Paul tells us: the action of God's grace is especially noticeable against the background of human sin. So then, should one expose one's sinfulness in oneself as much as possible, let sin manifest itself in all fullness so that the action of grace may also increase? Of course not. The apostle understands perfectly that...
Paul tells us: the action of God's grace is especially noticeable against the background of human sin. So then, should one expose one's sinfulness in oneself as much as possible, let sin manifest itself in all fullness so that the action of grace may also increase? Of course not. The apostle understands perfectly that this is not the way. The Christian way is different, and it is connected with the dynamic of a person's spiritual life that arises when God's power and God's love meet human sin.
Sin and God's grace are incompatible. But until complete transformation, the complete qualitative change of human nature, they will inevitably coexist in one and the same person. Yet they cannot unite, just as they cannot coexist in one and the same spiritual space. Where the Kingdom is, where grace is, where God's power and God's love are, there is no place for sin; and where sin is, there is no place for God.
Even in pre-Christian times the path of righteousness was life in God's presence despite one's own sinfulness. But then God's presence had not yet been manifested to the world in such fullness, leaving no room for sin, as is proper to the Kingdom. Now the righteousness of the Kingdom and sin are altogether incompatible. Either one or the other. Jesus inevitably had to die because the world in its present state cannot contain the Kingdom He brought in all its fullness. And the existence of sin in the world became death for Him precisely because His life and sin are incompatible. But the same can be said of every Christian, if only he is truly a Christian, and therefore an inhabitant of the Kingdom. Everyone who receives baptism agrees to such a path and to such a life.
It is no accident that the apostle says that, having been baptized, the Christian in this world is united with Christ "in the likeness of death": for the life of the Kingdom, until the complete transformation of the world, will still remain alien to this world, and therefore the Christian can live in this world only by dying, dying to the world that lies in evil, renouncing its life more and more. And, correspondingly, sharing more and more in another life, the life of that Kingdom which the Savior brought into the world. The life of the Kingdom must drive out the life of the fallen world for the Christian. One must, in the process of his own existence, replace the other. For this world such replacement means death: the world ceases to see transformed people; they disappear from it and cease to exist for it. This is not surprising: for the fallen world, Christ too ceased to exist immediately after His death on the Cross. The fallen world does not believe in His resurrection; for it, the resurrection does not exist. Such too is the life of every Christian, disappearing more and more for this world and manifesting himself more fully and clearly in the Kingdom.
6
6:1 The apostle here sets himself more fully to vindicate his doctrine from the consequence above suggested, Rom 3:7-8. He had then only in strong terms denied and renounced it: here he removes the very foundation thereof.
6:2 Dead to sin - Freed both from the guilt and from the power of it.
6:3 As many as have been baptized into Jesus Christ have been baptized into his death - In baptism we, through faith, are ingrafted into Christ; and we draw new spiritual life from this new root, through his Spirit, who fashions us like unto him, and particularly with regard to his death and resurrection.
6:4 We are buried with him - Alluding to the ancient manner of baptizing by immersion. That as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory - Glorious power. Of the Father, so we also, by the same power, should rise again; and as he lives a new life in heaven, so we should walk in newness of life. This, says the apostle, our very baptism represents to us.
6:5 For - Surely these two must go together; so that if we are indeed made conformable to his death, we shall also know the power of his resurrection.
6:6 Our old man - Coeval with our being, and as old as the fall; our evil nature; a strong and beautiful expression for that entire depravity and corruption which by nature spreads itself over the whole man, leaving no part uninfected. This in a believer is crucified with Christ, mortified, gradually killed, by virtue of our union with him.That the body of sin - All evil tempers, words, and actions, which are the "members" of the "old man," Col 3:5, might be destroyed.
6:7 For he that is dead - With Christ. Is freed from the guilt of past, and from the power of present, sin, as dead men from the commands of their former masters.
6:8 Dead with Christ - Conformed to his death, by dying to sin.
6:10 He died to sin - To atone for and abolish it. He liveth unto God - A glorious eternal life, such as we shall live also.
6:12 Let not sin reign even in your mortal body - It must be subject to death, but it need not be subject to sin.
6:13 Neither present your members to sin - To corrupt nature, a mere tyrant. But to God - Your lawful King.
6:14 Sin shall not have dominion over you - It has neither right nor power. For ye are not under the law - A dispensation of terror and bondage, which only shows sin, without enabling you to conquer it. But under grace - Under the merciful dispensation of the gospel, which brings complete victory over it to every one who is under the powerful influences of the Spirit of Christ.