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."