6:1 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?
Chapter five closes with Paul giving us an interesting equation that grace abounds more as sin increases. God’s grace is greater than sin, therefore eternal life through Jesus Christ reigns over sin and death. Paul undoubtedly knew how some might react by thinking it was okay to continue sinning or sin more if grace is automatically increased. So, he immediately responds by asking the question, “Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace?” (Romans 6:1, NLT) Even though we are forgiven, Christians still sin, the sin that Paul is referring to pertains primarily to those sins we repeatedly do. Paul’s response is the same strong negative statement we saw earlier in chapter three (Greek ‘mē ginomai’). Paul next asks how we, those that have been forgiven and who have died to sin, would even consider the idea of still living in sin?
6:3 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.
Paul wants us to think through this question carefully, so he begins by asking whether we know that when we were baptized into Christ Jesus, that we were also baptized into Jesus’ death? By making this stark comparison, Paul is forcing us to evaluate what Jesus has done for us. He continues with another startling and equally graphic statement that we were also buried with Him (see also Colossians 2:12). Through this contrast of death and life, Paul wants us to see the incredible gift we have been given, the newness of life! Now why would we want to spoil the glory of God by continuing to do the things that brought death? Paul then makes our relationship with Jesus far more intimate, pointing out that we are united with Jesus through a death like His and if we are united through death, we will be certainly united with Him in a resurrection like His!
6:6 We know that our old self 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 from sin.
As Christians, we know that our old body (the one that is prone to sin and death) and our old existence (lifestyles, priorities, etc.) has died, it was crucified with Jesus in order that the sinful body be rendered powerless. The more we grow in Christ, the more we are aware of our sins and become less tolerant to them every day. As we mature in Jesus, the less we sin. Paul tells us that those that have died have been set free from sin. We need to understand that statement is only accurate for believers. It is true that after we die, we are no longer able to sin, but if someone does not have faith in Jesus before they die, then that person would go to hell and eternally suffer for their sin (not exactly set free from sin).
6:8 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.
Paul reminds us that those that have died with Christ will also live with Him. Death no longer has any influence over Him and since He died to sin and lives to God (being eternal), He will never die again, (see also Hebrews 10:11-14), Jesus lives for the glory of His Father. Therefore, we should consider ourselves dead to sin and alive in Jesus. The Greek word translated in verse eleven as ‘consider’, is ‘logizomai’, which means “to take something into account” or “to impute,” which is similar to the word ‘counted’ in Romans 5:13. But what should we consider or take in account regarding our sinful lives? Several apply, here are a few examples we should remember and consider: We can consider that we can resist sin and the devil (see James 4:7 and 1 Corinthians 10:13); we should consider that we cannot ‘sin’ ourselves out of God’s grace, He did all the work (see John 10:27-30 and Ephesians 1:13-14); and we should also consider that our lives are God’s (Jesus bought us with His blood, see 1 Peter 1:18-19) and are completely in His hands (see Romans 8:28).
6:12 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.
Paul then comes back to his initial premise, we are not to let sin reign in our mortal bodies, because sin will force us to obey its passions, namely the things of this world, and not God. To clarify this, Paul will next use some graphic descriptors. He says we are not to present our members (body parts) to sin as instruments of unrighteousness. Instead, we are to present ourselves to God as one who are experiencing life after once being dead. Our members are to be used to bring glory to God for righteousness.
6:14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
Sin is not to have lordship over us, we are not under the authority of the law but under God’s grace! We should never be fooled into believing that sin cannot reign in a believer’s life, it may not reign over grace, but it can prevent a close relationship with Jesus. Martin Luther offers this guidance regarding our continuing struggle over sin:
We are in sin until the end of our life. For this reason blessed Augustine says: “Until our body is raised to life and death is swallowed up in victory, our evil desires will afflict us.” Likewise, we read in Gal. 5:17: “The desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you would.” And below, in Rom. 7:19 Paul says: “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do, etc.” Again, in James 4:1: “What causes wars, and what causes fightings among you? Is it not your passions that are at war in your members?” And in 1 Peter 2:11: “Abstain from the passions of the flesh that wage war against your soul.” And in this way all the apostles and saints confess that sin and concupiscence remain in us, until the body returns to ashes and a new one is raised up without concupiscence and sin, as 2 Peter 3:13 puts it, “According to His promise we wait for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells,” as if to say that sin dwells in this present world. Just so in Jer. 18:4 ff. in regard to the potter who repairs the broken vase by making another, the Lord says that He will do likewise. For the Lord hates this body of sin and is preparing to remake it into another; therefore He commands us to hate it also, to destroy and put it to death and to seek an escape from it and “the coming of His kingdom” (Matt. 6:10).[1]
Just as he asked the question whether we should continue in sin since we know that grace abounds in verse one, Paul will next ask if we should continue to sin since we are under grace and not under the law. Is there ever an excuse to sin?
6:15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!
Paul made a clear statement that sin no longer has dominion over believers since Christians are not under law but under grace. Using his now familiar hypophora format (asking a question and then immediately answering it), Paul asks if it is okay to sin because we are not under law but under grace? In his answer he once again says “By no means!” (Greek ‘mē ginomai’) for the fifth time in this epistle. To clarify his answer Paul will once again make a series of comparisons.
6:16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?
He says if we present (Greek word ‘paristēmi’, meaning “to make available”) ourselves to anyone as obedient slaves (Greek word ‘doulos’, which can be translated slave, servant or bondservant, depending on context, the translation as slave would be the correct use based on context, see Romans 1:1). He then points out that we are slaves to whom we obey. Meaning that regardless of what someone might think or say, when one obeys someone, it is through those actions that reveal their true master.
6:17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.
Even though the Bible makes it clear we are slaves either to sin or to God, mankind seems to reject the concept of being owned by someone else. Jesus made it clear that “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Matthew 6:24) Jesus also said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.” (John 8:34b) But what if we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior? Peter in his first epistle reminds us that we “were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.” (1 Peter 1:18b-19) All believers have been “blood bought” by Jesus, we are owned by Him (see also Acts 20:28), there is no “in-between position,” we are either for God or against Him (see Matthew 12:30; Mark 9:40; Luke 11:23).
Paul once again points out the dichotomy of existence, if we chose sin, that leads to death, but if we chose obedience to Jesus, that leads to righteousness. He then gives thanks to God that we can choose, saying that we were once slaves to sin and have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching. That is Paul’s way of saying that through our heartfelt desire (not through obligation or driven forcibly) to obey God’s Word (the ultimate standard of teaching), to follow the model or pattern given to us from Jesus (see also 2 Timothy 1:13), to which we have accepted and are committed to follow. Having been set free from sin (see John 8:32), we have become slaves to righteousness.
6:19 I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.
Paul is not trying to insult anyone when he says that he is speaking in “human terms,” he is simply acknowledging that mankind is greatly influenced by the worldly viewpoint, which includes all the trappings and temptations of the flesh. He further points out that just as people presented their members (Greek word ‘melos’, meaning body parts, in this case referring to use for pleasure) as slaves to impure acts and sin, which if not stopped will lead into more acts of sin; the opposite must now be true. We must present our members as slaves to righteousness. Paul is still referring to body parts, but instead of self-indulgence, we are to use our body parts in a positive and obedient fashion such as with our mouths speaking the gospel message, or hands helping others. Which leads (Greek word ‘eis’, can also be translated ‘into’ or “going towards”) to sanctification, the process of being made holy. Paul is not saying that these things are required to become holy, it is just what a person does as God makes them holy. Remember Jesus did all the work for our justification and our salvation, we cannot add anything.
6:20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.
Paul acknowledges that while we were slaves to sin, we were free from any influence or allegiance to righteousness. But the fruit (Greek word ‘karpos’, meaning fruit of a tree, used here as a metaphor referring to any advantage or profit) we were getting during that time in our lives, which we are now ashamed of, can only end in death (see also Proverbs 14:12; Galatians 6:8).
6:22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.
However, things are different for a believer, now that we have been set free from sin (see also John 8:31-38) we are slaves of God (see also 1 Corinthians 7:22). The fruit we receive as Christians is sanctification, which instead of ending in death, results in eternal life. It is the fruit that defines who we are (see Jeremiah 12:13; Matthew 7:15-20; Galatians 5:22-23). We are to, “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.” (1 Peter 2:16)
6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Paul summarizes with perhaps the most known and quoted verse of chapter six, saying the wages (Greek word ‘opsōnion’, essentially meaning something like meat eaten with bread, referring to basic provisions, however, it is commonly used as a metaphor for general wages, recompense or payment) of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life with Jesus. The Greek word translated as “free gift” is ‘Charisma’, meaning the gift of grace. Which means another way of translating that verse would be, “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of grace from God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
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[1] Luther, M. (1999). Luther’s works, vol. 25: Lectures on Romans. (J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald, & H. T. Lehmann, Eds.) (Vol. 25, pp. 308–309). Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House.