“What then are we to say? Should we continue to live in sin so that God’s kindness and grace will increase?” – Romans 6:1 (NASB)
The intense dialectical tension present in almost all Biblical truths is vividly captured in this rhetorical question in verse 1. This is a Present Active Subjunctive and it poses implications in terms of the Christian’s relation to sin. It is a direct reference to Rom. 5:20, where Paul employs a hypothetical objector (diatribe) to address the potential abuse of grace (cf. 1 John 3:6,9; 5:18). Some individuals, pondering on this concept – that where sin abounds, grace abounds even more – came to the erroneous conclusion that if God delights in forgiving sin, then we should sin even more to please God. This mindset reflects an antinomian or libertarian view, a perspective that seeks to possess salvation freely while continuing to live according to one’s desires. God’s grace and mercy should never be misconstrued as a license for rebellious living. Paul’s proclamation of a salvation freely given through God’s grace in Christ raised several inquiries regarding righteous living. This led to the association of justification and sanctification, emphasizing that they should not be separated (cf. Matt. 7:24-27; Luke 8:21; 11:28; John 13:17; Rom. 2:13; James 1:22-25; 2:14-26). F. F. Bruce in “Paul: Apostle of the Heart Set Free” emphasized that the baptism of Christians symbolized the transition from their old unregenerate existence to their new life in Christ, marking a definitive break from the old ways. Similarly, James S. Stewart’s “A Man in Christ” highlights the significance of Rom. 6 in driving home the message that being united with Jesus in His death entails a complete and drastic detachment from sin.
So, what then is our response? Should we continue to sin, simply so that His grace may abound? Often, those who believe in the freedom of salvation in Jesus Christ tend to overlook the fact that, although it is freely given, it cost God an unimaginably high price. When we grasp the tremendous price God paid for our salvation, it takes on a whole new significance – a whole new dimension.
There are those who boldly declare, “The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from all sin, so now that I am a Christian because I said the sinner’s prayer, I can live however I please, and it won’t make any difference.” To this, Paul’s unequivocal response in verse 2 is expressed through the rare optative mode in Greek, conveying a firm ‘May it never be!’ In the King James Version, it is emphatically stated as ‘God forbid!’
It is truly appalling that a Christian, saved through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, could possess the audacity, the impertinence, the misunderstanding, and the utterly misguided attitude to believe that, having been saved, they can now revel in a life of sin.
In verse 2, Paul essentially asks, “Should we, who have died to sin, still continue living in it?” He emphasizes the idea in verse 6, stating that our old selves were crucified with Him, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin. This freedom from sin is further explained in verse 7, where it says that the one who has died is freed from the control of sin. Moving on to verse 12, Paul instructs not to let sin rule over our bodies, preventing us from following sinful desires.
This chapter uses the analogy of baptism to illustrate how Christians deal with sin. Verses 1 through 14 highlight the importance of not continuing to sin, relating to our old nature rooted in Adam. Essentially, the concept is that baptism symbolizes the cleansing of sin and the transition from the old life to a new life in God. Paul draws on the idea of death to explain that when we die, we are no longer bound by sin; it has no more power over us.
From previous chapters, we understand that we are not sinners because we sin, but rather we sin because we are sinners. We have all been impacted by Adam’s sin and are rebellious towards God. However, out of His great love, Jesus died for us while we were still sinners, offering complete forgiveness through His finished work. As a result, the old way of life passes away, and all becomes new.
Paul’s message is that with the death of the old life, we are no longer obligated to sin. Prior to salvation, we had no real choice but to sin; it was our default state. However, after putting our trust in Christ and being symbolically baptized into His death, we are no longer bound to sin. We are now free to choose righteousness and serve God, freed from the enslavement of sin and death. This analogy is consistently emphasized throughout the entire chapter 6.
Sources: Paul: Apostle of the Heart Set Free - F. F. Bruce; A Man in Christ – James S. Stewart