In the 6th Chapter of the Book of Romans Paul shares what I believe to be the most important run of verses, if we desire to really know God and His ways. We thank God for salvation verses such as John 3:16 and we can walk the Roman road, but if we really desire to be used of God and know Him and His ways we must put this sin issue behind us. Please understand we all from the start are lost and undone. We all, as sheep have gone astray, we all have sinned, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” (Romans 3:23) Now this is all true Christ died for us, but my friend there is so much more we must believe to receive our salvation (which is much more than having our sins forgiven) and the life of God He so desperately desires to give us. Jesus said, “The thief (not the devil) cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) Jesus did not come to take us all to heaven, make us popular, rich, or good looking, oh no my friend Jesus came so that we will be able to receive the life of God and it (God’s life) more abundantly. Without accepting Jesus as our personal Savior and Lord, we will never be able to receive the life of God and without the life of God we will have no power or authority to do the things God needs us to do. I do not know why so many Christians want to fly away to heaven. I for one am not ready to stand before a holy God this thought still gives me pause. Anyway, what will God do on earth if all the Christians fly away in the sweet bye and bye? There are still too many people on earth that need to come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ for the church to begin to smell the barn. I do not know about you, but I am not into heaven, I am into Him. Where ever the Lord is, tis heaven to me, “If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.” (Psalm 139:8) there is only earth between. Yes it is true Jesus died for our sins, but now we must move beyond the cross into the next things God has for us. We must never forget the cross, but we must move beyond the cross to be able to receive those things we will need to be able to withstand in life and those things that will empower us to be His witnesses. In Acts we read, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) This verse is often written in church bulletins and the like, but if the church really understood what Dr. Luke was talking about they would skip this verse. The word “witnesses” here means martyr. Plug and play martyr in and you get a different feel (but the truth) for this verse. Who wants to die for Christ? Steven? All of the folks in Foxes Book of Martyrs? Now there is a great book to read if you dare. Did you know in the last 30 years more people have been martyred for Christ than in the last 150 years? If we do not move away from the cross we will not be able to receive the power to be able to give our life (as a martyr) for Christ. As wonderful as the salvation message is there is much more God has for us and for us to be successful in Him we must receive it. Sadly most denominations keep their folks near the cross and not near God, “we all have sinned and come short” where this sin issue keeps them yoked and babes in God.
Paul’s chief message was not salvation, but he encouraged the church, “to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18) I believe Peter got this message from Paul. Paul’s heart was to teach the Christians those things they needed to learn to be able to develop and become (a process in God) mature in God, to grow and be developed (not needing to be delivered) into a mature person in God. For us to be able to grow and come to maturity in God we must have the right understanding of what salvation really is thus putting this sin issue behind us. Believe it or not God’s intention for us is for sin not to have dominion over us. When we read these verses we think we can not live this life, well if God did not believe we could do it He would not have said it and set the standard of Jesus Christ to pattern after. In Romans Chapter 6:3, we pick up, “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:” (Romans 6:3-5) When we are water baptized we are often told we will walk, when raised from the water, in newness of life and that is true, but Paul here is not talking about water baptism. Paul here is talking about being baptized (identifying or becoming the same example) into the death of Christ not His life. Who wants to die like Christ? No one wants to die like Christ, but if we are not baptized (we die to our selfishness, selfcenterness, and become the example of Christ) our mortality will not be able to put on immortality. How much of our brother’s sin can we swallow up? This is the measure of us being baptized into the death of Christ? Not getting dunked in a pool. And if we are not baptized into His death we shall not have the strength in God to be resurrected by Him.
Now here is where things really get hard for me to understand. “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7For he that is dead is freed from sin. 8Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.” (Romans 6:6-9) Wow, Paul said, “that henceforth (this second forward) we should not serve sin.” The old man, our fleshly desires and motives have been put to death (crucified with Christ) and now we should not serve sin. In other words God intends for sin not to have power over us. Please let me stop and let that sink in. Sin is not to have power over us. I do not know about you, but sin at times has power over me. I see it is not God’s intentions, but yet sin rules me at times, oh my God! Who can deliver me from his body of death! If we read on we will find not only sin, but death is not to have dominion over us. ”For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:10-11) Oh death where is thy sting? The sting of death is sin. How much death have we allowed in the lives of our brothers and sisters? Who can deliver me from his body of death! They say we are not really ready to live in God until we are ready to die. Well, there is no life in God without death in God. When we die God can now live through us. Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” (John 12:24) But who wants to fall into the ground and die? Only those who really want the life of God and really want to live?
Lastly Paul ends this thought, “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 14For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” (Romans 6:12-14) Grace Grace God’s Grace (God’s favor extended to us) wonderful grace by faith are we saved and kept by our obedience. We are not to yield ourselves to sin or unrighteousness (both) this is our reasonable service, then “sin shall not have dominion over you.” The word “dominion” (Strong’s #2962) here means: to be lord of, to rule over things and forces, to exercise influence upon, to have power over. Friend it is God’s intention and is Paul’s message of the New Testament for “SIN SHALL NOT HAVE DOMINION” over us. The “shall” is the strongest imperative in the Bible to convey a thought. God intends for sin not to rule and exercise influence over us. But, we read and hear these words from Paul, yet we sin. We know and desire not to sin, yet we do. Even Paul saw this in him, “Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 18For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.” (Romans 7:17-18) and “For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” (Roman 7:22-25) It is only Jesus Christ our Lord who can develop us through this body of death.
When God speaks to us it is His very words that cause fear, loss, and failure to come alive in us whereby we stumble and fall out for way. So too the law or I should say the keeping of the law makes sin come alive in us. And the more we try to keep the law (the touch not, taste not, handle not in Colossians 2:21) the more sin comes alive in us. “But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. 9For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came (church activities, traditions, and doctrines), sin revived, and I died. 10And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. 11For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.” (Romans 7:8-11) It is in the keeping of all of the religious church activities (and often duties) the traditions and doctrines of men that revives sin in us. The more religious, zealous, and devout we are the less we are like Jesus. And the less like Jesus the more we shall keep the law. Just go to a church service next Sunday and you will see what I am talking about. We keep the traditions that are “ordained to life,” but in the end we find it revives sin in us and is death. Oddly it is the very thing we think will slay sin in us (religious service), but in reality it revives sin in us. Paul said, “the commandment deceived” him and then “slew” him. When was the last time you heard this message preached in church? Why not? What Pastor would tell the people their religious service is causing them to sin? There will be no one to take care of the church or give money to pay the bills. But the truth is still the truth. We must turn from the religious traditions, rituals, and doctrines of men that drive the major denominations of the church of America. Oh yes, the denominations do a good job in feeding, clothing, and providing for people through programs and sing-a-longs, but can never touch the sin issue. My friend, this wondrous walk with the Lord is not about feeding, clothing and providing, but knowing in our heart, “sin shall not to have dominion over you.” Written by David Stahl
Paul’s chief message was not salvation, but he encouraged the church, “to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18) I believe Peter got this message from Paul. Paul’s heart was to teach the Christians those things they needed to learn to be able to develop and become (a process in God) mature in God, to grow and be developed (not needing to be delivered) into a mature person in God. For us to be able to grow and come to maturity in God we must have the right understanding of what salvation really is thus putting this sin issue behind us. Believe it or not God’s intention for us is for sin not to have dominion over us. When we read these verses we think we can not live this life, well if God did not believe we could do it He would not have said it and set the standard of Jesus Christ to pattern after. In Romans Chapter 6:3, we pick up, “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:” (Romans 6:3-5) When we are water baptized we are often told we will walk, when raised from the water, in newness of life and that is true, but Paul here is not talking about water baptism. Paul here is talking about being baptized (identifying or becoming the same example) into the death of Christ not His life. Who wants to die like Christ? No one wants to die like Christ, but if we are not baptized (we die to our selfishness, selfcenterness, and become the example of Christ) our mortality will not be able to put on immortality. How much of our brother’s sin can we swallow up? This is the measure of us being baptized into the death of Christ? Not getting dunked in a pool. And if we are not baptized into His death we shall not have the strength in God to be resurrected by Him.
Now here is where things really get hard for me to understand. “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7For he that is dead is freed from sin. 8Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.” (Romans 6:6-9) Wow, Paul said, “that henceforth (this second forward) we should not serve sin.” The old man, our fleshly desires and motives have been put to death (crucified with Christ) and now we should not serve sin. In other words God intends for sin not to have power over us. Please let me stop and let that sink in. Sin is not to have power over us. I do not know about you, but sin at times has power over me. I see it is not God’s intentions, but yet sin rules me at times, oh my God! Who can deliver me from his body of death! If we read on we will find not only sin, but death is not to have dominion over us. ”For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:10-11) Oh death where is thy sting? The sting of death is sin. How much death have we allowed in the lives of our brothers and sisters? Who can deliver me from his body of death! They say we are not really ready to live in God until we are ready to die. Well, there is no life in God without death in God. When we die God can now live through us. Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” (John 12:24) But who wants to fall into the ground and die? Only those who really want the life of God and really want to live?
Lastly Paul ends this thought, “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 14For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” (Romans 6:12-14) Grace Grace God’s Grace (God’s favor extended to us) wonderful grace by faith are we saved and kept by our obedience. We are not to yield ourselves to sin or unrighteousness (both) this is our reasonable service, then “sin shall not have dominion over you.” The word “dominion” (Strong’s #2962) here means: to be lord of, to rule over things and forces, to exercise influence upon, to have power over. Friend it is God’s intention and is Paul’s message of the New Testament for “SIN SHALL NOT HAVE DOMINION” over us. The “shall” is the strongest imperative in the Bible to convey a thought. God intends for sin not to rule and exercise influence over us. But, we read and hear these words from Paul, yet we sin. We know and desire not to sin, yet we do. Even Paul saw this in him, “Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 18For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.” (Romans 7:17-18) and “For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” (Roman 7:22-25) It is only Jesus Christ our Lord who can develop us through this body of death.
When God speaks to us it is His very words that cause fear, loss, and failure to come alive in us whereby we stumble and fall out for way. So too the law or I should say the keeping of the law makes sin come alive in us. And the more we try to keep the law (the touch not, taste not, handle not in Colossians 2:21) the more sin comes alive in us. “But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. 9For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came (church activities, traditions, and doctrines), sin revived, and I died. 10And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. 11For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.” (Romans 7:8-11) It is in the keeping of all of the religious church activities (and often duties) the traditions and doctrines of men that revives sin in us. The more religious, zealous, and devout we are the less we are like Jesus. And the less like Jesus the more we shall keep the law. Just go to a church service next Sunday and you will see what I am talking about. We keep the traditions that are “ordained to life,” but in the end we find it revives sin in us and is death. Oddly it is the very thing we think will slay sin in us (religious service), but in reality it revives sin in us. Paul said, “the commandment deceived” him and then “slew” him. When was the last time you heard this message preached in church? Why not? What Pastor would tell the people their religious service is causing them to sin? There will be no one to take care of the church or give money to pay the bills. But the truth is still the truth. We must turn from the religious traditions, rituals, and doctrines of men that drive the major denominations of the church of America. Oh yes, the denominations do a good job in feeding, clothing, and providing for people through programs and sing-a-longs, but can never touch the sin issue. My friend, this wondrous walk with the Lord is not about feeding, clothing and providing, but knowing in our heart, “sin shall not to have dominion over you.” Written by David Stahl
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