The Newness of Life

Lesson Chapter: Romans 6

Paul wrote to the church at Rome to explain their new way of life. His mission was to teach salvation to the gentiles. After the death and resurrection of Christ, the church was no longer under the dispensation of the law, but under the dispensation of grace. There is no more difference to be the Jew or the Greek. All races of people given the choice to accept salvation through Jesus Christ. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? Christ was born to die to save his people from their sins. Christ was the perfect sacrifice for sins that we may have the grace of forgiveness brought through his death. Our belief in him allows our spirit to be free of sin. (Romans 6:1-2; Galatians 2:19)

The word habit means something that a person has done so often without thinking about it that it becomes hard to stop. We cannot be servants of sin and servants of Christ. Paul reminded the church a Rome about being baptized in Jesus Christ. Their old habits were immersed into the water (liquid grave). They became a new creature in Christ. Water baptism symbolizes the union with Christ. He died for our sins and his precious blood atones for our sins. Upon accepting him as our Lord and Savior, the old man of sin and bad habits are dead. We are given an opportunity to embrace the newness of life in him. (Romans 6:3-8; Galatians 3:27; Colossians 2:12)

What has God done about sin? If we believe that Christ died for our sins, then our faith is based on the fact that the risen Christ will never die again, and we are free from sin. Death and sin have no dominion over Christ. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. The word reckon means to accept what God says about us as true and to live in the light of it. The saved-righteous must hold on to the promises that God has given in the resurrected Christ. The world declares that habits are hard to break. But we must stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. (Romans 6:9-11; Galatians 5:1; Colossians 3:5)

Believers are not to let sin get a hold of their body. Let not sin reign in your mortal body that ye should obey it in the lust there of. We must not allow sin to enter in or even yield to sin. Neither yield ye your members, as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, like lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, reveling, banqueting, and abominable idolatries. But yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead, and your members (body) as instruments of righteousness unto God. To present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service. We are to commit ourselves totally to God’s word and his commandments in the newness of life. (Romans 6:12-14; 12:1)

In conclusion, Paul finalized the reason why we must not give into sin. What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbids. We must govern ourselves according to God’s commandments. God commands us to keep his law, the ten commandments. When we fully accept the power of salvation, we will not fall into our old habits. Our old habits are broken by the power of forgiveness and the will to live a righteous life. We may still do contrary to the will of the Lord. But in the newness of life, we have salvation. We have the working of the Holy Spirit to break that sin before it becomes a bad habit. We have been given a choice, choose ye this day whom you will serve. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey? To serve sin unto death or to serve obedience unto righteousness? The Roman church had given wholehearted obedience to the gospel of grace. They were no longer servants to sin. They were free to live in righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things thereof ye are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. Christ made us free from sin and servants to God. Now we, like the church at Rome, have fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life. As it is written, for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ and our Lord. (Romans 6:15-23; I Corinthians 9:21; II Peter 2:19; II Timothy 1:13)