of believers in Jesus have a new, fresh quality. Also, a believer’s identification with Jesus Christ in His resurrection, besides being the start of new spiritual life now, is also the guarantee of physical resurrection.
This work of God at salvation [spirit salvation] in identifying a believer with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection—thus separating him from sin’s power and giving him a new quality of life—is the basis of the Holy Spirit’s continuing work in sanctification [soul or life salvation]. (The Bible Knowledge Commentary, An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty, Editors: John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zack, Cook Communications Ministries, 1983) [Brackets by this commentator]
There are those commentators who base the “baptism” in this passage as being “water baptism” pointing to the word “likeness” (Gk. homoioma, a neutral noun from homoioo, to make like) in verse 5, “For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.” Aside from the fact that the second use of the word is not present in the ancient manuscript, but was supplied by the translators in order to establish congruity, it may be noted that the word may also be used in the “literal sense.” (The Complete Word Study Dictionary, New Testament, AMG Publishers, 1992).
The truth is that due to the baptism by the Holy Spirit into Christ, which also involves the “body of Christ,” each believer positionally and spiritually (as far as God is concerned) is now in Christ who is in heaven (Gk. epouranios, the “heavenlies or heaven”), refer to Ephesians 1:3, 20; 2:6; 3:10. And this position is for each believer to take by faith, which is subsequently explained in the following verses in this passage.
But Paul reaffirms that “our old man” (the sin nature) was crucified with Christ, that the” body of sin” (i.e., sins dominion over the body) might (but can be left intact if not deactivated by faith) be done away with (Gk. kataregeo, to “render inoperative or inactive”), thereby making it possible so that the believer no longer needs to be a “slave of sin (the sin nature).” And this has all been possible through the believer’s spiritual death and resurrection in Christ, which was secured upon his placement of faith in Christ for his personal salvation. And in fact, Paul declares this a permanent condition, since “Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.”
Paul has been addressing soul (life) salvation as it proceeds from (out of) spirit salvation. The believer’s standing before God is that of having spiritually died and resurrected in Christ. His death in Christ ends his history in Adam. God’s sentence on his “old man” (the sin nature) was not reformation but death. And that sentence was carried out when Christ died on the cross, which becomes efficacious for anyone who receives God’s free grace-gift of salvation by faith alone in Christ alone. Now the believer is risen in Christ to walk in newness of life (sin’s tyranny over him is broken) provided he also receives it in the same manner as he received God’s grace-gift of justification, i.e., by faith (Colossians 2:6). The apostle Paul says it more succinctly in Galatians:
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)
This is verified in verses 11-14, in which Paul provides three more keys to achieving a successful soul salvation, i.e., the believer is to:
The first is a word that conveys the exercise of faith. The word “reckon” is logizomai in the Greek and actually means “to put together with one’s mind,” i.e., to mentally count on the fact with one’s mind—an exercise in faith. The remaining two are an exercise in one’s will. God never eliminates choice (the exercise of free-will) within His children. He expects to be believed and to be willingly obeyed.
And finally Paul establishes what make it all possible—the grace of God. He affirms that the believer is no longer under law, but that grace abounds and prevails in the Christian life—if only the believer will avail himself of it by faith and makes the proper decisions regarding God’s directions (Word) for his life.
Sin does have the upper hand over a person who is under law. Why? Because the law tells him what to do but doesn’t give him the power to do it. And the law stirs up dormant desires in fallen human nature to do what is forbidden. It’s the old story that “forbidden fruit is sweet.”
Sin does not have dominion over the person who is under grace. The believer has died to sin. He has received the indwelling Holy Spirit as the power for holy living. And he is motivated by love for the Savior . . . Grace is the only thing that really produces holiness. As Denney says, “It is not restraint but inspiration that liberates from sin; not Mount Sinai but Mount Calvary which make saints.” (Believer’s Bible Commentary, William MacDonald, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995)
Romans 6:15-23 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Paul continues his discourse on the reality for the believer of being free from the domination of the “sin nature” with another question. He immediately addresses those who belittle grace by insisting that it gives license to sin. He again emphatically declares: “Certainly not!” In verse one Paul addresses a “life of sin,” whereas here by use of the Greek aorist (past) tense, he is probably conveying the sense of committing an act of sin now and then. Although the believer is free from the law, he is never to be lawless, ever! Grace means freedom to the serve the Lord, not to sin against Him. A holy God cannot condone any form of sin, not the continuance in sin or even committing one sin.
Here Paul continues to speak of soul salvation and the practical means in which to avoid sin and its consequences. He develops the former admonition of presenting oneself and one’s members to either good or evil. He asks his readers: “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?” And this is exactly what every believer must consider after coming to Christ by faith.
Although the Arminian and the strict Calvinist glories in his belief that here Paul is speaking about a believer’s need to persevere in a life of faithfulness either to keep or prove his salvation, this is not what Paul is addressing. Paul has previously addressed the believer’s justification before God, and the matter is settled. Here Paul addresses that though one may in fact possess eternal (spirit) salvation, i.e. deliverance from the eternal consequence of the lake of fire, the manner of life the believer chooses to lead will have definite consequences in this life and the Messianic Era to come.
Sin always has consequences. For the lost person who maintains his status until physical death, it is eternity in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15). For the saved (“spirit salvation”) person who lives a life of (perseverance in) faithfulness to his Lord, there will be reward at the Judgment Seat of Christ, which will result in a glorious inheritance (joint-heirship with Christ) in the coming Messianic Era (Kingdom Age). But for the believer who turns away from Christ and fails to persevere in righteous living, the consequences will be shame at Christ’s coming, loss of rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ, which will result in loss of his inheritance during the Kingdom Age. Sadly, this is a teaching of Scripture that most of Christendom avoids today—a teaching that is apparent in the following sampling of scripture (not to mention many more):
Yet Paul assures his readers that perseverance in righteousness is practical in the Christian life. Because they obeyed “from the heart that form of doctrine [gospel of grace] to which [they] were delivered, i.e., their trust (faith) in Christ, they have indeed been set free from the dominion of sin and now may freely choose to become “slaves of righteousness.”
In verse 18 the apostle spoke of slaves of righteousness, but he realizes that those who live righteously are not actually in bondage. “Practical righteousness is not slavery, except when we speak after the manner of men.” Those who practice sin are slaves of sin, but those whom the Son sets free are free indeed (John 8:34, 36).
Paul explains that, in using the simile of slaves and master, he is speaking in “human terms;” that is, he is using a familiar illustration from everyday life. He does this because of the weakness of their flesh—in other words, because of their intellectual and spiritual difficulty in understanding truth when it is stated in general terms. Truth often needs to be illustrated in order to become intelligible.
Before their conversion the believers had surrendered their bodies as slaves of all kinds of uncleanness and to one kind of wickedness after another. Now they should dedicate those same bodies as slaves of righteousness, so that their lives would be truly holy.
When they were slaves of sin, the only freedom they knew was freedom from righteousness. It was a desperate condition to be in—bound by every evil and free from every good.
Paul challenges them (and us) to inventory the fruits of an unsaved life, fruits in those activities of which believers are now ashamed. (Believer’s Bible Commentary, William MacDonald, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995)
But now “having been set free from [the bondage of] sin [by means of “spirit salvation”], and having become slaves of God, you [now can] have your fruit to holiness [or unto sanctification], and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
This passage is normally used by those who endeavor to witness to the lost of the gospel of grace as a passage describing the end-result of sin as spiritual death, which is to say “destination hell,” but that the “gift of God” (salvation freely offered by faith in Christ) is eternal life, i.e., deliverance from “destination hell.”
Although using this passage in this fashion may indeed convey this doctrinal truth, this is not the contextual meaning of the passage. Within the context of the chapter, Paul is speaking of soul salvation, i.e., the process of sanctification made available to every believer, which can either be followed or discarded. To discard it (faithfulness or perseverance in righteousness) results in death, i.e., loss of dominion over indwelling sin now and loss of dominion in the Kingdom of Christ in the future. To follow it is to achieve eternal life, a term which also pertains to a quality of future life within the Messianic Era (Kingdom Age).
We have already established that eternal life is a future experience of the people of God according to Romans 2:7; 5:21; and 6:23. Now it seems good to ask how other parts of Scripture use the term “eternal life.” First of all, the student is surprised to learn of the scarcity of the term in the OT record with the exception of Daniel 12:2 in the LXX where it is definitely a post resurrection experience. The Synoptics as well have interesting treatments of the term “eternal life.” In Matthew 19 the writer stacks synonym upon synonym in his mention of the phrase. The phrase is introduced in 19:16 first of all. The rich young ruler asks the Lord what he must do to have eternal life. In verse 17, this having of eternal life is equated to “entering into the life.” In verse 23, having eternal life is then made equal to “entering the kingdom of heaven.” In verse 25, the disciples introduce the idea of “being saved” which here must refer to eschatological salvation. Next, in verse 28, the kingdom synonym of “the regeneration” is introduced. Then in verse 29, and inclusion with verse 16, repeats the term “eternal life.” It is clear that Matthew understood “eternal life” to be something future for the people of God and dependent upon a present willingness to sacrifice material goods (verse 29). Matthew 25:46 agrees with this, since it deliberately contrasts eternal punishment and eternal life, linking it together with the Son of Man sitting on His glorious throne.
Mark is interesting in this respect. Mark substitutes in the rich young ruler’s question the term “inherit” rather than merely “having” as in Matthew 19. The New Testament is consistent in the use of inheritance language. Inheritance always refers to the future. Inheritance is always earned. Inheritance is a reward concept (Col. 3L24). Thus, when Mark equates “the age to come” with “eternal life” (Mk. 10:30), it is consistent. Luke adds nothing additional to our understanding since he too equates “the age to come” with “eternal life” (18:30). In keeping with our understanding of inheritance language, it is important that Titus 1:2 and 3:7 links eternal life with futuristic concepts of “hope” and “heirship.” In the letters to Timothy we see “eternal life” as not only a future concept but also as a rewards concept. Wilkin (Laying Hold of Eternal Life, Sept/Oct 2003, p. 1) quite properly deals with this issue. He correctly links “laying hold” of eternal life with “fighting the good fight” and “storing up a good foundation.” Both of these terms imply choices and commitment on the part of the believer. In fact the underlying Greek word often has the idea of “seizing” a prize or booty in a battle. Can we see here the idea of a crown to be won? The only other non-Johannine occurrence in the New Testament is found in Jude 1:21 where eternal life is the result of “keeping oneself in the love of God.” (“Romans 6:23: A Pothole in the Roman Road” by Dr. John M. Sweigart)
In conclusion, Romans 6 is Paul’s assurance of the possibility of a believer’s success in regards to his soul salvation. It is entirely possible for the believer to lead a life of righteousness. God has enabled the believer to do this because of His grace-gift of the Holy Spirit that indwells him. And this life of righteous perseverance will ultimately result in a post resurrection experience of everlasting life, i.e., rulership (joint-heirship) with Jesus Christ during the Kingdom Age. |