Daily Bread 2011 - Romans 6
Daily Bread 2011 – Romans 6
11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. 14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.
What Does This Mean?
Paul’s next argument is that just because grace increases when sin increases, this does not mean that we should keep on sinning. But just as we have been baptized into Christ and raised to newness of life, we have also died to the power of sin our lives. But that does not mean that we will not continue to have temptations to sin. So in verse 11 he says, “count yourselves dead to sin”. The word “count” is a word that means to reckon or take into account. It is an “attitude word” or state of mind.
In light of the above it says, “do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires”. In the same way, “don’t offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God.” So what we offer is based on what we know to be true, or have experienced. We have the choice to offer ourselves to God for the purpose of doing good things, or to offer ourselves to wickedness. When we were under the law, we had no power to do otherwise; but since we have received God’s grace and know the difference we live in freedom and have the power to make a different choice!
Paul ends this chapter with the classic verse 23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
What Does This Mean For Us?
Again the key concept Paul outlines is that through grace sin no longer has mastery over us. But one danger with he points out is thinking, “Since I am forgiven when I sin and grace abounds, I might as well keep on sinning.” The problem with that kind of thinking is to continue to sin is slavery and leads to death, whereas Christ has set us free so that we might offer ourselves back to God willingly.
Paul pushes the analogy further and tells us to be slaves to obedience, which leads to every increasingly holiness and righteousness. He is being “tongue in cheek” at this point but his point is we are now free by God’s grace to offer ourselves back to God, not under obligation but in freedom. Just like it wouldn’t make sense for someone who was just let out of prison to go back to a life of crime and end up in jail again (although many do!), it doesn’t make sense for someone who has been freed from the power of sin to offer themselves back to their old sinful nature.
Heavenly Father help us to offer ourselves to you so that you might continue to grow our character and lead to ever increasing holiness through the gift you have given us in Your Son, Jesus Christ, Amen.
11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. 14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.
What Does This Mean?
Paul’s next argument is that just because grace increases when sin increases, this does not mean that we should keep on sinning. But just as we have been baptized into Christ and raised to newness of life, we have also died to the power of sin our lives. But that does not mean that we will not continue to have temptations to sin. So in verse 11 he says, “count yourselves dead to sin”. The word “count” is a word that means to reckon or take into account. It is an “attitude word” or state of mind.
In light of the above it says, “do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires”. In the same way, “don’t offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God.” So what we offer is based on what we know to be true, or have experienced. We have the choice to offer ourselves to God for the purpose of doing good things, or to offer ourselves to wickedness. When we were under the law, we had no power to do otherwise; but since we have received God’s grace and know the difference we live in freedom and have the power to make a different choice!
Paul ends this chapter with the classic verse 23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
What Does This Mean For Us?
Again the key concept Paul outlines is that through grace sin no longer has mastery over us. But one danger with he points out is thinking, “Since I am forgiven when I sin and grace abounds, I might as well keep on sinning.” The problem with that kind of thinking is to continue to sin is slavery and leads to death, whereas Christ has set us free so that we might offer ourselves back to God willingly.
Paul pushes the analogy further and tells us to be slaves to obedience, which leads to every increasingly holiness and righteousness. He is being “tongue in cheek” at this point but his point is we are now free by God’s grace to offer ourselves back to God, not under obligation but in freedom. Just like it wouldn’t make sense for someone who was just let out of prison to go back to a life of crime and end up in jail again (although many do!), it doesn’t make sense for someone who has been freed from the power of sin to offer themselves back to their old sinful nature.
Heavenly Father help us to offer ourselves to you so that you might continue to grow our character and lead to ever increasing holiness through the gift you have given us in Your Son, Jesus Christ, Amen.
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