Sullivan church of Christ – Sullivan, MO
Date: January 16, 2005
CHRISTIANS AND THE MATTER OF SIN # 1
Ben Justice
One becomes a Christian upon obedience to the gospel of Christ. This entails
hearing and learning God’s truth (John 6:45; Rom. 10:14, 17), accepting God’s
truth and who Jesus claimed to be, which is what the Bible refers to as faith or
belief (John 8:24; Mark 16:16; Heb. 11:6), repenting of sins (Luke 13:3, 5; Acts 17:
30), confessing faith in Jesus as the Son of God (Acts 8:37; Rom. 10:9-10), and
being immersed in water for the remission of past sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:
16; I Pet. 3:21).
When one obeys the gospel, they become a Christian — a child of God. But,
what happens when one actually becomes a Christian, as it relates to the matter
of sin?
Jesus came into the world to take away sin. Rom. 5:8 says, “But God commendeth
his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Jesus
came to “save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). Jesus came to call
“sinners to repentance” (Matt. 9:13). According to I Cor. 15:3, “Christ died for
our sins according to the scriptures.” Gal. 1:4 says, “Who (Christ) gave himself for
our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of
God and our Father:” Heb. 1:3 speaks of Christ who “purged our sins.” I John 3:5
declares, “And ye know that he (Christ) was manifested to take away our sins; and in
him is no sin.” I Pet. 2:24 tells us that Jesus “bare our sins in his own body on
the tree.” The taking away of sins was accomplished by the shedding of the
blood of Christ. Rev. 1:5 states, “. . . Unto him (Christ) that loved us, and washed
us from our sins in his own blood.” The death of Jesus on the cross and the
shedding of his blood on the cross provided the means of salvation and the
remission of sins. Even though the Bible teaches that Jesus died and shed his
blood to take away the sins of the world does not mean that the whole world will
be saved. The Bible does not teach universalism, that is all people will be saved
(cf. Matt. 7:13-14). Jesus made it possible, based upon his death, for all people
to be saved.
Further, the Bible equally teaches that one must comply with the terms of
pardon in order to benefit from the blood of Christ to take away sins. A person is
still in his sins until he obeys the gospel of Christ. Yes, it is true that the blood
of Jesus washes away our sins (Rev. 1:5), but not until one has submitted to the
act of baptism. Saul of Tarsus was told in Acts 22:16, “And now why tarriest thou?
arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” It
is in the act of baptism that one appropriates the saving benefits of the blood of
Christ.
The Bible time and again describes what happens after one has submitted to the
terms of pardon and becomes a Christian, as it relates to sin. Rom. 6 is a divine
commentary on this very subject. We wish to spend some time in this chapter
because it deals with the crux of the issue before us.
Paul was writing to Christians when he penned Rom. 6. He began by asking the
brethren at Rome in v. 1, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that
grace may abound?” In other words, “Shall we go on sinning so God’s grace might
increase?" Paul answers that question by giving an emphatic, “God forbid. How
shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” (v. 2). Paul used the
expression “we,” which means that he included himself with these Roman
brethren.
Note the expression, “dead to sin.” These Christians were “dead to sin.”
Instead of “dead to sin,” the ASV has “died to sin,” which seems to be the better
translation. This indicates a past act. They had “died to sin” some time in the
past. But, what exactly does the expression mean? Dying to sin means, as
Barnes put it, “that it has no influence over us” (Barnes’ Notes — Romans, Pg.
140).
Paul asked a rhetorical question in this verse. Those who are died to sin in the
past, how, Paul asks, could they “live any longer therein” (in sin)? This phrase
helps us to understand the phrase “dead (died — ASV) to sin.” At one time, they
were living in sin; hence, they had not died to sin. When Paul wrote to these
Roman brethren, they were no longer living in sin; hence, they had “died to sin.”
So, dying to sin means no longer living in sin. One who has not died to sin
continues to live in sin. Paul will further explain this matter in the subsequent
verses.
In v. 3-4, Paul sets forth the means by which they had become dead to sin.
Verse 3 says, “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ
were baptized into his death?” The expression, “Know ye not,” is equivalent to,
“Don’t you know?” What should they have known? They should have known
what baptism was for? When they submitted to the act of baptism, they died to
sin. In other words, they died to living in sin. From what Paul stated about
baptism, how can one dispute its essentiality? Those Christians to whom Paul
wrote were baptized to die to a lifestyle of sin. Just as Jesus died to take away
sin, when a person is “baptized into his (Jesus’) death,” he is dying to living in
sin. The expression, “Know ye not,” clearly indicates that this is something a
person must know before he submits to the act of baptism. A person must
realize what he/she is doing when submitting to the act of baptism. They must
realize that they are dying to a lifestyle of sin.
According to v. 4, when one has submitted to the act of baptism, he/she is
“raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father.” The final result is that one
“walks in newness of life.” When one becomes a Christian a new life begins.
Such a person no longer lives a lifestyle of sin. Notice that this “newness of
life” comes subsequent to baptism.
Paul said in 2 Cor. 5:10, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old
things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” A “new” life takes over
when one becomes a Christian. “Old things are passed away,” as Paul put it. In
other words, one does not continue to live as a Christian as he once did before
becoming a Christian (cf. I Pet. 4:1-4).
In I Cor. 6:9-11, Paul addresses the point precisely. In writing to the
Corinthians, he said, “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom
of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor
effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, (10) Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor
drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. (11) And
such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in
the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” Living in sin had
characterized these Corinthians before becoming Christians. But, as Paul
clearly pointed out in v. 11, “And such were some of you.” This is past tense.
They were no longer living in these sins. What changed their state? They had
been “washed,” “sanctified,” and “justified.”
Going back to Rom. 6, Paul continues to address the issue of being dead to sin.
In v. 6-7, Paul wrote, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the
body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. (7) For he
that is dead is freed from sin.” When one becomes a Christian, “the body of sin” is
“destroyed.” Christians no longer “serve sin.” Serving sin is characteristic of
the world and not Christians.
Jesus said in John 8:34, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is
the servant of sin.” The term “committeth” is present tense in the Greek.
Therefore, it denotes, “continues to commit or keeps on committing.” As
Robertson noted, “continuous habit or practice” (Word Pictures — John, Vol. V,
Pg. 150). The one who keeps on committing sin “is the servant of sin.” “Servant”
is from the Greek word doulos, which denotes a “slave.” The ASV translates the
term as “bondservant.” When one becomes a Christian, he/she is no longer a
servant (slave) to living in sin habitually and on purpose.
We will pick up again with Romans 6 next week.