“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” John 8:32
“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” John 8:36
“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” Galatians 5:1
“For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.” Galatians 5:13
GALATIANS 5:1-5
Freedom in Christ is not a license to live as one pleases. It is not “doing whatever I want.” That is false liberty. We are saved to a life of love and service toward others. Believers are compelled by God’s grace to follow one law – the royal law of love: “All the law is fulfilled in one word…thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (v14).
“Love” for Christ and others will automatically result in the following of the law, which is a holy law. Whether a believer is following the royal law of love or not will be evidenced in their joy. There is only one way to spell joy:
J = Jesus
O = others
Y = you
ROMANS 6:1-14 - Union with Christ
Receiving God’s forgiveness through faith in Christ does not mean that we are set free to sin at will. The believer is united to Christ in such a way through his conversion experience that he wants to please his Lord through holy and righteous living. The “old self” is no longer in control. We are set free from slavery to sin to service in God’s kingdom.
Paul stated that God’s grace abounded where sin increased (Romans 5:20-21). The question is then raised, “Shall we continue to sin, or sin more, so that God’s grace can be displayed even more?” His answer is an emphatic “No!”
Christians have died to sin and are placed in union with Christ. What he experienced, we have also experienced. We have been united to Christ by Holy Spirit baptism (1 Corinthians 12:13). This union makes it possible to live victoriously over sin. In Paul’s writings, he makes it clear that sin is an alien power within the believer, always trying to dominate him. Our position is victorious over sin!
We need to do two things:
- Consider this as true (6:11).
- Present ourselves to God (12:1).
v1. Shall we continue to sin so that later we can repent and be forgiven?
v2. No! We are dead to sin. He does not say “if,” he says “are.” It is a fact! Fall into sin we may, but live and lie in it we cannot. It is not falling into the water that drowns a man, but it is his lying in it; so it is not falling into sin that damns a man, but it is his living in it.
v3-4. “Know ye not?” This is a truth which we ought not to be ignorant of. Since we are baptized into His death, as Christ was raised from the dead into “new” life, so we should walk in newness of life.
v5. “If,” which we are, according to verses 3-4.
v6. “Body of sin” – our physical bodies are not the body of sin, but rather where sin manifests itself.
v7. Every believer is dead, partaking in the one baptism, therefore we are all freed from sin.
v11. Know that you are dead to sin, but alive to God.
v12. Do not let sin reign in your body, seeing how you are already victorious over it.
v13. Do not yield your members to sin either. Yield them to God.
v14. Sin does not have dominion over us.
v2. No! We are dead to sin. He does not say “if,” he says “are.” It is a fact! Fall into sin we may, but live and lie in it we cannot. It is not falling into the water that drowns a man, but it is his lying in it; so it is not falling into sin that damns a man, but it is his living in it.
v3-4. “Know ye not?” This is a truth which we ought not to be ignorant of. Since we are baptized into His death, as Christ was raised from the dead into “new” life, so we should walk in newness of life.
v5. “If,” which we are, according to verses 3-4.
v6. “Body of sin” – our physical bodies are not the body of sin, but rather where sin manifests itself.
v7. Every believer is dead, partaking in the one baptism, therefore we are all freed from sin.
v11. Know that you are dead to sin, but alive to God.
v12. Do not let sin reign in your body, seeing how you are already victorious over it.
v13. Do not yield your members to sin either. Yield them to God.
v14. Sin does not have dominion over us.
ROMANS 6:15-23 - Enslavement to Sin or to Righteousness
Paul challenges his readers to reject the way of sin and death and to choose the path that leads to abundant living in the Lord: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (v23).
Even though sin has lost its authority over us, it still tries to regain mastery over us. Christians can be slaves to sin or slaves to righteousness. The choice belongs to the believer. If sin is the master, believers will experience shame, guilt, and death (death meaning separation – believers who stay in sin and do not confess their sins experience a separation from God in their walk with Him).
v15. We are not under the curse and rigour of the law, yet we are under its direction and discipline: the gospel allows of sin no more than the law. The apostle is careful, both here and elsewhere, to prevent licentiousness, or the abuse of Christian liberty (see Galatians 5:13; 1 Peter 2:15). We are not under the law to be judged by it, but that does not mean that we ignore it. God has said that the law is holy.
v16. If we continue to sin, we are servants to that sin.
v18. Being freed from sin made us servants of righteousness. We should walk accordingly (Galatians 5:16).
v19. “As” we did the former, “now” do this.
v21. What benefits came from the things you are ashamed of having done prior to salvation? The end of those is death. And this will be much more equal and reasonable, if you consider these three things:
- How little fruit and satisfaction your former sins have afforded you in the very time of committing them.
- How nothing but shame and sorrow does follow upon the remembrance of them.
- How death, yes, eternal death and damnation (unless pardoning grace and mercy prevent it) will be the certain conclusion of them.
v22. Our fruit is now unto holiness (Galatians 5:22-23).
CONCLUSION:
Since we are dead to sin and victorious over sin, not only positionally but factually, we have the choice to say “No” to sin and temptation to sin. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Because we cannot see the end result of this, we need to have faith and reckon it to be true by trusting God's Word. Would God lie about such a thing? “Let God be true, but every man a liar” (Romans 3:4). Everything that comes from God is by grace through faith. Salvation is by grace through faith. Sanctification is by grace through faith. Justification is by grace through faith. Everything in this world requires faith. In our friendships, our marriages, our relationships with our children, etc. Husbands and wives need to have faith in each other. Parents need to have faith in their children. Faith is a key element in all relationships, and especially true of our relationship with God. It is how God designed us. He designed us to walk by faith.
There is no need for us to sin any longer; neither is there any excuse. We are dead to sin. It has absolutely no control over us except that which we give it. If we give it that control, we have enslaved ourselves once again to the yoke of bondage. We have enslaved ourselves to our master, sin. Let's realize this doctrinal truth and live our lives accordingly. Let's live our Christian liberty unto righteousness, bringing glory to the name of the Father through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.