Free To Not Sin

Tomorrow, Chris and I leave on the first leg of our journey to London and then to various place in the UK and Europe, but I am really glad I get the chance to talk about Romans 6 first. I think this is one of the most important and encouraging (and perhaps one of the least appreciated) chapters in the Bible. This chapter has the potential to change our lives!

Romans started with a stark declaration that we are all sinners. Sin has alienated us from God. Sin leads to death. But then we heard the good news: there is a righteousness that God gives graciously – a righteousness that is not achieved by obeying the law (because that is impossible for sinful people) but is a gift from God received by faith. It is possible to be forgiven, to stand before God sinless, cleansed because of the death of Jesus in our place, and to enjoy a new life because of the resurrection of Jesus.

Romans 5 talked about that new life. Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God; we stand in His grace; we rejoice in hope; by the grace of God, even our suffering is for our good. The love of God has been poured into our hearts, and we have received the Holy Spirit. It started very badly, but now, because of Jesus, it is all good – very, very good.

But there is a question: What about sin now? Is it OK to sin because we can be forgiven?  Or, is it not OK? If it is not OK, how do we stop it? How do we stop sinning?

People used to talk about besetting sins. Besetting sins are those sins that we never seem to get on top of; those sins that are a constant source of struggle for us, and maybe a constant source of shame and embarrassment and a sense of failure. Or maybe it is not a struggle because we have given in to it, thinking, “I can’t do this. This is too powerful for me. I can’t conquer it.” When we do sin, perhaps repeatedly, do we still have peace with God? Are we still standing in the grace of God. Chapter 6 addresses the question of sin in the life of the Christian.

In Chapter 5, Paul had said that the more sin had increased, the more God’s grace had increased. No matter how sinful the world has become, God’s grace is more than sufficient. So, is sin a good thing because it increases God’s grace?

You have probably heard of Rasputin, the very controversial Russian mystic and self-proclaimed holy man, faith healer and prophet. Rasputin lived a scandalous life marked by drunkenness and gross sexual immorality. It is said that he believed that engaging in sin led to a greater experience of God’s grace. Sinning is a way of drawing closer to God! That would be a very convenient way to justify ongoing sin, wouldn’t it? God wants us to sin.

Paul faced people saying the same idea and his response is very clear. READ Romans 6:1-14.

Shall we keep on sinning, so that people see more of God’s grace? No! Paul is horrified. Certainly not! By no means!

A similar question is ask further down in v.15: Shall we keep on sinning because we are under grace now, not under the law? If the law doesn’t apply any more, but grace does, can we do what we want?

Again, Paul is emphatic! No. No, no, no!

Coming back to v.2, Paul asks “How could that possibly be? How can you be dead to sin but want to keep on sinning? That doesn’t make sense. You cannot be both dead to sin and alive to sin. It is one or the other but it cannot be both.” We might ask the question in different ways: “How can you claim to love Jesus but then not care about hurting Jesus?” It doesn’t make sense.

Paul reasoning is that we are dead to sin, but what does that mean? He then says, “Don’t you know that all who share in Christ Jesus by being baptised also share in His death?” “Don’t you know?” I am not sure if he is saying, “Surely you know this” or if he has suddenly realised that they might not know this.

There is something here that it is crucial we understand. We could pick up on Paul’s “Certainly not!” and say, “No, sin is wrong. Don’t do it!”, but most of us know it is not that easy. We are not that strong.

In fact, do you remember the passage in the next chapter, Romans 7, where Paul talks of his own struggle with sin? Scholars debate whether he is referring to his old pre-conversion life or his ongoing struggle with sin even as a Christian. It is written in the present tense which is one reason for believing Paul was talking about his current reality.

Romans 7:15, 18-19

15 In fact, I don't understand why I act the way I do. I don't do what I know is right. I do the things I hate… 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.

Paul talks about a battle raging within – wanting one thing, doing the opposite. But, notice that he talks about his sinful nature. There is no good in my sinful nature. He is saying, I cannot do it. I, by myself unaided by God, cannot conquer sin.”

We could just say, “Be strong. Resist sin.”, but this passage is not about conquering sin by being strong. The solution is not in us; the solution is in the gospel. The solution is in the good news of Jesus Christ.

The good news here is this: Jesus died and rose again. And Christians have shared in Jesus’ death and have shared in Jesus’ resurrection to a new life.

Romans 6:4

When we were baptised, we died and were buried with Christ. We were baptised so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead, we also might live a new life.

When we are baptised, something extraordinary happens; somehow, we are united with Jesus and His death becomes our death and His resurrection becomes our being raised to live a new life. I do not understand how that happens; I just know it happens. We die with Jesus, and we are raised to a new life.

We could think of other biblical ways of saying this same thing. Jesus said we must be born again. The old person dies and a new person is born. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says that if anyone is in Christ, that person is a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come. When we come to faith in Jesus, and Paul specifically talks about baptism, the old person dies, and a new person is born, given a new life. V.6 says that the old person was crucified with Christ. Something huge happens when we choose to follow Jesus.

Here is the point. The old person was a slave to sin. A slave to sin – under the power of sin, compelled to sin, had no choice. Human beings cannot not sin. Sin is the master we serve. But that old person has died. The person who was a slave to sin has died. V.7: “Sin has no power over dead people”. That is true: dead people do not sin. Or, another translation: Anyone who has died has been set free from sin (NIV).

Not only are we included in Jesus’ death; we are included in resurrection. We die and we are raised to a new life no longer under the power of sin. The new life is to be Christ-centred, Christ-honouring, Christ-following. The old life we lived for ourselves; the new life we live for God.

We might say, “That is all very well but it doesn’t work. It is a nice theory, but I am not dead to sin. I am still very much alive to sin and I don’t live my whole life for God.”

Romans 6:11

In the same way (in the same way that Jesus died for sin but now lives for God), you must think of yourselves as dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

In other words, God says it is true that we have died and been raised to a new life. Our responsibility is to believe what God says. Think of yourselves as dead to sin but alive to God. Believe that it is true. Live this new reality. We are no longer slaves; we are free to say no. “No, I do not have to give in to this temptation and I am not going to. No, you have no power over me; I choose to follow Jesus.”

I said before that we are simply not strong enough to have victory over sin. But the good news is that God has done the heavy lifting. God has raised this new person who is no longer a slave. God has made freedom a reality for us who otherwise would have no freedom. God has made it possible; our part is to put it into practice. This is how we are to think of ourselves. Do you think of yourself as dead to sin and alive to God?

I do not always say no to sin. Sometimes I want to sin. I could say no but I say yes. As Christians, we sin not because we are compelled to, but because we choose to. But that is the point: we have a choice. If we choose to we can say no. So what do we choose? Do we choose to please ourselves or please God.

v. 12 says, “Do not let sin rule your body”. That is a command. It sounds like it is up to us to be strong. But, again, our part is to simply take hold of this truth and live it. We have the power to say no, so say no to sin. Tell sin that it is no longer the boss. Paul says, “Do not give any part of yourself to sin.” Another command. We are to say no to sin but yes to God – in everything. We used to be slaves but now we are free – free to choose whom we serve. The exhortation is “serve God. With every part of your being serve God.” At the beginning Paul said, “How can you be dead to sin and keep sinning?” Good question. How can we have received this freedom, by the grace of God, and not want to live wholeheartedly for God and for His glory?

In v.13, Paul says do this “as people who have been raised from death to life”. It is only those who have been raised from death to life who can do this. Striving to keep the law is not the same as being born again by the power of God. This is not a human thing; this is a God thing. Has this been your experience? Have you died and been raised to new life by the power of God?

This freedom is good, good news. And it is free. It is free freedom. God gives it freely to those who are honest about their sin but repent and choose to trust and follow Jesus. If you would like to talk about it more, or you want someone to pray with you, come to the front of the church or go to the room behind where I am standing, or turn to the person next to you while we are singing or at the end of the service. There are people who would love to pray with you, or ask a friend. Is it time you responded to Jesus?

V.11 says, “Think of yourselves as dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” I wondered if it might be good for us to give voice to that – to state it out loud.

I used to be under the power of sin, but now, because I have put my faith in Jesus, I have died with Him, and I have been raised with Him. Having died, I am free to say no to sin.

I have been raised to a brand new life – a life I want to live for God. Lord, help me please, in those times of temptation, to actually say no to sin and to live every moment of my life for You.

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