By Doug Bell
Romans 6:
1¶ “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?”
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Did you know that as a Christian you no longer “have” to sin? Yet, too many of us give into sin without even a fight. How many rationalize their sin; and still today, try to use the argument above. “If God’s Grace is greater than my sin, the more I sin, the more God’s Grace is shown!” But, notice Paul’s response to that argument. He says, ‘God Forbid’, ‘Certainly not’, or even better ‘May it Never be!’ In other words, it is sinful to even suggest such a thing, because it would make God an accomplice to our sin.
And it would also deny the whole doctrine of “Sanctification.” You may not know exactly what sanctification is or supposed to do. But, “Sanctification is an ongoing process, dependent on God's continuing action in the believer, and consisting of the believer's continuous struggle against sin.” (1) And that’s the crux of the problem. We are never to ‘give in‘ to sin, but always ‘struggle against‘ sin.
This is Paul’s whole argument in Romans 6
We are “positionally” dead to sin, but our ‘condition’ experimentally is that for the rest of our lives we are in a war; a war against the world, the flesh, and the devil. But, we are not left to our own devices in the battle. We have been given Spiritual Armor (Ephesians 6:10-18), and the the Holy Spirit “works in you, both to will and to work” according to God’s purpose, and enabling His people to fulfill their new, godly desires (Phil. 2:12, 13).
And part of that is knowing the Truth. Paul says we are to 11 ”Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” [Reckon definition: 1. to think or believe: 2. to consider or have the opinion that something is as stated]. (2) We must
accept that what is true positionally, and know that God is working in us to make it true experimentally. Sanctifying us, to set us apart to God, for His use. But God works in those whom He claims as His own to conform them “to the image of his Son” (Rom. 8:29).
So then we are to all reckon with Paul;
16 ”Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. 18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.”
Let us never again ‘give into’ sin, but fight the good fight of faith. Our Heavenly Father has promised us success, and we will be as sanctified as He desires us to be in the end. 22 “But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.”
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2 https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/reckon