Romans chapter 6. Paul has clearly declared from
Romans chapter 5 that we, that sinners, are totally, completely
justified, justified, cleared of all guilt, justified through
the grace of God, through the blood atonement of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Remember Romans 3, 24, justified
freely by His grace through the redeeming blood of the Lord Jesus
Christ. So, we are justified by grace
alone, And know this, and we know this, we have no part in
the justification of our soul before God. That is completely
and totally a work of God for us alone. It's all of God being
confident of this very thing, that God who has begun a good
work in you, He will perform it, He will perfect it. Now, that's what has been stated
clearly in Romans 5. We are sin abounded, grace does
much more abound. Now in chapter 6 and chapter
7, the apostle shows us the ground of our sanctification is the
same ground as our justification. Christ alone is our sanctification. before God, and Christ alone
is our righteousness before God. Christ alone is the one who justifies
us before God. You remember from 1 Corinthians
1, verse 30, But of Him are you in Christ, who of God is made
unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Christ is our justification.
Christ is our sanctification. Christ alone is our holiness
before God, and He alone is our righteousness. Now, in regeneration,
in regeneration, when we're raised from the dead and made new creatures
in Christ, always remember this, the flesh is still the flesh. The flesh is still sinful flesh. It's not the flesh that's sanctified. That which is born of the flesh
is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit
is spirit. Now, I like this statement by
Robert Hocker. I've put it in the bulletin several
times, but it's a good, good statement. It helps us to understand
what he's talking about when he's talking about being justified
and being sanctified. Regeneration makes no alteration
on the flesh. but the Spirit, or in the Spirit,
in our Spirit. There is nothing in the flesh
made holy in regeneration, and there's nothing in the Spirit
left unholy. Man is body, soul, and Spirit. By nature, our Spirit is dead. What happens in regeneration,
the Spirit is made alive, and that Spirit is holy as God is
holy. The new man in Christ and that
new nature in Christ as we studied in 1 John, that new nature is
not even capable of sinning because it's of God. We're not, as someone
said, now listen to this, we're not justified at Mount Calvary
by His blood and then sanctified at the foot of Mount Sinai by
the law. In other words, some say, well,
we're justified by His blood, but now we are sanctified by
what we do according to the deeds of the law. That's not so. The
same ground of our justification is the same ground of our sanctification. The Lord Jesus Christ is made
both of those unto us. He is our sanctification. He
is our holiness. To say that we are justified
or sanctified by the doing of the law, is to deny the gospel
of God's grace. We are justified by grace and
we are sanctified by grace. The Apostle Paul, remember, put
it this way, if righteousness comes by the law, then Christ
is dead in vain. So my holiness is Christ. I'm never said to be holy by
what I do. We're going to see that in a
minute. The only way the power and dominion of sin is broken
in us is by the reigning power of Christ over us, and the reigning
power of Christ to put away our sin, and the reigning power of
His Lordship to make us willing servants in the day of His power,
being made freed from sin. It says this several times in
this chapter, being made free from sin. If you look at verse
18, Being then made free from sin. Romans 6 verse 18. Being then made free from sin.
Now, how are we made free from sin? Well, the only way we're made
free from sin is through the blood atonement of Christ. And
then again, he uses that same phrase down in verse 22 of Romans
6. But now, being made free from
sin, and become servants unto God. So, having said that and
used that as an introduction, notice again, let me read two
more verses. Find Romans 6 verse 14. For sin shall not have dominion
over you, you are not under the law, but under grace. Now this is the same argument
that he makes in verse 1 and 2. What then? Shall we sin because
we're not under the law but under grace? God forbid. Believers are never looking for
an excuse to sin. They pray that the Lord would
keep us or keep us and restrain our flesh from committing more
sin than we should. And we should never commit any
sin but That's not reality, is it? We sin constantly. What shall we say then? Romans
6 verse 1. Shall we continue in sin that
grace may abound? And the answer comes back, God
forbid. Paul anticipates the objection
of the legalist. and the self-righteous Pharisee,
when the free grace of God is openly and boldly declared, when
you say that salvation is totally by the blood of Christ, by the
grace of God that justifies us, and the flesh has nothing to
do with it. Well, the enemies of the gospel
would say, well, if grace is magnified by our sin, let us
just go on in a horrible life of sin and rebellion against
God. If grace is magnified by our
sin, the enemy would say, let us run wild with sin, let us
live in rebellion against God that His grace may be honored. What is the answer to that? Paul
said, God forbid. Now one wise preacher said this
about that argument. To begin with, sin itself is
not the cause of glorifying God's grace, is it? Sin is not the
cause of glorifying God's grace. Sin is a cause of wrath, death,
judgment, not grace. God has been pleased to magnify
His grace in a pardon of sin. It is not by the commission of
sin that grace is glorified, but the forgiveness of sin that
grace is glorified. Grace is glorified by putting
a stop to the reigning power of sin to condemn. Grace enables
men to hate sin, not to love it. Grace enables men to hate
sin and causes us to live unto the glory of God in the Lord
Jesus Christ. Now, having said that, look at
Romans 6 verse 2. Shall we continue in sin that
grace may abound? And Paul comes back with that
familiar objection, God forbid. God forbid. He uses this same
phrase again in Romans 6. Read verse 15 one more time.
What then? Shall we sin because we're not
under the law, but under grace? Again, he says, God forbid. Look over in Romans 7, verse
7. Romans 7, 7. What shall we say
then? Is the law sin? Well, we know
that. The law is holy and just. What
shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid! Nay, I had not known sin by the
law. For I had not known lust, except
the law said, Thou shalt not covet. So, here's what he's saying. How is it then, how shall we,
that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Now here's the
question. Here's the question. How are
believers dead to sin? How are we dead to sin? Well, let me give you several
things that it's not. We're not dead from the presence
of sin, are we? We're not dead from the presence
of sin. Sin still dwells in this body
we have. This flesh is nothing but sin.
We're not dead to the presence of sin, nor are we dead from
the influence of sin. Sin still runs through our mind,
our thoughts. We still have this old Adam nature
that is nothing but sin. To deny this, if we say we have
no sin, S-I-N, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. We
have as believers now, the unbeliever doesn't have this warfare. We
have a believer because he's been made a new creature in Christ.
Believers have a constant warfare between the flesh and the Spirit. Now this is what we're going
to see in Romans chapter 7. Notice over there in Romans chapter
7 verse 18. Notice carefully Romans 7 verse
18. This is what Paul says when he
calls himself a wretched man. Now we know Paul was justified
and Paul was sanctified. But he was neither justified
by what he did or sanctified by what he did. For I know, Romans
7 verse 18, that in me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good
thing. For to will is present with me,
to how to perform that which is good, I don't find that. For the good that I would, I
do not, but the evil which I would, that's what I do." And then he
says, I'm a wretched man. Oh, wretched man that I am, who
shall deliver me from this body of death? I thank God through
Jesus Christ our Lord. That's our only hope for deliverance
is the Lord Jesus Christ. You remember the Apostle Paul
in Galatians chapter 5, he said the spirit, the flesh lusteth
against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh Let me read
it to you. Galatians 5, 17. For the flesh
lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.
These are contrary the one to the other, so that you cannot
do the things that you would. Now, if I could, I'd never ever
have another sinful thought, word, deed, or action. Never! But I do. That's just the reality
of where we live as believers. We still have this sinful body
that we carry around. Now the believer as being one
with Christ and in union with Christ and identified with the
Lord Jesus Christ, here's how we're dead to sin. Dead to the
guilt of sin and the power of sin to condemn. dead to the guilt
of sin and the power of sin to condemn." You see, the law of
God, as we're one with Christ, the law of God has already executed
us for our sin. In the Lord Jesus Christ, we
have been crucified. Now, look at Romans 7 verse 6. Romans
7 verse 6. But now we are delivered from
the law, that being dead wherein we were held, that we should
serve in the newness of the Spirit, not in the oldness of the letter. We are dead to the law through
the body of the Lord Jesus Christ, being crucified with Christ.
Now don't turn, let me just read this to you in Galatians 2 verse
19. For I through the law, am dead
to the law. What's your position on the law?
Is the believer still under the law? Dead. Dead to the law through the body
of Christ that I might live unto God. For I am crucified with
Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth
in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the
faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for
me." So the believer is dead, to sin, dead to the guilt and
power of sin to condemn as the law of God says the guilty must
die. We've already died. The law has
already executed us. And it can't execute us again. Paul declares this several times
here. Look what it says in Romans 6,
6, "...knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him,
that the body of sin might be destroyed, that we should not
be the servant of it." And again, down in verse 11, "...likewise
reckon ye also yourselves to be dead unto sin." dead to sin,
dead to its condemning power, and the guilt of sin to condemn
us. Reckon it to be so. Dead. God forbid, how shall we that
are dead to sin live any longer therein. So then, believers are
no longer living under a state of condemnation, and Adam all
died, but rather in Christ there is no condemnation. Remember
that? Turn over to Romans chapter 8
verse 1. Romans 8 verse 1. There is therefore now no condemnation
to them who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh,
but after the Spirit." Now, what does that mean? Believers are
no longer seeking justification by the deeds of the flesh. We're,
by the Spirit of God, seeking salvation in Christ. Look what
it says in verse 2, "...for the law and the Spirit of life in
Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death."
We've been made free. Freed, freed, freed from the
law. That's why the Apostle says,
who can lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that
justifies. Who can condemn? Christ has already
paid our sin debt. And being one with Him, we are
crucified with the Lord Jesus Christ. Being made free from
the law, We are free to serve the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, look
back at Romans chapter 6 verse 3 and 4. The Apostle Paul here
talks about the believer's baptism. Know you not that so many of
us as were baptized into Jesus Christ, were baptized into His
death, Therefore, we are baptized with him, we are buried with
him by baptism into his death. that like as Christ was raised
up from the dead by the glory of the Father, the power of the
Father, that even so we should also walk in the newness of life. Now, how does believer's baptism
fit into this picture of being justified, being sanctified,
being dead to sin, and being made alive in the Lord Jesus
Christ? Well, listen carefully. Water
baptism is the believer's public confession of his union with
Christ. His death, His burial, and His
resurrection. It's our identification with
Him. It is showing and confessing
publicly that Christ crucified is all our hope of justification
and sanctification before God. That's what baptism pictures. His death, burial, and resurrection. And when we identify with that
as believers and publicly confess, The Lord Jesus Christ is all
of our hope. That's what we are showing. Now,
let me give you several negatives. Water baptism does not put away
sin. That would be contrary to being
justified by grace, would it not? Now, many people have erred
here. Water baptism does not put away
sin. It is the blood of Christ that
cleanses us from all our sin, but rather demonstrates our hope
in Christ who put away our sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
When He died, He was what? Buried. And that's what baptism
is, a picture of a burial. We bury them beneath the water.
That's why we don't sprinkle people. When you bury a dead
body, you don't sprinkle dirt on a dead body. You bury it.
And that's what our baptism is, a picture of being buried with
Christ. Secondly, water baptism does
not regenerate the sinner and make him a new creature. Now,
some people actually believe that. That when a person is baptized
that he is spiritually regenerated. Now we know that's not so. You hath he quickened who were
dead in trespasses and in sin. Water baptism does not make us
new creatures in Christ. That is the work of God. If any
man be in Christ, he is a new creature. We are His workmanship
created in Christ Jesus unto good works. So water baptism
does not put away sin. It does not regenerate the sinner.
Water baptism does not actually put us in Christ. Does it? A lot of people say that it does. How is a sinner put in Christ?
Not by anything he does. But of him are you in Christ,
who of God is made unto us. God hath from the beginning chosen
us to salvation. So how is a sinner put in Christ? It's by his will, his choice,
and his grace. Of his own will begat he us with
the word of truth. Fourthly, water baptism is not
salvation because salvation is in Christ. It's in the Lord Jesus
Christ. Now, listen carefully. Water
baptism is not essential to salvation. It's not essential to salvation.
It is essential to obedience unto the Lord's command. He's
commanded those who believe the gospel to confess Him by believers'
baptism. We read in Mark 6, 16 rather,
Mark 16. Go ye into all the world and
preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized
shall be saved. He that believeth not shall not
be saved. He that believeth on the Son
hath life. Therefore we are buried with
him by baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised up
from the dead by the glory and the power of God, even so we
should walk in the newness of life. Christ died for our sins
according to the Scripture, and was raised again from the dead
because He justified us. Remember that? Turn back to Romans
chapter 4 verse 25. the Lord Jesus Christ, were delivered
for our offenses and raised again for or because He justified us. That's what His resurrection
declares. His resurrection declares atonement, effectual, final,
and eternal. He put away our sin by the sacrifice
of Himself. Sin and death and the terrors
of the law have no more dominion over Christ, nor over those that
are in the Lord Jesus Christ. Sin and death has no more dominion
over Him, does it? Nor does it to the believer. Likewise, reckon you also yourselves
to be dead indeed unto sin. Dead to it. It can no longer
condemn us. It does not reign over us. For it says in verse 14 of Romans
6, For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under
the law, but you're under grace, under grace, under grace alone. The Lord Jesus Christ was raised
from the dead by the power and glory of God. Likewise, believers
have been raised from the dead by the power of God to walk in
the newness, the newness of life. Now, if you want to turn with
me, you can. Find, first of all, Colossians
chapter 3, Colossians chapter 3, the Apostle Paul puts it this
way in Colossians chapter 3 verse 1, Colossians 3 verse 1, If you
then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above,
where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection
on things above, not on the things of this earth, for you are dead. You are dead to sin. You're dead. You've been crucified with Christ.
You are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God. Our life is hid with Christ in
God. Dead to sin. Now, Peter uses
the same language because it's given by the Word of God, given
by the same Spirit of God. Find 1 Peter chapter 2. Look at verse 21, 1 Peter 2,
21. For even here unto what ye call,
because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example,
that we should follow his steps, who did no sin, neither was guile
found in his mouth, who when he was reviled, reviled not again.
When he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to
him that judgeth righteously, who his own self bare our sins
in his own body on the tree, that we being Dead to sin. Dead to sin. That we should live
under righteousness by whose stripes you were healed, for
you were as sheep going astray, but now are returned to the shepherd
and bishop of our soul. Look back in Romans chapter 6
verse 5. For if we have been planted together
in the likeness of his death, And this is what water baptism,
believer baptism pictures. We shall also in the likeness
of His resurrection. Now let me give you this, and
I'll let you go. Believers have been planted together with Christ
in His death, and again we see the blessed truth of representation
and our union with Him. When He died, we died with Him.
When He was buried, we were buried with Him. When He was raised,
we were raised up together with Him. Our Lord said, because I
live, you shall live also. Our spiritual resurrection in
Christ has already taken place. As the Father quickens the dead,
even so the Son quickens those for whom He will. You have the
quickened who were dead, and one day very soon every believer
shall experience our bodily resurrection from the dead by the will of
God unto eternal glory." The Lord Jesus Christ has called
His resurrection, His bodily resurrection from the dead is
called the firstfruits. That's the guarantee that the
whole harvest will be true and will be done. Christ is the firstfruits
afterwards. That is, His resurrection is
a guarantee of ours. Christ of firstfruits, 1 Corinthians
15, 23, afterward they that are Christ's at His coming. Knowing this, verse 6, we'll
pick up here next week, that our old man is crucified with
Him that the body of sin, That the body of sin, now what's he
talking about here, the body of sin? Christ bare our sin in
His own body on the tree. That the body of sin, all the
sin of God's elect, what did the Lord Jesus Christ do? Put
away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. He destroyed sin. that the body of sin might be
destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin, but we
serve Him. We serve a new master, the Lordship
of Christ.