Romans 6:4 in a sense provides us with our purpose, our goal..."Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life." So God's purpose for us as HIS children is to enter HIS Kingdom, to enter the HIS rule and reign and walk in newness of life. In Colossians 2:12 Paul tells us that since we were "buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead." In Galatians 3:27 he teaches us that "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ."
So our purpose is to walk in newness of life, this newness of life was worked by the power and glory of God and received by faith...in receiving this by faith part of the newness of life is that we have put on Christ...for HIS glory and our own JOY in HIM! You could spend several life times exploring all that God has for us in this new life and NEVER EXHAUST THE TREASURE! The secret of the Kingdom is that...shhhhhh...don't tell anyone...the treasure is HIM!
We who were joined to (“baptized into”) Christ were so truly united with Him that His death was our death—a death that frees us from the power of sin in our lives (6:1–7). More, His resurrection is our resurrection. Sharing that life, we now are able to live to God (vv. 8–10). We can experience this spiritual reality—by faith. We count ourselves dead to sin on the basis of God’s Word, we choose not to let sin rule, and we offer every part of ourselves to God as His instruments to be used for righteousness (vv. 11–14).
Now Paul digresses briefly: What we experience depends on what we choose. If we choose to sin, we will be slaves of sin. If we choose to obey God, we will serve the ends of righteousness (vv. 15–18). And what a difference the choice makes! The outcome of obedience is a holiness which pays eternal dividends. But the only wages sin pays is death (vv. 19–23). Richards, L. O. (1991; Published in electronic form by Logos Research Systems, 1996). The Bible readers companion (electronic ed.) (742). Wheaton: Victor Books.
Below is an outline of chapter 6...let me encourage you to carve out some time to spend prayerfully in Romans 6. Do you realize that this was not true about you before you received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? What was not true? Romans 6:12! Look at Romans 6:11-12 where Paul writes, Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. Before you came to Christ ALL YOU COULD DO WAS TO OBEY THE LUSTS OF SIN...IT WAS YOUR MASTER...YOU HAD NO CHOICE! Now Paul tells you that you have a choice to obey sin or righteousness. The wages that sin offers is ugly and grotesque, the gift of God is quite different in nature. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I. Step 1—Know (6:1–10): Believers must be aware of three facts.
A. They have been crucified with Christ (6:1–3).
B. They have been resurrected with Christ (6:4–5).
C. They are now both dead and alive (6:6–10).
1. Dead to their sin (6:6–7): We should no longer be slaves to sin, for we have been crucified with Christ.
2. Alive in the Savior (6:8–10): We are now to live in the resurrection power of the one who rose from the dead and is forever alive.
II. Step 2—Reckon (6:11) : We are to count our crucifixion and resurrection as accomplished events.
III. Step 3—Yield (6:12–23): Paul describes two kinds of yielding.
A. The wrong kind (6:12–13a): We are not to yield the members of our body as tools of wickedness.
B. The right kind (6:13b–23)
1. The confusion (6:15a): “Since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does this mean we can go on sinning?”
2. The correction (6:15b–18): “Of course not! Don’t you realize that whatever you choose to obey becomes your master? You can choose sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God and receive his approval.”
3. The challenge (6:13b–14, 19–22): We are to yield the members of our body as tools of righteousness.
4. The conclusion (6:23)
a. “The wages of sin is death” (6:23a).
b. “The free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (6:23b). Willmington, H. L. (1999). The Outline Bible (Ro 6:23). Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers.
Father in heaven,
Enable us by YOUR indwelling Spirit to pursue YOU, delight in YOU rejoice in YOU and YOU alone as our greatest treasure...that is what YOU are! Please Father, please, by YOUR grace I trust that (Ps 16:11) You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Enable us to enter the JOY of our Master, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
love,
m