"Discovering" Romans Chapter 6

The other day while I was at the church converting one of my "Rewind" programs from tape to CD I picked up the Bible looking for a passage to read. I was led to the book of Romans and started reading chapter 6. The "Romans Road" is a set of verses used to present the gospel to non-believers. Verse 23 of this chapter is a key part of that "road" because it contrasts the consequences of sin and the treasure available through Jesus. So the last verse of Romans 6 is very familiar to me.

Truthfully I can't remember ever having read the rest of the chapter before Tuesday. I'm sure I have but upon reading it this time the words "jumped" off the page and touched my soul in a way that assures it will be part of me from now on.

In Romans 6 the apostle Paul writes about something that's been on my mind for a while now: turning away from sin. This recurring spiritual truth has been presented in many of the books I've read and sermons I've listened to over the last year or so. The preachers and authors have presented turning away from sinful behavior in your life through a study of verses and examples from throughout the Bible. For me, the books "Respectable Sins" and "The Gospel According To Jesus" are the two resources that impressed it's importance the most.

When I read Romans 6 I was so awed just how clearly and concisely Paul explains the need and reasons for a Christian to turn from sin. It explains in no uncertain terms the spiritual work that has been done by Jesus Christ that frees us from our bonds to the slavery of sin. It also explains the fact that when one truly believes in Christ to the point of salvation it should mean a "quickening" in our lives or a complete turn around away from a servitude to sin to being indentured to righteous living.

It's very popular in the church today, even the church where I'm a deacon, for the leadership to present and support a gospel where by just praying the "sinner's prayer" and getting baptised you're "in" with God and your path to heaven is certain. While those acts are part of becoming a Christian there's more to a true conversion to Christ. True faith involves a change of heart. Becoming a "NEW CREATURE" and turning away from the things served while dead in sin. A new life in Christ means a severance with the "old man" or the natural state of depravity inherent in our human spirit.

Of course what I'm explaining is written about by Paul throughout the New Testament. Most importantly it was written through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and is God's message to us. Just let me let the chapter speak for itself. I've added it to the end of this post.

Please take the time to read it for yourself a couple of times. Digest the verses and the spiritual truths they convey. Upon reading them I immediately realized the utmost importance of applying them to my life. I prayed once again for God to help me, through His Spirit, to turn from serving sin as my master and to bond myself to His righteousness purchased for me through His son, Jesus Christ. I pray you will do the same.

ROMANS 6
Dead to Sin, Alive to God
1What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We 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.
5For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6We 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. 7For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
12Let 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. 14For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

Slaves to Righteousness
15What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16Do 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? 17But 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, 18and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. 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.
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. 22But 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. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.