What, then, shall we declare? That we may be persisting in sin that grace should be increasing? May it not be coming to that! We, who died to sin, how shall we still be living in it?
Paul to the Romans 6: 1-2, Concordant New Testament
Long before the conception of the holy Roman Catholic church, Rome was the epicenter of one of the most powerful civilizations ever known. The Roman empire stretched from English Isles in the West to the nations of the middle East. Whoever coined the phrase "All roads lead to Rome" certainly knew what they were talking about. Against this backdrop of world domination, within this Roman territory a movement was growing. A movement based on the teachings of a man from Nazareth in the nation of Israel. Indeed, word of the teachings of the man Jesus had reached beyond the borders of the nation of Israel to the nations beyond its borders. One of the loudest of these voices came from one who spent the early part of his life persecuting the followers of Jesus. The man Saul had made a career out of doing the bidding of the leaders of the Jewish religion. On the day his life would change forever, he was on a mission to deliver any followers of Jesus unto the chief priests in Jerusalem. Yet God had different plans for Saul. For on that day, the persecutor Saul became the apostle Paul, one of the staunchest defenders of the gospel of Christ Jesus we will ever know. But these words of Paul written in his evangel do not have many fans withing the church itself. For Paul writes to the truth of the Lord Jesus, and that truth often contradicts the message given by those within the church. Where the church speaks to the lie that sin has separated us from God, Paul points out that Jesus Himself "Died to sin once for all time" {Paul to the Romans 6:10}. Paul writes, correctly, that Jesus has given Himself for the forgiveness of sin. He also provides a defense for those within the church who will continue to keep the sin issue alive. To these he speaks to the truth of "We, who died to sin, how shall we continue living in it?" {Paul to the Romans 6:1-2}. I have a friend who will bristle at the very idea that sin has been dealt with. What about our bad behaviors and decisions? Are they not the very essence of sin? As Paul proclaims, why do we continue living in what Jesus has already dealt with?
I consider Paul's letter to the church in Rome to be one of the best rebukes of sin which we will find in the scriptures. Not only that, it is Paul who introduces us to our one true identity in Christ Jesus. Our identity in Jesus? Yes! For it is Paul who speaks to the truth of Christ living within him {Paul to the Galatians 2:20}. Tell me, if Christ lives within us, how is it that sin can flourish? This is, of course, the nature of the truth of sin spoken of by Paul. Whenever someone speaks to me about the separation theology preached by the church, I remind them of this letter written by Paul to those in Rome. I can imagine that those in Rome reading this letter of Paul also were taken by surprise by his words. For those within Roman society were more akin to the gods of altars and statues than the truth of the Lord Jesus. However, there was at this time a burgeoning church of the followers of Jesus in Rome itself. It is to these that Paul writes his famous letter. He reminds them of the truth of the words of Christ Jesus. He also reminds them of the truth of who they were IN Him. The truth that sin no longer has a dwelling place in their lives. That through the innocent sacrifice of Jesus, that the sin debt has now been paid in full {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}. But these words of Paul are not just a letter to the church in Rome, but to all believers in Christ Jesus. A reminder of the truth which we find in Him. A contrast to the false words coming from the church. Paul contrasts the condemnation spoken by those in the church with the freedom which we have in Christ.
Knowing this, that our old humanity was crucified together with Him, that the body of sin may be nullified, for us by no means to be still slaving for sin, for one who dies has been justified from sin. Now if we died together with Christ, we believe that we shall be living together with Him also, having perceived that Christ, having been roused from among the dead, is no longer dying. Death is lording it over Him no longer, for in that He died, He died to sin once for all time, yet in that He is living, he is living to God. Thus you also, be reckoning yourselves to be dead, indeed, to sin, yet living to God in Christ Jesus, our Lord
Paul to the Romans 6: 6-11, Concordant New Testament
~Scott~
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