Alive and Free
Read Romans 6.
If our salvation and new life are entirely because of the work of Jesus, why shouldn’t we keep sinning? What are our motivations for holy living if we are no longer under law? Paul anticipates the questions and provides some answers.
• What is the first objection/question? (1)
• What is Paul’s simple answer? (2)
• How have we died to sin? (2)
• Read Mark 10:38. What sort of baptism have we undergone? (consider also 1 Corinthians
• What is our old self and how was it crucified? (6-7)
• How does that impact on our attitude to the here and now? (7-11)
• How does that affect our thoughts and actions? (11-14)
• What is the second objection/question? (15)
• Again, how does Paul respond? (15)
• The law was our old master. What reward or wages did we gain from it?
• What free gift have we received from our new master?
• Contrast the fruit in our lives of our old and new obedience. Which is better?
• What now is our motivation for obedience?
These two questions help to unfold the fullness of eternal life.
The first question mistakes that salvation is simply the forgiveness of sins. If salvation is confined to having your debt freely cancelled, then why not run up as large a debt as you can in order to show just how generous God is? The question fails to understand that salvation involves union with Christ. Christians are united to Christ, we are in Him. Think of the ark as an example. The ark is the Christ figure in the flood account. Noah and his family were preserved from God’s judgement because they were in the ark. The ark endured the flood. So, since we have already endured God’s judgment (in Christ) we are new creatures.
The second question mistakes living in God’s grace for lawlessness. What is our motivation for holy living without fear of punishment for transgressing the law? Briefly put our motivation is now the relationship that we are now in with God.
More on these subjects will follow in the chapters to come.
But they open up important vistas in helping us to see how wide and deep and complete salvation and eternal life really are.
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