2018 STUDY OF ROMANS

Chapter 6, Verses 1-3

Batized Into Jesus!

[7-29-18]

Review: “I Am Not Righteous Because I Do Righteous Things!”

Romans 5:17-21) [NIV] For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

NOTE: If Adam’s sin could condemn all who were born in him, the human family, how much more will everyone who is born again in Jesus triumph over that condemnation; and they will receive the “gift” of having a right relationship with a Holy God!

18) (NLT) Yes, Adam’s one sin brought condemnation upon everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness makes all people right in God’s sight and gives them life.

19) For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

QUESTION: What is verse 19 telling us?

I am not a sinner because I sinned; I’m a sinner because Adam sinned.
I am not righteous because I did something righteous; I’m righteous because Jesus did something righteous.
I didn’t become a sinner because I sinned; I sinned because I was a sinner.
I didn’t become righteous because I did something right; I did something right because I’m righteous.
All who are born into Adam [the human race] are born sinners.
All who are born again into Jesus [the believers] are born into righteousness.

20) The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more,

Romans 7: 7-8) (GNB) Shall we say, then, that the Law itself is sinful? Of course not! But it was the Law that made me know what sin is. If the Law had not said, “Do not desire what belongs to someone else,” I would not have known such a desire.

8) But by means of that commandment sin found its chance to stir up all kinds of selfish desires in me. Apart from law, sin is a dead thing.

21) so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

17) For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

NOTE: Adam’s sin introduced death; and as a result all who live will die until the Rapture. Death, in that sense, reigns over us all.

NOTE: Grace restores the dead to life. Through grace I am no longer dead in my sins. I am now spiritually alive and grace will reign throughout eternity to allow me a place in Heaven.

This Week’s Lesson: “Baptised Into Jesus!”

Romans 6:1-3) [NIV] What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?

QUESTION: Why would Paul even ask such a question?

ANSWER: Chapter 5, verse 20, [above] stated, “where sin increased, grace increased all the more.” Paul didn’t want his readers to misunderstand his point and conclude that they should sin all the more so that grace would increase all the more.

2) By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?

(ALT) Absolutely not! (BBE) In no way. (CEV) No, we should not! (GNB; AMP) Certainly not!

(GW) That’s unthinkable! (MSG) I should hope not! (Murdock) Far be it:

(WEB; NASB) May it never be! (NLT) Of course not! (RSV) By no means!

QUESTION: How did Paul answer his own question?

ANSWER: He emphatically said, “No!” Then he gave this reason, “We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?”

NOTE: If we died to sin when Jesus died at Calvary, then common sense determines that we can’t live in the very thing we died to. He will now go on to explain this premise.

3) Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

QUESTION: What is baptism, and what’s it for?

ANSWER: Water baptism is an outward sign of an inward work. In other words, it’s a testimony to all that you have been saved, and that you are proud to be known as a Christian.

QUESTION: Is water baptism the only kind of baptism?

ANSWER: I read “The Red Badge of Courage” in high school. It was originally published in 1895, and it is a novel that depicts a Union soldier’s terrifying baptism of fire and his ensuing transformation.

QUESTION: What was this baptism of fire the novel spoke of?

ANSWER: It was this young soldier’s first experience with a real battle. People were being shot around him. It wasn’t training anymore, it was the real thing; it was his baptism of fire.

QUESTION: What other baptisms does the Scripture speak about?

ANSWER: Notice the following verses:

Matthew 3:10-12) [NIV] The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

11) “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

12) His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

Acts 19:1-7) [NIV] While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples

2) and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

3) So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied.

4) Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”

5) On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.

6) When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.

7) There were about twelve men in all.

I Corinthians 12:13) [NIV] For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body-whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free-and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

QUESTION: What other baptisms does the Scripture speak about besides water baptism?

*ANSWER: In the above passages of Matthew 3 & Acts 19 the Scripture speaks about a baptism of the Spirit. In I Corinthians the Scripture speaks about a baptism into Christ. Also, Matthew’s account speaks about a baptism of fire.

QUESTION: Is the baptism spoken of in I Corinthians water baptism?

ANSWER: Consider the following:

Baptism of water preacher baptizes you into water
Baptism with the Spirit Jesus baptizes you into the Holy Spirit
Baptism into One Body the Spirit baptizes you into One Body/Jesus
Baptism with fire Jesus baptizes you into fiery trials

NOTE: Numbers 2 & 4 seem to be one baptism. When you are baptized with the Holy Spirit trials will follow.

QUESTION: Again, are numbers 1 & 3 the same?

ANSWER: In water baptism I baptize you into water. Would that be the same as the water baptizing you into me? No! Neither is Jesus baptizing you into the Holy Spirit the same thing as the Holy Spirit baptizing you into Jesus. In the above chart, baptism number 3 is salvation.

NOTE: The normal order of baptisms would be:

Baptism into One Body [salvation]
Baptism of water [water baptism]
Baptism with the Spirit [being filled with the Spirit]

Numbers 2 & 3 could be reversed.

QUESTION: Which baptism is Romans 6:3 referring to?

ANSWER: It’s referring to the baptism into One Body/salvation. It’s not referring to water baptism.

2018 STUDY OF ROMANS

Chapter 6, Verses 4-11

Batized Into Jesus! – Part 2

[8-5-18]

Review: “Baptised Into Jesus!”

Romans 6:1-3) [NIV] What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?

2) By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?

3) Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

QUESTION: What other baptisms does the Scripture speak about?

Matthew 3:11) [NIV] “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

Acts 19:1-6) [NIV] While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples

2) and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

3) So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied.

4) Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”

5) On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.

6) When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.

I Corinthians 12:13) [NIV] For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body-whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free-and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

ANSWER: Consider the following:

Baptism of water preacher baptizes you into water
Baptism with the Spirit Jesus baptizes you into the Holy Spirit
Baptism into One Body the Spirit baptizes you into One Body/Jesus

NOTE: The normal order of baptisms would be:

Baptism into One Body [salvation]
Baptism of water [water baptism]
Baptism with the Spirit [being filled with the Spirit]

Numbers 2 & 3 could be reversed.

QUESTION: Which baptism is Romans 6:3 referring to?

ANSWER: It’s referring to the baptism into One Body/salvation. It’s not referring to water baptism.

This Week’s Lesson: “Baptised Into Jesus!” – Part 2

Romans 6:4-11) [NIV] We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

(NAS) Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

2 Corinthians 5:17) [KJV] Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

NOTE: Just as you did some good things when you were, by nature, a sinner; even so, now that you are righteous, by the new nature of your being united with Christ, you will do some bad/sinful things. In spite of that, everything about you is NEW!! You are now walking out your life in absolute NEWNESS!! You are now walking out your life with an acute awareness of Jesus, and an acute desire to please Him.

5) For if we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.

QUESTION: What are verses 3-5 telling us in reference to our not sinning more so that grace abounds more?

ANSWER: When the Holy Spirit baptized us into Jesus at the new birth we were baptized into the total package of Jesus. First, we were baptized into His death; second, we were baptized into His resurrection.

NOTE: The following verses will tell us what this TRUTH means to us.

6) For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin-

(NLT) Our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin.

7) because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

“As a man that is dead is acquitted and released from bondage among men, so a man that has died to sin is acquitted from the guilt of sin and released from its bondage” [Alford, as quoted by Vincent].

QUESTION: What does our being baptized into His death mean?

ANSWER: When Adam sinned he represented us all. So, when he sinned we were in him [in his loins] sinning with him. Therefore, when Jesus died He represented us all. So, when he died we were in him [in His spiritual loins] dying with Him.

NOTE: The fact that we were in Adam when he sinned was proven when we were born into the human family, of which he is the father. The fact that we were in Jesus when He died was proven when we were born into His family [the Spirit baptized us into One body]. WE WERE BORN INTO ADAM VIA THE NATURAL BIRTH! WE WERE BORN INTO JESUS VIA THE NEW BIRTH!

QUESTION: What is the benefit of our being baptized into His death?

ANSWER: Verse 6 tells us, “that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.” Verse 7 tells us that, “anyone who has died has been freed from sin.”

NOTE: When we were baptized into Christ/born again we were FREED FROM SIN!

QUESTION: Why don’t we live like we are free from sin?

*ANSWER: The answer is because we don’t believe we are free from sin.

8) Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.

9) For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.

QUESTION: What is the benefit of our having died with Christ, and now also living with Him?

ANSWER: Christ rose from the dead and cannot die again. That does not yet apply to us physically. We can, and we will, if the Lord tarries, die a physical death. Then how does this passage apply to us? Let’s look at the next two verses.

10) The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

11) In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

QUESTION: In what way, besides physical death, has Jesus died “once for all”?

*ANSWER: He died to sin “once for all.”

QUESTION: What does that have to do with you and me?

ANSWER: This is the part of His death that we have been baptized into. Jesus died to sin “once for all.” We were in Him when He died to sin “once for all.” Consequently, we are told in verse 11 to count ourselves “dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

QUESTION: What does “in the same way” mean?

ANSWER: Verse 10 tells us that Jesus died to sin “once for all.” We are to count ourselves dead to sin “once for all” time.

NOTE: Our problem is that we keep trying to die to sin, when God is telling us that we have died to sin through our union with Christ. Not only have we died to sin, WE HAVE DIED TO SIN “ONCE FOR ALL.” “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”

Mark 9:23-24) [KJV] Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things [are] possible to him that believeth.

24) And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

(GW) “I believe! Help my lack of faith.”

(MSG) “Then I believe. Help me with my doubts!”

(ERV) Immediately the father shouted, “I do believe. Help me to believe more!”

1 Corinthians 15:31) [KJV] I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

NOTE: People like to apply Paul’s statement in the above verse to the subject of dying to sin daily; but his point is that in his missionary travels he faced death every day. The NIV, NLT, Living Bible, CEV, ERV, GNB, and GW all render it “I face death every day.

A CLOSING NOTE: So, if you’re going to die to sin daily then don’t take all day to die! In Christ you have already died to sin!

2018 STUDY OF ROMANS

Chapter 6, Verses 12-16

We Are Not Free To Be Bound!

[8-12-18]

Review: “Baptised Into Jesus!” – Part 2

Romans 6:4-11) (NAS) Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

5) [NIV] For if we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.

NOTE: When the Holy Spirit baptized us into Jesus at the new birth we were baptized into the total package of Jesus. First, we were baptized into His death; second, we were baptized into His resurrection.

6) (NLT) Our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin.

7) because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

NOTE: When Adam sinned he represented us all. So, when he sinned we were in him [in his loins] sinning with him. Therefore, when Jesus died He represented us all. So, when he died we were in him [in His spiritual loins] dying with Him. WE WERE BORN INTO ADAM VIA THE NATURAL BIRTH! WE WERE BORN INTO JESUS VIA THE NEW BIRTH!

NOTE: When we were baptized into Christ/born again we were FREED FROM SIN!

8) Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.

9) For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.

10) The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

11) In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

NOTE: This is the part of His death that we have been baptized into. Jesus died to sin “once for all.” We were in Him when He died to sin “once for all.” Consequently, we are told in verse 11 to count ourselves “dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Verse 10 tells us that Jesus died to sin “once for all.” We are to count ourselves dead to sin “once for all” time.

A CLOSING NOTE: So, if you’re going to die to sin daily then don’t take all day to die! In Christ you have already died to sin!

This Week’s Lesson: “We Are Not Free To Be Bound!”

In regards to, “In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin,” in verse 11,

“We will see him where God sees him—on the Cross, put to death with Christ. Faith will operate continuously to keep him where grace placed him” [Ruth Paxson, quoted by BBC].

Romans 6:12-16) [NIV] Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.

(NLT) Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to its lustful desires.

QUESTION: What is our responsibility as believers in regards to sin?

ANSWER: We must refuse to live as though Sin is still our Master! We must treat temptation the way a dead man would treat it. No matter how tempting a situation might be, a dead man will be unaffected by it.

QUESTION: How can we possibly do this?

ANSWER: Romans 1:17 says in the KJV it will be “from faith to faith,” and II Corinthians 3:18 says it will be “from glory to glory.” The NIV says it will be “by faith from first to last,” and “with ever-increasing glory.” The idea is that it’s a process. We begin by aligning our thoughts with the truth of God’s Word, and we go from there. We will initially have some successes, and some failures, as we go “from faith to faith,” and from “glory to glory,” but we will become more successful as we refuse to ignore the truth of this passage.

13) Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.

QUESTION: How do we start?

*ANSWER: We start by making the act of resisting temptation an act of worship. We are to offer “the parts of” our bodies “to him as instruments of righteousness.” Think of an O.T. priest offering an animal as an offering to the Lord.

NOTE: If you were a poor Old Testament saint you probably had a difficult time letting loose of a lamb to offer it to God as an offering; but you did it because you wanted to walk in covenant with God. As a believer wrapped in flesh you will sometimes have a difficult time letting loose of a temptation that your flesh really wants to get involved with to offer “the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness,” but you do it because you want to walk in covenant with the Lord. MAKE IT AN ACT OF WORSHIP!

14) For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

QUESTION: What does the above verse imply?

PLEASE UNDERSTAND THIS: If Sin is not my Master for the reason given above, that being that I am not under Law, but under Grace; then if I place myself under the Law then Sin will be my Master!

QUESTION: What does not being “under law” have to do with sin not being our master?

I Corinthians 15:55-56) [NIV] “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”

56) The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

Romans 7:7-8) [NIV] What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “Do not covet.”

8) But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead.

ANSWER: Sin latches on to the “thou shalt nots” of the O. T. and makes the forbidden look good. Sin makes the forbidden look good; therefore “the power of sin is the law.”

***NOTE: God said if Adam and Eve ate from that tree they would die! Satan said that wasn’t true. He said God forbid the eating of that fruit because it would make them like Him because they would know good from evil [Genesis 3:4-5]. God said that they had become like Him in that sense and, consequently, they had to be driven out of the Garden of Eden [Genesis 3:22-24]. Moses’ Law did to us what eating the fruit did to Adam and Eve; it gave us an understanding of good and evil. Being like God in that sense was more than we could handle in our fallen condition. So God moved us from the neighborhood of Law to the neighborhood of Grace!!

I have borrowed the following from Wednesday Evening’s lesson and made appropriate changes:

COMMENT: We must learn to read the Scriptures by faith. This verse tells me that Sin is not my Master. I am a Christian. Therefore Sin is not my Master.

NOTE: It’s all about bringing our minds into obedience to the Word of God.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5) [KJV] For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

4) (For the weapons of our warfare [are] not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

5) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

NOTE: I’m a Christian; therefore:

I do not allow Sin to reign in my body [vs. 12].
I do not obey Sin’s evil desires [vs. 12].
I do not offer the members of my body to Sin [vs. 13].
I do offer the member of my body to Righteousness [vs. 13].
Sin is not my Master because I am not under the Law, but under Grace [vs. 14].

Back to this morning’s lesson:

Romans 6:1-2) [NIV] What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?

2) By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?

15) What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!

NOTE: Verse 15 points back to the beginning of this discussion; vs. 1-2.

16) Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey-whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?

QUESTION: Why doesn’t grace free us to sin?

*ANSWER: If we yield our members to sin then we become slaves to sin. We step into bondage. We can’t be free to be bound to sin, “which leads to death.” We can enter into servitude to obey God’s Word, but that bondage isn’t bondage, but genuine freedom.

2018 STUDY OF ROMANS

Chapter 6, Verses 17-23

Wages and Gifts!

[8-19-18]

Review: “We Are Not Free To Be Bound!”

Romans 6:12-16) (NLT) Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to its lustful desires.

NOTE: Romans 1:17 says in the NIV says it will be “by faith from first to last,” and “with ever-increasing glory.” The idea is that it’s a process. We begin by aligning our thoughts with the truth of God’s Word, and we go from there. We will initially have some successes, and some failures, as we go “from faith to faith,” and from “glory to glory,” but we will become more successful as we refuse to ignore the truth of this passage.

14) For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

PLEASE UNDERSTAND THIS: If Sin is not my Master for the reason given above, that being that I am not under Law, but under Grace; then if I place myself under the Law then Sin will be my Master!

I Corinthians 15:56) [NIV] The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

Romans 7:7-8) [NIV] But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead.