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Volume. XXXVII, No. 38 Are You Walking in Newness of Life? (Part 2) Romans Chapter 6
You are dead to sin in Jesus Christ (6:2,3) Answering to his own rhetorical question posed in verse one, Apostle Paul writes ‘God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?’ The phrase ‘God forbid’ in verse two literally means ‘May it never be’.
A loose rendition in our modern English simply means ’that is absolutely absurd!’ Matthew Poole says, ‘This phrase is frequent with the apostle, when he is speaking of any absurdity’ (Romans 3:4,6,31) and the expression ‘Know ye not’ or agnoete. Therefore, God desires us to know that we are not only identified with Christ in His death through baptism of the Holy Spirit, but we are also no longer under the dominion of sin.
Romans 6:9 says, ‘Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.’ For every born-again Christian is given a new nature by the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 5:17) to resist sin (v.14) to live unto God (v.10) through Jesus Christ (v.11).
Apostle Paul also urged his readers not to let sin ‘reign’ their mortal body (v.12a) by obeying the lust thereof (v.12b), which is incompatible with our new nature. Thus, it is presumptuous and brazenly audacious for anyone to assume that he can continue to sin or live in sinful lifestyle because he is saved by grace (v.14).
You are to walk in newness of Life in Christ (6:4) Having argued that we were once dead in trespasses and sins (Romans 6:1; Ephesians 2:1) and are dead to sin (Romans 6:2) because we were baptized into Christ’s death (Romans 6:3), Apostle Paul concludes that we should also walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4). What does it mean to walk in newness of life?
To walk in newness of life means that a Christian should no longer engage in the old sinful habits, lifestyles and occupations which were displeasing to God by walking not as other Gentiles walk (Ephesians 4:17).
Apostle Paul gives us a list of examples in Ephesians chapter 4:17-32, which includes, but is not limited to: putting off the vanity of their mind (Ephesians 4:17b); putting off former conversation of the old man (Ephesians 4:22a); being renewed in the spirit of your mind (Ephesians 4:23a); putting on the new man (Ephesians 4:24a); putting away lying [i.e.. and other sins] (Ephesians 4:25a); being angry but not sinning [i.e. righteous anger and selfish and carnal anger] (Ephesians 4:25); letting him that stole steal no more [i.e. not to sin some more] (Ephesians 4:28a); letting no corrupt communication out of your mouth (Ephesians 4:29a); grieving not the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30a); letting all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away (Ephesians 4:31a); and being kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another (Ephesians 4:32a) [cf. Colossians 3:1-13 and Galatians 5:16-26].
Without a doubt, there is not a slightest indication that the Apostle hints at the fact that a born-again Christian should continue in sin, nor does he imply in any fashion that repentance is unnecessary in the work of salvation. Arguably, it would be another gospel which Apostle Paul clearly condemns (Galatians 1:6-9), if one goes out to mislead others that all they need to do is to ‘believe’ without genuine evangelical repentance.
Conclusion Dearly beloved, it is important to acknowledge that we were once dead in trespasses and sins in the first Adam (Romans 5:12-14) and now dead to sin in the second Adam (Romans 5:15-21) and should walk in newness of life in Jesus Christ. Our chief end here on earth is not to satisfy our fleshly desire and enjoy ourselves while we live on earth – a carnal delusion and a sly deception of Satan. Our chief end is to glorify God in whatever we do (1 Corinthians 10:31) and enjoy Him now and forever as laid out by the Westminster Shorter Catechism: ‘Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever’. May God help us!
Yours in Christ, Pastor David Weng
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