Romans 6:1-23
"WHAT SHALL WE SAY THEN? Shall we continue in sin, that grace
may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any
longer therein?" Romans 6:1-2. If I had a 5 dollar bill for
the hundreds of times that people have said to me: "Tell me Eddie, tell
me how you are going to get around verse 1 of Romans chapter 6?"
Friends, where does sin gets its strength from? Look at what Paul said
in Romans chapter 7 and verse 7 "For I had not known sin, but
BY THE LAW? Then look at what Paul said in Romans 4:15 "For
where no law is present, there is no sin."
Friends, the only way a person continues in sin is when that person
continues to believe that he or she must keep the law of Moses in order
to keep right with God. Romans chapter 6 verses 1 and 2 are easily answered
by reading Romans chapter 5 verses 20 and 21. If we isolate a verse
we take it out of context and make nonsense out of the entire letter
of Paul to the Romans. Take away the chapter and verse numbers, and
what you have left is a letter saying: "Under the law of Moses everyone
was found to be in sin. Under the grace of Christ sin has been done
away with once and for all and for ALL."
Paul was reminding the Jews of these truths and facts because the Jews
were still trusting in the law and through the law comes the knowledge
of sin, but through Christ comes the knowledge of righteousness. "For
when we were yet without strength, IN DUE TIME Christ died for the ungodly."
"God commendeth His LOVE towards us, in that, while we WERE, WERE, WERE,
WERE, yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:6-8. I don't
care how funny "Jesse Duplantis" may be or how convincing 'nut case'
"Steve Munsey" is, the fact is that these men and others like them have
quoted Romans chapter 6 verses 1 and 2 out of context,
and in so doing they don't realize how much they are actually denying
the perfect work of the cross of Jesus Christ where He nailed every
sin to His cross that was being held against all of humanity because
of the law. To isolate verses 1 and 2 of Romans and say that there is
still a possibility that we can still continue in sin because of our
immoral behavior is to slap Jesus in the face and be saying: "You did
not die for all the ungodly sin of this world, nor for the sins of every
man and woman on the face of the earth. You are a liar."
Friends, if Paul said that we are dead to the law of sin and death and
alive in Christ, then how can we possibly be held accountable for any
sin? Either Jesus died for all sin, nailed the law to the cross, and
became the other man to do away with the sin of the One man to impute
righteousness to the whole world, or the sin of Adam and the law of
Moses is very much alive and well. Which is it? If it wasn't our sin
that was sending us to hell, and it was the law the which revealed our
sins, and Jesus died for all sin and sins, then why are we believing
more in the sin of Adam and the law of Moses when Jesus took care of
both?
Friends, a dead man can't sin nor can he or she confess their sins.
We are dead to sin because of the One man Christ. The old man of sin
(Adam and the law of Moses) no longer have power over us because we
are under abounding grace and not abounding sin. The only way that sin
would be held against us is if we return to trusting in our own righteousness
and in the law of Moses. Because of Christ, there is just now way that
anyone could possibly live in sin any longer. When Jesus died on the
cross the world of sin died with Him. That includes everyone that has
ever lived, is living and is yet to live.
Even the Evangelical legalistic Church, even if they continue to mix
law and grace, even them are free from the law of sin and death even
though they don't know it. Friends, the pulpit wants to keep us sin
conscious so that they can keep us under their control and sucking us
dry for money. They want to keep us under performance so that they can
continue to lead us into thinking that as far as they are concerned
we are still not good enough. "You need to give more, pray more, repent
more, confess more, witness more, fast more, faith more, heal more,
learn more do more and more, and more, and more."
Friends, where there is a sin conscience person, there is an anxious,
fearful, insecure, troubled, worried, self-righteous, condemned and
doubtful person. As long as the Evangelical pulpit does not come to
an understanding of the difference of law and grace, works and righteousness,
they will keep people in bondage. As long as the church continues to
point out people's sins and faults, people will never understand the
beauty of freedom in Christ, believe that God loves them unconditionally,
nor experience a heart established in grace and peace.
To be continued...
Grace N Peace
Eddie Narvaez