Lesson 424

(Lesson 424)(10-13-12) Romans 6:1-13, "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 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. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God."

In this lesson Paul gives instructions to those of us who are saved by the grace of God as to how we to conduct ourselves after salvation. He tells us that, as Christians, we are to walk in newness of life, rejecting the very appearance of evil.
He clarifies the fact that just because our souls have been eternally cleansed of sin and redeemed in the sight of God. Our bodies are still subject to the wrath of Jesus Christ if we sin one against another. "2 Corinthians 5:10, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."

"Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God."

Christians are no longer subject to the penalty of the spiritual death, nor do we appear to be anything other than perfect in the sight of God. However, salvation does NOT justify our sinful actions, after salvation, in the sight of Jesus Christ our ultimate Judge. Romans 14:10, in part, "for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ."~