By Robert Olsen, Ph.D.
Professor of Historical Theology and Director of Intercultural Studies, University of Mobile
FREEDOM
Romans 6:1–14
Dead to Sin (1–7)
Once a person becomes a Christian, a question often arises: Since we are saved by grace and not by works, is it OK to sin? After all, if my sins are forgiven, what difference does it make if I sin?
Paul renounces this view because he affirms we have died to sin. Paul references baptism as a symbol of death to our old, sinful self and resurrection into new life.
This is why Baptists believe that baptism is to be done by immersion upon the profession of faith. It represents our identification with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.
Just because we are forgiven for our sins does not mean we should abuse His grace and choose to sin. All of us will fall short. When we do, we need to repent and ask for help not to do so again.
Christians can often fall on two sides of this issue. They either give up trying to be obedient because of their persistent failures, or they turn toward legalism and think that if they sin they are no longer saved.
The conviction of sin by the Holy Spirit shows us that we are not perfect and are in need of work. However, the power of the Holy Spirit enables us to overcome sin and offer grace to other Christians struggling with sin.
Alive in Christ (8–11)
Being dead to sin and alive in Christ means that we do not have to give in to the power of sin. Because the Holy Spirit lives within us, we have power over sin. (See Rom. 8:9.)
Christians are called to live up to the standard of Christ and strive to obey His commands on a daily basis. Prayer is important because it causes us to rely on God to help us live in a way that brings glory to Him.
It helps us see where we are falling short and where we are sinning in our lives so that we can ask for help to be obedient.
It is important to realize that no Christian will live a perfect life, and there is forgiveness when we fall short.
We should not abuse this wonderful gift but instead be thankful for God’s conviction so that we can live a life that pleases God and builds up the Church.
Instruments of Righteousness (12–14)
Living like Christ and striving to be obedient is called sanctification — the process in which we become more and more like Christ. Because we are free from the power of sin and can choose to live like Christ, we become more Christlike.
Part of this process involves the Holy Spirit indwelling us and helping to point out areas of sin in our lives. This can be a frustrating thing because we will never be perfect.
There will always be areas of our lives where there can be improvement, but the fact that the Holy Spirit is convicting us of sin is a wonderful thing because it shows that God is alive and working within us.
This is why when we mature as Christians, sins we used to struggle with often fall by the wayside, only for us to be shown new sins that we may not have even realized before. This also helps us have compassion for Christians who sin because we know that we have struggles and that God forgives us.
Sanctification is a lifelong process in the Christian life, but Christians can be encouraged because “sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace” (6:14).
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