Romans 6.

1. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?                        

 2. God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

3. Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

4. Therefore 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.

5. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

6. 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.

7. For he that is dead is freed from sin. 

Today is no different than the time Paul wrote his epistle to the Romans. There are those who believe that because of grace, it does not matter if we continue in sin. Paul's answer to this is no different today either. He portrays the Christian as one who is dead and buried concerning sin.

To be baptized into Christ is to be baptized into His death. It is an outward sign of being dead and buried, just as Christ died and was buried. What does this signify? It is the outward sign of the inner reality that we are dead to sin, that sin no longer has dominion or control over our lives. And just as Christ arose from the grave, we also are raised up to walk in newness of life. (See Col 3:1-3).

It a crucified life. The old man with all of his sinful passions and lusts has been crucified with Christ, thus breaking the power of sin in the believers life (Gal 5:24). Paul also wrote, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who lived me, and gave himself for me." ( Gal 2:20 KJV) 

There is power in the gospel of Christ. Through the new birth we can be cleansed and set free from the power of sin in our daily lives. We read in Romans 7 of the dominion of sin in one's life. It is a cycle of defeat, desiring the good, but giving in to the evil. Apart from the deliverance of the cross of Christ, we find that we are quite controlled by our sinful desires. Through Christ we find victory, but we must walk in it by faith, submitting ourselves to the will of God.

8. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 

9. Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

10. For in that he died, he died into sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 

11. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive into God through Jesus Christ our Lord.  

We must consider ourselves to be dead to sin and alive to serve God. It is a line drawn in the sand that we have determined not to cross. It is a reality for us, but does us no good if we remain passive in our faith, and fail to walk it out in our lives. We are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who is working out His will in our lives (Phil 2:12-13).

12. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

13. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness into sin: but yield yourselves into God as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

14. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

It is up to us to decide. Do we choose to live a life filled with sinful choices, or to yield ourselves up to God? God, in His grace, has made it possible to do what the law could not. By His grace, we can do what is right, serving Him in righteousness. The law shows us the just requirements of God, but cannot enable us to live them out. This is what grace does for us. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world (Titus 2:11-12 KJV)

 15. What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. 

16. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

17.  But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 

18. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. 

There are many who believe that somehow God's grace has set aside the law, and as a result we are no longer required to obey it. This cannot be farther from the truth. Jesus taught that he did not come to do away with the law, but to fulfill it (Matt 5:17-18). His fulfillment of the law was to show us through His teaching, and by His example how to live to please God. Throughout the new testament you read that God does have requirements for His people, and they can be found in the law. Ultimately the law is summed up in two commands, supreme love towards God, and loving our neighbor as we love ourselves (Matt 22:37-40).

It is ludicrous to think that somehow because we are covered by grace that it is okay to sin, that God does not expect us to be honest, to be faithful in our marriages, that it does not bother Him if we steal, or kill. Yet those who hold that the moral commandments found in the law are no longer binding upon the believer, are in effect saying this. The truth is that under the new covenant the law is now written upon our hearts, and yes, we will obey it if we truly love Jesus (Heb 10:16, John 14:15).

We are the servants of what we yield to, either sin, or righteousness. We cannot claim grace, while living in sin. Jesus stated that the one who commits sin is the slave of sin, but He came to set the slave free (John 8:34-36).

19. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. 

20. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. 

21. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 

22. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 

23. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.  

Who are you going to serve? To live for one's self leads to spiritual death. It does not matter if you consider yourself a Christian, if you are not living in obedient submission to Jesus Christ, you are in a path headed to death. God's gift of eternal life is for those who will yield to Him. We not only need the grace of God to cover our past, but we also need His grace to live day by day in service to Him.

Scripture quoted from the King James Version.

Upholding the Biblical Standard of Salvation.

It has become a common place practice to graciously place a person in heaven at their death. This is especially true whenever a celebrity passes. It does not seem to matter what the lifestyle of the individual was like during their time on earth, well meaning evangelicals will almost invariably claim that the individual was a Christian, and is now in heaven. In fairness, I believe that many Christians do not wish to appear judgmental or uncharitable. Yet, by doing so, we run the risk of lowering the biblical standard of salvation, and what it truly means according to God, to be a Christian, a follower of Christ.

What does the Bible have to say about salvation, and the Christian life? Let's look at a few scriptures to find out.

• It is a narrow road (Matt 7:13-14; Luke 13:24). Jesus tells us to strive to enter the narrow gate, for many will seek to enter, and not be able. The way of salvation is a narrow road of surrender and humility, brokenness and obedience, walking against the current of this world. The scriptures plainly teach that the multitudes are on the broad path to destruction, while few are found travelling the narrow road to life.
• It involves repentance (Luke 13:3; 2 Cor 7:10). Repentance is a turning around, a change of the course of our lives resulting from the knowledge that we have sinned against the holy God who created us, and loved us enough to send His Son Jesus, to take our sin upon Himself. A truly repentant individual loathes not only his sin, but his very self, for what he has done to God by his rebellious actions. Without repentance, there can be no salvation.
• Jesus tells us that we must be born again (John 3:3-7; Titus 3:4-5). As spiritually dead individuals, it is not enough to become "religious", or to decide we are going to be a Christian now. We are in need of the inner transformation that takes place when one is born again. Just as a baby is conceived and then born, so also we need to be created and born again through the power of the Holy Spirit within our inner man. A new creation in Christ (2 Cor 5:17).
• A new creation (2 Cor 5:17). To expand upon the last point, as those who are born again, our lives are no longer the same. The old habits of sin are gone, and we now live a new life of righteousness, serving God. John tells us that the one born of God does not practice sin, because His seed abides in him, and as a result of the new birth, he cannot sin (1 John 3:9). This is a total change of life. It is radical, a complete transformation from what we were in the past as sinful people in rebellion toward God, to those who now lovingly obey Him. 
• Jesus calls us to a radical discipleship (Luke 14:26-27). Following Christ is what we are called to do if we are Christians. To follow Jesus means that we give up all to follow Him. We will go and do What He bids us to do, no matter the cost. Jesus is not interested in becoming a "part" of your life. He will either be all or nothing. It is that simple (Mark 8:34-35).
• Jesus calls us to a life of obedience (Matt 7:21-23; Luke 6:46-49). Again, we were once living for ourselves in disobedience to the will of God. Upon our repentance and conversion, we gave up sin, and embraced the will of God as the rule and practice of our lives. The one who truly loves Jesus will obey Him. The one who lives in disobedience is not a true Christian, no matter what they may say about it (John 14:21-24; 1 John 2:3-5). 
• What is true saving Faith? We like to quote John 3:16 where it mentions believing in Jesus for eternal life, but it is of vital importance that we come to realize what true faith is. To believe in Jesus in the biblical sense of the term is to take on the cause of Christ. It is to follow Him, to do what He says, to submit to Him, to love and cherish Him. This goes way beyond mere head knowledge, a mental assent to some historic truths about the Savior. Real faith is lived out in our day to day lives, in all of the choices we make, in all of the events we experience, in all of our actions. Faith in Christ will find fulfillment in doing the works of Christ, or it is a dead faith (James 2:14-26)

A Christian is led by the Spirit (Romans 8:14). Those who belong to Christ will be driven by the Spirit. As a result, their lives will reflect this. their attitudes  and actions will be the opposite of those who live to gratify their fleshly desires (Gal 5:16-25). Paul tells us in this passage that those who belong to Christ have crucified, that is put to death, the flesh with its passions and desires. Is that your testimony? Again, many claim to be Christians, but the proof of it is in the life they live. These points have not been exhaustive by any means, but they should serve to show us that we must be careful to uphold the biblical standard of Christianity. Our very souls depend upon this, as do the souls of those who view our lives as respecting our testimonies (1 Tim 4:16).

Is the Law Written in Your Heart?

Many people profess to be Christians while disregarding God's law. They believe that under the New Covenant the Law has been done away with; that Christ has abolished the Law, and it is irrelevant to our lives. To these people obedience is an optional thing, it is up to us if we obey or not.

The Apostle Paul however, states that instead of making the law void through faith, we establish it (Romans 3:31). The problem with us is our sinful rebellious nature. Apart from Christ, we do not want to submit to God's law in obedience to Him. The answer to this is found in the New Covenant.

The law of God reveals God's standard of righteousness to us. It shows us how God expects us to live, but it does not enable us to live according to its standards. We read that, 

For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
(Romans 8:3-4 NASB)

The problem is not the Law of God, but as I stated above, it lies within us. We read in Hebrews, that this is why the New Covenant was necessary.

For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second. For finding fault with them, He says, "Behold, days are coming, says the LORD, when I will effect a New Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah; not like the covenant which I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; for they did not continue in My covenant, and I did not care for them, says the LORD.
(Heb 8:8-9 NASB)

The fault was found in the people. They were the ones who disregarded the Law of God, and failed to continue in the covenant God had made with them. We see a perfect picture of what God desires in the Psalms. He desires us to delight in His statutes (Psalm 119:16), to long after His commands (Psalm 119:20), and to willingly walk in obedience (Psalm 119: 34-35). We read in this last verse that the Psalmist desired God to make him walk in the way of His commandments. He understood his weakness and failures, and saw the need for a heart change.

God, seeing this need as well, foretells of a coming day when this would be accomplished in His people,

"Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.
(Ezekiel 36:25-27 NASB)

"But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel in those days," declares the LORD, "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
(Jeremiah 31:33)

This last verse is repeated in Hebrews 8:10, and Hebrews 10:15-17. This is the New Covenant. God's standard was not changed. He still desires us to live in obedience to His commands. Holiness of heart and life is not an option, for we read that without holiness, no one will see the Lord (Heb 12:14). A vital characteristic found in those redeemed under the New Covenant is that of the law of God written upon the heart. These individuals have a love for God's law. Instead of disregarding it as unimportant, or as a non essential, they will go to great lengths to obey Jesus Christ at any and all cost. The difference is found in the change of heart that took place when they experienced the new birth. 

Are you like so many who call themselves Christians, but have no real desire to follow Christ in the the daily choices they make? Does the law of God seem unimportant to you, is it something that seems like a good idea, but does not matter if it is obeyed or not? If so, I would question the validity of your profession by the above quoted verses dealing with the New Covenant. Either God has performed a work in your heart, or He has not. The New Covenant provides what the law could not; the willingness and power to obey God, and live in a manner that pleases Him. God is not only willing to forgive our sin, but He also provides us the means to escape its grip, and live in victory over its power, if we are willing to give it up for Him.