Paul introduces his topic for Romans 6 by asking the question: “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” Then he answers emphatically: “God forbid!” Why not? Because we, who have been immersed into Christ, have died to sin.
Continuing with that theme, Paul challenges Christians not to let sin “reign” in our mortal bodies (6:12). You might want to highlight the words in this text that picture sin as a “king” or a “master:” slave, master, reign, slaves, freed, enslaved. I have counted 15 times (NASV). That shows that Christians (those saved by Christ) still have to fight against sin and they have something to do in this spiritual warfare. It is not all the work of the Holy Spirit.
Allowing sin to reign is tantamount to obeying its lusts. Paul will later state that if you obey the lusts of sin, you are the slave of sin. But if you obey the word of the Spirit, you will be a slave of righteousness. The members of our bodies are not to be instruments of unrighteousness but instruments of righteousness.
Answering a potential argument from the Jews, Paul asks their question: “Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace?” (6:15). That reminds me of people today who say, “It’s okay for people to believe what they want to believe and worship the way they want to worship. If God’s grace can cover me, it can cover them.” That’s the same argument these Jews would make with Paul. Let us sin since we are under grace, not under law.
But Paul states emphatically that this thinking is wrong. “May it never be!” The person (or idea) to which you submit yourself in obedience, you are a slave to that person (or idea). If it is sinful, then the end result is death. If it is obedience to God, the end result is righteousness. Observe that Paul has no idea in mind of motivation or sincerity. The bottom line is: Is it obedience? That is clearly observable in ourselves and in others.
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Paul gave thanks to God for the Romans, in verse 17, that they had been slaves to sin but obeyed from the heart the pattern, form, mold, of teaching to which they were committed. Having been obedient, they were freed from sin and submitted themselves to Christ as slaves of righteousness (vs 18). The author of chapter 6 would never say that man is saved by grace alone through faith alone.
At one time, Christians had submitted themselves as slaves to impurity and lawlessness (the condition of being without authority), which spiraled into more lawlessness (vs 19). But, having obeyed from the heart that form of teaching, they now submit themselves to righteousness which grows unto sanctification or holiness.
One who is a slave of sin is “free” from righteousness. The outcome of a life lived in slavery to sin is death. But, having been freed from sin, through immersion into Christ, a Christian becomes “enslaved to God” and the result or benefit of that choice is eternal life.
The summary of Paul’s thoughts of Romans up to this point is in verse 23: “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Remember the theme for Romans (1:16-17).
–Paul Holland
