DO NOT CONTINUE IN SIN

Rom. 6:1-13

By David J. Riggs

Intro.
   A. Rom. 6:1-13 gives encouragement and admonishment to help us
      keep from sinning.
      1. The apostle Paul, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit,    
         gives several reasons why we shouldn't continue in sin.
      2. Considering these reasons will help us in overcoming
         temptations.
         a. Also, it will help us to destroy any habits of sinning   
            that we might have.

I. THE FIRST REASON WE SHOULDN'T SIN IS BECAUSE WE HAVE DIED TO SIN  
   AND CANNOT LIVE IN IT ANY LONGER.
   A. 1 John 3:9
      1. "Does not sin" - the tense is "Present active endictive"    
         lit. "does not keep on sinning" - Does not habitually sin.
      2. "Seed remains in him" - has made its home in him." This is
         how the "not sinning" is accomplished. Psalm 119:11
         a. A old saying, "Sin will keep you from this Book or this
            Book will keep you from sin."
      3. "He cannot sin" - not that he cannot commit a single sin. 1
         John 1:8-10
         a. Lit. "cannot keep on sinning." Since he has been born of
            God, it is not his inclination or desire to sin.
   B. 1 John 5:18
      1. Again "does not go on sinning." 
      2. "Keeps himself" - there must be diligence on our part.
      3. "Wicked one does not touch him." 1 John 4:4

II. THE SECOND REASON WE SHOULD NOT CONTINUE IN SIN IS BECAUSE WE    
   HAVE BEEN BAPTIZED. Vs. 3-5
   A. Through baptism we have a likeness of the death burial and
      resurrection of Christ.
   B. First of all, we are baptized into Christ Jesus. Vs. 3
      1. All spiritual blessings are in Christ. Eph. 1:3
      2. Baptism is the last act of obedience which puts one into
         Christ. Gal. 3:26-27
   C. Also, we are baptized into His death. Vs. 3
      1. Christ shed His blood in His death (John 19:34), and it is  
         in baptism that we reach the benefits of His death.
      2. We have been accused of teaching that we are saved by
         water.
         a. No, the blood of Christ saves, but it is by baptism in
            water that we reach the benefits of His blood.
   D. Furthermore, we are raised to a new life. Chart #1:
             Jesus                         Christian
      Died            Arose           Died          Arose (New Life)
           was buried                      was buried
      1. A simple understanding of this truth overcomes many false
         ideas concerning baptism.
         a. Sprinkling or pouring has no likeness to the death,
            burial, and resurrection of Christ.
         b. Other passages teach that baptism is a burial. Col. 2:12
      2.  Many people have baptism in reverse order.
         a. They tell us when one believes, -- "accepts Christ as his
            personal savior," he is saved and has the new life.
            (1)   They tell us one is baptized to show that he is
                  already saved; thus, "salvation before baptism."
            (2)   But look what this does to our simple diagram.
            (3)   If a person is saved up here (New Life) before
                  baptism, that means he is buried alive in baptism.
                  Chart #2:
                  Arose
                          Buried 
   E. From verse 5, we see how important this re-enactment of the
      death, burial, and resurrection of Christ is.
      1. "Also shall be" (future tense) in the likeness of His
         resurrection.

III. PAUL CONTINUES WITH HIS REASONS WHY WE SHOULDN'T SIN - THIRDLY, 
   BECAUSE WE ARE DEAD TO IT. Vs. 6-7
   A. If we have been united with Christ, we understand that several
      things have happened.
      1. We understand that our old man was crucified with Christ.
         (Vs. 6a)
         a. Paul said in Gal. 2:20. In what sense? Col. 3:5-6
      2. "That the body of sin might be done away with."
         a. We can see now how Paul is showing why we shouldn't
            continue in sin.
            (1) When we were buried with Christ in baptism we
                crucified, destroyed and buried that old type of     
                life. Col. 2:11-13
      3. He goes on to state some more reasons: 6c
         a. Why would a person turn back to sin if he has been
            freed from it?
         b. It is the power of sin at work in our bodies that is
            destroyed. John 8:34
         c. Paul personifies sin as the enemy that takes control of
            him; however, through Christ he is delivered. Rom.
            7:17-20, 24-25
            (1) It was the custom of ancient conquerors to prevent
                the escape of their prisoners by tying a dead body
                to their backs. With such gruesome burdens, these
                poor wretches could not run away. Paul may have
                had this in mind; so some think Romans 7:24
                should read: "Oh, wretched man that I am! Who
                shall deliver me from this dead body?"
         d. If we have been obedient to the teaching of Christ and
            have been freed from sin, why go back into bondage to
            it? Rom. 6:16-18
      4. Another reason we shouldn't commit sin is because we have
         been freed (Gr. justified) from sin.  Vs. 7
         a. We can be freed from sin, even from the most gross,
            ugliest, darkest of sin. 1 Cor. 6:9-11.
         b. Christians have continual access to forgiveness through
            Christ. Acts 5:31

IV. THE FOURTH REASON WE SHOULDN'T SIN IS BECAUSE WE ARE LOOKING     
   FORWARD TO SOMEDAY LIVING WITH HIM. Read 8-11
   A. We all know that some day our bodies will lie silent in the    
      grave.
      1. For all of us, death may not be to far off, and for some of 
         us it can't be far off.
   B. We shall live with Him in eternity because we have been raised  
     to the new life and are walking in it.
      1. We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
   C. In verses 9 and 10 Paul reminds us that Christ died for the    
      sins of the world.
      1. He will not die again; death will no more have dominion over
         Him. Heb. 9:26-28; 10:10
      2. Christ now lives with God. Christ is now reigning in the
         presence of God. Heb. 1:3
   D. Notice his exhortation in verse 11.
      1. Sin should no longer have dominion over us. 
      2. We are to be walking in a new life of service to Him, trying
         to be well-pleasing and acceptable in His sight.
      3. The Christian must strive to remain a new creature--being
         renewed day by day. Eph. 4:22-24
         a. He has been raised to new life with God; he should
            remain in this new relationship.
         b. He should not let the newness wear off - not become old
            and stale in his service.

V. IN THE NEXT FEW VERSES PAUL GIVES A WORD OF EXHORTATION BASED ON  
   WHAT HE HAS ALREADY SAID.
   A. He sets forth three negatives and two positives.
      1. He gives the negative first.
         a. We are not to allow sin to re-establish its reign in our
            bodies.
         b. We are not to obey all the cravings of our bodies. 1 Pet.
            2:11
         c. We are not to use any part of our body to sin or as an
            instrument to do wrong. Recently a huge tree in
            Colorado fell to the ground with a resounding crash
            after having stood majestically on a hill for more than
            400 years. A mere sapling when Columbus landed in
            San Salvador, over the centuries it had been struck by
            lightning 14 times, braved great windstorms, and even
            defied an earthquake. In the end, however, it was killed
            by some little beetles. Boring under the bark, they
            chewed away its mighty fibers until one day that lordly
            king of the forest came thundering down. So, too,
            apparently insignificant sins often make substantial
            inroads into our spiritual lives, and if left unchecked  
            may cause our downfall. The idle word spoken, the prayer
            time omitted, and the occasional fleshly pleasure
            indulged -- these things can weaken us and cause our
            downfall.
      2. The two positives.
         a. We present ourselves to God as people alive from the
            dead.
            (1) We are not to be half-hearted or half-dead in our
                service to God. Let us be wholehearted, very much
                alive in God.
         b. We are to present the members of our bodies in service
            to God. Rom. 12:1
         c. The Arctic tern is one of the most remarkable birds in
            the world. It migrates farther than any other bird,
            traveling late in August from its nesting place within   
            the Arctic Circle to its winter "lodgings" in Antarctica 
            and then back to the Arctic Circle again -- an annual    
            round trip of more than 11,000 miles! These small birds  
            make their long trip on nothing but a sense of urgency,
            direction, and endurance that God has put within them.
            Similarly, God has placed within us the new nature
            which both drives and empowers our lives. 

Concl.
   A. In our study we have seen why the Christian shouldn't indulge  
      or engage in sin.
      1. We shouldn't sin because of our being baptized and because
         of what it represents. It is a likeness of the death of     
         Christ:
         a. Let us not sin because we have died to sin - crucified   
            the old man of sin.
         b. Let us not go back to a bondage of sin for we have been
            freed from sin.
         c. Let us not allow sin to have dominion over us.
      2. Baptism is also a likeness of Christ's resurrection.
         a. Let us not sin because we have been raised to a new life
            in Christ.
         b. Let us not sin because we are now presenting ourselves
            in a new life of service to God. We are now dead to sin
            and alive to God.
         c. Let us not sin because some day we shall also live with
            him.
   B. This lesson has been primarily to help us, as saints of God, to
      keep from sinning, but it is also of benefit to those who are  
      not Christians.
      1. In baptism we bury that old life. Those who have not been
         baptized have not buried that old life.
      2. Also, in baptism we are raised to walk in a new life. Those
         who have not been baptized have not been raised to the new
         life.
      3. We are hoping these things will increase your desire to obey
         God in baptism.
         a. Once you have done this, upon any temptation, you can
            say, "I cannot sin because I died to sin, and I have a   
            new life in Christ."