Romans - Chapter Six

ROMANS KEYWORDS THROUGH CHAPTER SIX

Keywords:
Chap 1: Without Excuse
Chap 2: The Law Condemns
Chap 3: There is none righteous
Chap 4: Imputation/Logizomai
Chap 5: Headship/Representation and 1st Adam - 2nd Adam, or 1st Adam - Last Adam.
Chap 6: Dying and Living, Mortification and Vivification

Alternate Keywords:
Chap 1: The Indictment Begins (Rom 1:18)
Chap 2: (open for suggestions)
Chap 3: All have sinned, Total Depravity
Chap 4: Counted Righteous
Chap 5: Federal Headship (the theological term)
Chap 6: Dying to Sin and Living to Righteousness (or Living to God)

Memory Verses:
Rom 1:20
Rom 2:13
Rom 3:10
Rom 4:3
Rom 5:19
Rom 6:11

Extended Memory Verses
Chap 1: Rom 1:1, Rom 1:8, Rom 1:16-20
Chap 2: Rom 2:12-16
Chap 3: Rom 3:10-12, Rom 3:18, Rom 3:21, Rom 3:23, Rom 3:28-29
Chap 4: Rom 4:23-25
Chap 5: Whole Chapter (If I had to select only two more Rom 5:8, Rom 5:14)
Chap 6: Rom 6:1-2, Rom 6:11, Rom 6:22-23

ROM 6:1
KJV Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

To understand the context for the question in verse 1 consider the richness and freeness of grace portrayed in chapters one through six by rehearsing the keywords:

Matthew Henry describes: “What use shall we make of this sweet and comfortable doctrine.” which we have learned thus far.

Chap 1: Without Excuse:
Rom 1:19 - that which may be known of God is manifest in them and God has showed it unto them.
Rom 1:20 Creation evidences a creator, God IS can be clearly seen, they are WITHOUT EXCUSE.

Chap 2: The Law Condemns:
Rom 2:13 Not the hearers but the doers of the law shall be justified.
The law very well shows us what we must do but does not giving us enabling power, grace or promise to do it. The law condemns but does not save, for no one does the law perfectly at all times, completely and continuously. Gal 3:10.

Chap 3: There is None Righteous:
Scripture written even long before the penning of Romans Chapter three is rehearsed in our ears: there is none righteous, there is none that doeth good, there is none that understand, there is none that seeketh after God, there is NO FEAR of God before their eyes, ALL HAVE SINNED.

How could it be otherwise then, with nothing in ourselves of merit, It is only BEING FREELY JUSTIFIED BY HIS GRACE. Rom 3:24.

Christ is the Propitiation. Rom 3:25

And being so BAD, Fallen and lost, we CONCLUDE that a man is justified by Faith without the deeds of the law. Rom 3:28.

SO THE INDICTMENT HAS BEEN GIVEN:
WITHOUT EXCUSE ->THE LAW CONDEMNS -> THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS

CONNECTING QUESTION: Where can we find such righteousness whereby we might obtain a title to heaven?

Chap 4: Imputation
Rom 4:3 What saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

If this is true for Abraham, I find hope there, could this also be true for me?
Rom 3:23 Not for Abraham alone was this written, but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead.

CONNECTING QUESTION: But how can this work? How can the righteousness of another be counted as my own?

Rom Chap 5: HEADSHIP/Representation

Rom 5:14 just as Adam was the representative of all that were in him, so that what he did he did for all, as a public person representing all - Christ is the representative of all that are in him. What Jesus did he did as a representative. Adam was a figure of Him that was to come.

Rom 5:19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

CONSIDER:
Justified by FAITH and NOT by works.

Justified freely by HIS GRACE.

By faith we are COUNTED/RECKONED/CREDITED righteous. NOT BY WORKS.

CHRIST did as our representative what was required of US. He is the Lord our Righteousness.

Christ died in our place upon the cross. He represented us there. Our sins were imputed to him there. He was treated as if he had done what we did there. He is our propitiation. He is the sacrifice that satisfied the just wrath and judgment of God upon us for our sins. He absorbed in himself the wrath of God.

PREACHING DANGEROUSLY:
This I’ve heard is how Dr. John Piper describes it. “Preaching dangerously,” which I understand him to mean: We must be willing to preach the gospel purely and dangerously, not fearing such accusations as may arise in order that the grace of God in Jesus Christ not be corrupted with an encouragement towards a works entitlement to heaven.

And so we may have objections from two different quarters that sounds like this:

Rom 6:1 SHALL WE CONTINUE IN SIN THAT GRACE MAY ABOUND.

1) As in Rom 3:8 accusers despising the gospel of grace and justification by faith slanderously reporting that we say “Let us do evil, that good may come.” This gospel is too good. It must be some faith mixed with works that earns such a title for heaven. Such teaching will promote sloth in the life of the religious and they will think to sin is to cause grace to abound. This gospel provides them with a cloak for their sin.

2) OR ELSE as we read in JUDE 4 of those who turn “the grace of our God in lasciviousness.”
Truly thinking that they may abuse the gospel and use it as a cloak for sin. Sinning all the more as after all “we are not under the law but under grace.” or “The more I sin, the more God is glorified in the pardoning of my sin.” “The glory of God increasing as the exercise of his GRACE ABOUNDS.” Grace has been turned into license.

We must preach the gospel of Grace in Jesus Christ. Our title for heaven secured by HIM, he is our righteousness. By faith and not by Works.

So grasping the context of Chapter Six next time we will consider the CONTENT. Wherein we see a transition in the truth taught in Romans from Justification to Sanctification.