Romans 6:1-23
"What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid." Now, if we isolate verse 15, we can make a doctrine out of it. Throw the baby out with the bath water, and discard of every single previous verse that we just read. The two questions that Paul asked in verse 15 are answered in verse 16. Again, we need to remind ourselves of the questions we been asking all along: "What
is sin?" "Did Paul say sin or sins?" What is the difference?" "Where does sin gets its strength from?" "What sin was it that Jesus died for, and for how many other sin(s) did He died for?" "How did Jesus put sin to death and how many people were made righteous?"
Friends, if we don't ask ourselves these questions, we will continue to struggle with a constant sin conscience. The pulpit has done an injustice to the subject of sin by taking out of context verse 15, just as they have taken out of context verse 1 of Romans chapter 6. They read the entire 5th chapter, then when they come to chapter 6 they think that Paul has changed gears and gone off into another subject, when it is not another, but as Paul said in Galatians chapter 1:7 "Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ."
Paul asks: "What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? The question that we all need to ask ourselves is this: "Did we sin when we were under the law and do we still sin now that we are under grace? Then, the other question that we should ask ourselves is: "Is God holding any sin against us, and if He is, which sin is it that He will be judging us for?" Friends, if God were to be still holding man accountable for sin, that would mean that God has not done away with the law, what Jesus Christ did on the cross was a hoax, and the entire religious and non-religious world is headed for hell.
Paul asked two questions in verse 15 and then answers those question
with yet another question in verse 16: "Don't you know, that to whom
(the law) you yield yourselves servants to obey (the law)
his (the law) servants you are to whom (the law) you
obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness."
Allow me to put it in simple Puerto Rican terms for you: "Look
here short stuff, don't you know that if you decide to continue being
a servant to the law of Moses, you will always remain a slave to the
law of sin and death?"
"If you continue trusting in the law and trusting in your own works, and you think that in order to be pleasing to God you have to keep obeying the law, then sin will continue to take the opportunity to keep you under the penalty of death and you have not come to life. You are obeying and trusting more in the law of Moses than you are obeying and trusting in the righteousness of Christ that brought you out of death unto eternal life by His grace."
"What then? shall we sin, because we are not under law, but under grace? God forbid." Now, the religious self-righteous Evangelical Christian pulpit has pounded and landed on this one verse like a fly stuck to a yellow glue trap strip. In their out of context usage of this verse they have kept billions under guilt, fear and condemnation. When it comes to the subject of sin, this is the one verse that the Evangelical's have fought me on the most. Yet, when I ask them the question: "If God will still judge any of us for sin, which sin will it be?" This is where they get a lump on their throat, get all bent out of shape with me, put their religious tail away and avoid me like the plague.
Friends, if Jesus died to sin once, was raised from the dead once, sin has no more dominion over Him and dieth no more, and we are to see ourselves the same way God sees Jesus, then how in the world can we take verse 15 and make it something that is not when verse 16 answers the questions of verse 15 and clarifies the religious confusion that has been going on for heaven knows how long? What then, shall we sin? The answer is no because as dead men we can't sin since we are no longer under law. We are all dead and alive unto God because Jesus put to death the law where sin got its strength from.
Now, are you ready to get all Pentecostal, shout a hallelujah, and run around rejoicing and thanking God for His amazing grace? Look at verses 17 and 18 "But God be THANKED, that you WERE (past tense) the servants of sin, but you have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered to you. Being then made FREE from SIN, you (Jews and Gentiles) became the servants of righteousness." Now, here's my questions: "Who's righteousness was it that made us all the righteousness of God, and freed us from sin?" "Was it our believing, and good deeds that moved God to do these things for us, or was it Christ's righteousness?"
"By who's obedience were we all made righteous?" "Was it because of our obedience?" "What form of doctrine was it that we have come to obey?" "Was it a doctrine of works or was it a doctrine of grace?" Friends, if God now declares us as servants of righteousness in Christ Jesus, and no longer the servants of the law of Moses, the which Paul called the law of sin and death. Then what sin is God still judging the entire world for? Did not Paul say that God had concluded ALL in unbelief? Did Paul not say that ALL became sinners because of the disobedience of one man (Adam), and now ALL have been made righteous because of the obedience of Christ?
SO WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE TELL ME FOR WHAT SIN IS CHRIST YET TO DIE
FOR, AND WHAT SIN IS IT THAT GOD IS STILL JUDGING THE ENTIRE WORLD FOR?
to be continued...
Grace N Peace
Eddie Narvaez