Romans 1:1-4 (NKJV)1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God 2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.
Today is Easter – the most significant of the various holy days in the Church calendar. More pivotal than Christmas, more central than Pentecost, more crucial than Epiphany – Easter celebrates the single most world transforming event in all human history. Because of the resurrection, we have the Gospel. Because of the resurrection, we have cathedrals. Because of the resurrection, we have computers. All because of the resurrection.
It is this world transformation that Paul points out to us in the introduction to his letter to the Romans. After assuring us that Christ’s advent was proclaimed beforehand by the prophets and that he came as was foretold a son of David, Paul goes on to declare that Jesus was declared to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection of the dead. What does he mean by this turn of phrase?
While many have supposed that Paul is here outlining the two natures of Christ – according to his human nature he was of the seed of David but he was also the Son of God – the text does not support this notion. For how could Jesus’ status as the eternal Son of God undergo a transformation as a result of the resurrection? He has and ever will be the only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. This is not what Paul is addressing.
What is Paul saying then? He is telling us about the transformation that has occurred in the ministry of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as a result of the resurrection. He was born of the seed of David – had indeed the natural right to rule as King. But simply having the natural right to rule does not establish that one does in fact rule. Bonnie Prince Charlie may have had a rightful claim to the throne of England; but a mere claim means little if one does not actually have the throne. And it is this that Paul addresses with the next phrase. Not only was Jesus born to be King – not only did he have a legitimate claim to the throne – by the resurrection from the dead He was declared to be the Son of God, the King of Israel, with power – that is, the resurrection was Jesus’ coronation as King. God, as Peter says elsewhere, made Him to be both Lord and Christ by the resurrection from the dead.
What is the significance of Easter then? On this day we celebrate the coronation of our King. Nearly two thousand years ago he was crowned King of the Universe, the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords. And in His coronation psalm the lesson of His Kingship is driven home:
10 Now therefore, be wise, O kings; Be instructed, you judges of the earth. 11 Serve the Lord with fear, And rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, And you perish in the way, When His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.
Let us kneel therefore and acknowledge our rightful King, asking His forgiveness for our sins against Him.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
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CHAPTER 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?
Apostle said earlier "where sin abounded, grace did much more abound",
Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
We will find ourselves continuing in sin if we keep law in our conscience1 and we will find ourselves sinners, cause by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified2
where law is, there is transgression3, guilty conscience and fear of Gods anger, by this way we will alienate ourselves from the Lord Jesus Christ and God the father in our minds because guilty conscience brought in us by law, we will lose strength to believe in love of God towards us ,we will become fearful to come into Lords presence again we will try keep commandments / law and again we ourselves also are found sinners, and this cycle always continues and sin always abounds us by the law4.
We are dead to sin by body of our Jesus Christ on his Cross,
Our lord took our sins in his own body on the cross5, For us ( his members) who are full of sins God made him sin itself ( For he hath made him to be sin for us ) Father made him us, and he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him (God made peace through the blood of his cross ) When our lord said knowing that all things were now accomplished, “It is finished” he completely took the punishment due to us for our sins, when our Lord died he is freed from Sin6 ( from its Dominion ), So also we in him by his body. and our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin7 and Sin lost its power over us. Since God punished sin in his body8, “After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight”. (Hosea6:2).
Our lord not only redeemed us from all sins which we has committed but also saved us from power and dominion of sin itself. We get all benefits of our lords cross like Everlasting life, Justification, Peace, Salvation and redemption from sin, law9, death, flesh, world, Satan, only through faith in our Lord, he said "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me"; " the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life"10.
Apostle earlier told Justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: and For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God11. Christ crucified the power of God, and the wisdom of God12
1 Romans 4:15. 2 Romans 3:20, Galatians 2:16. 3 Romans 4:15. 4 Galatians 2:17, Romans 5:20,
5 1 Peter 2:24. 6 Roman 6:7. 7 Romans 6:6. 8 Romans 8:3. 9 Galatians 4:5. 10 John 6:37.,
John 3:14-15. 11 1 Corinthians 1: 17-18. 12 1 Corinthians 1:24.
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:
Apostle Peter says about baptism
"the answer of a good conscience toward God, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him"1.
and apostle Paul writes
For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body
"Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead"2.
We obtain benefits of Christ’s death and resurrection only through faith in him, as our lord said
" the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life" For us to believe on our lord Jesus Christ is given in the behalf3 of Christ because Christ died for our sins and was risen again for our Justification4, and our Lord said "if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me".
Jesus should die that he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad5.
What is meant to be planted together in the likeness of his death?
St. Peter says “that we, being dead to sins” and Paul says "dead to sin"6 it plain that unless we die unto sin i.e., to die unto it in order to get free from its dominion / reign, we can’t live unto righteousness to walk in newness of life,
How we had died unto sin?
It is not by following every commandment and by restraining from evil deeds it is not works, apostle says we are without strength and servants to sin7, for if we were dead with our sins how can we die unto sins, It is Only by faith in our lord Jesus Christ cause he had made us to die unto sin.
As Apostle Peter says "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed".
We shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection. i.e., we shall walk in newness of life. we live unto righteousness like a new creature,
1 1 Peter 3:21-22. 2 1 Corinthians 12:13, Colossians 2:12. 3 Philippians 1:29. 4 Romans 4:25. 5 John 11:52.
6 1 Peter 2:24. Romans 6:2. 7 Romans 5:6. Romans 6:17.
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.
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 unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
Our old man has a body of sin and sin that is in his flesh hath reigned his members by bringing all manner of concupiscence in him unto death1, he had walked in the lusts of his sinful flesh2 like Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, etc Apostle complains that I see another law in my members bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members3. In our bodies sin used to dwell and reign over us
Apostle Paul asks Corinthians, Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ?
Paul says our old man is crucified with Christ, he speaks about the time when Christ was crucified, our old man was crucified with Christ on his cross by his body when Christ was crucified Cause we are all members of Christ, the whole Church ( Gods elect ) which is a body of Christ died with Christ and has risen with him,
.... that the body of sin might be destroyed, Christ our Lord has did this for us on his cross Apostle Peter puts it in this way "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed".
our lord took our sins on his own body on the cross, We ( his members) who are full of sins made him sin itself For he hath made him to be sin for us4, the afflictions of Christ for his body's sake, which is the church: But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him
and God chastised him for our sins and sin is also punished in his body5
neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
and Prophet Isaiah says he was wounded, he was bruised, He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied
Our Lord came to save us who are (slaves) under Law, Sin, Death, Devil etc we are slaves to sin and our Lord voluntarily placed himself under the dominion of Law, Sin, Death, Devil, i.e., under the power of Darkness, that he might redeem us who are under bondage to them, Paul says to Galatians Christ was made under law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And our Lord said to those who came to arrest him "this is your hour, and the power of darkness"6.
Law has dominion over a person as long as he lives7, when one is dead he is free from commands, so when a man dies he is exempt from the power and the dominion of his master, Our Lord when died on cross he is freed from sin and we in him, Under ancient Roman penal practice, crucifixion was also a means of exhibiting the criminal’s low social status. It was the most dishonorable death imaginable, originally reserved for slaves, hence it is called "supplicium servile" means the punishment of slaves. (And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.)
Cause we are dead with Christ we believe we shall also live with him, Apostle is not saying that we have to die now with Christ by doing this or that its impossible cause Christ has already made us to die with him by his body cause we are members of his body. Apostle said already that we know we are crucified with him
We believe we shall also live with him, Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. the reason why we believe we shall live with him is Christ being raised from dead dieth no more, as Christ dieth no more so do we, we shall live for ever with him and in him, he is our eternal life, God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son8.
We shall live with him cause Death hath no more dominion over us because death has no more dominion over him. Know Death has no more dominion over me it can't hold me not even for a moment and now death cant stop nor interrupt me to live with Christ my Lord,
For in that he died, he died unto sin once, as I earlier said that our Lord came to save slaves they are us, we were all under the dominion of Law, Sin, Death, Devil9, etc to redeem us he was made under these, he died unto sin once so do we in him, he died while he was under its dominion to free us from its dominion in him and so when our Lord died Death once had dominion over him10; it held him under its power for a time,
but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. in that he liveth, he liveth above the dominion of these things called Death, Sin, Devil, Law etc he liveth unto God his Father that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
Which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all. now law, sin death, devil etc the principalities and powers are under his feet, they all defeated by him he triumphed over them now they are captives and slaves11
Our Lord said I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. when our Lord raised from the death he said All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth12.
We believe we shall live with him cause Christ being raised from dead dieth no more, as Christ dieth no more so do we, we shall live for ever with him and in him13, for in that he died, he died unto sin once, why I dieth no more, why death has no more dominion over me Because Christ died unto sin once so do i with him by his body, Once Christ was made under dominion of sin and death for us he died unto sin and freed from its dominion so we in him,
He was kept under the dominion of death14 for a while, he triumphed over death now Death and hell are captives to our Lord, he died unto sin once and he will never die again unto sin because he is not under its dominion now, if he is not under its dominion how can he die again unto sin, we being died unto sin once with Lord and raised again with him from death we dieth no more and death had no more dominion over us, we do live with our Lord unto God above the dominion of Law, Death, Sin, Devil, hell15 etc
We will go to our Lord to be with him, we wont die unto sin again cause we are not under its dominion neither we are under the dominion of death we have eternal life we won't die, Now also I am with my Lord in heaven as my lord liveth unto God far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, I do now live with him, I know I have eternal life and I die no more, I won't taste Death, Now and forever i liveth, I live now here and leave this flesh and go to lord to be with him with out dieing and without tasting the Death, Christ my Lord saved me from tasting the Death for that he was made under the Dominion of sin and Death for me and died unto sin once and tasted death and raised again from dead, thus he saved me from dominion of sin and death, In leaving this body neither I see death, nor i taste the Death, with out tasting the Death I leave this Body and straightaway go to Lord, in that my life wont be stopped not even for a moment ( The eternal life which i now liveth will never be stopped ), neither it is called death nor I will be called dead, Here and there, now and forever I live Cause Christ my lord has given me eternal life, How shall i taste the death who is not under its dominion, whither I go, people of this world cant come, Death will hold them under its power they will be kept under its pains, they are all (the whole world) under the dominion of sin, Law16, death, devil, as we were once, On Last day the books will be opened the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works (non of them will be justified cause no one will justified by his works) I am speaking about Dead, And death and hell (they are dead's world) were cast into the lake of fire. That is their second death which is death of death and its dead17. They were always under the Death from their birth in this World, they are dead even they are Corpally alive even as we were once (while we were in them )
We have been resurrected from the first death with our Lord by God our Father,
1 Romans 7:8.2 Ephesians 2:3. 3 Romans 7:23. 4 2 Corinthians 5:21 5 Isaiah 53:5. Romans 8:3. 6Luke 22:53.7 Romans 7:1.8 1John 5:11. 9 Colossians 1:13.Ephesians 2:2.10 Acts 2:24.
11 Ephesians 1:20-23. 1 Peter 3:22. Colossians 2:10. 1 Corinthians 15:27.
12 Revelation 1:18.Matthew 28:18. 13 Colossians 3:3-4.1 John5:20, 14 Acts 2:24.
15 Ephesians 1:21, 1Peter 3:22, Ephesians 2:6, 16 Romans 3:19. 17 Revelation 20:12-15.
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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 unto sin: but yield yourselves unto 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.
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, we should reckon ourselves dead unto sin cause our lord has made us to die unto sin by his body1, by reckoning ourselves dead unto sin we wont die unto Sin, But because we are already died unto sin once with our Lord1, because he has made us to die unto sin we should reckon over selves Dead unto Sin by the body of our Lord,
But alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Our Lord not only made us to die unto sin but also alive unto God, He made us alive in him i.e., In the body of his flesh and has taken us to God our Father Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, he presented us holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his ( God our Father) sight: Now we are alive in Gods sight not because of our good works nor by keeping commandments neither by reckoning our selves alive, but because Christ our Lord has made us alive2, and we die no more and death has no more dominion over us3, He hath given us eternal life; and we shall never perish, we should reckon ourselves alive unto God because we are truly alive and we have eternal life4, because Christ our Lord has made us alive in him by his resurrection from Dead, as my Lord liveth i shall also live5, Please reckon yourself alive unto God for Christ's sake who has made you alive in the body of his flesh through death and by his resurrection from Dead6, Please reckon yourself alive unto God For he hath made Christ to be sin for you, who knew no sin; that you might be made the righteousness of God in him7. reckon yourselves holy, righteous, just, unblameable in Christ our lord who has made us so in him, Because we are holy, unblameable, unreproveable in God our fathers sight Cause Christ our Lord has made us so in his Body According as God our father hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, reckon not yourself as righteous or as unrighteous because of your works, by works no flesh shall be Justified before God, If we look unto to Law we will also found ourselves sinners8, but let us look unto Christ our Lord cause in him only we always found ourselves alive, righteous, holy, unblameable, unreproveable because we were made so in him,
We know that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. Christ our Lord has did this for you in his body on his cross, Christ has made you to die unto Sin while you are yet under its dominion i.e., while you are slave to Sin, you are freed from it by his death, it doesn’t reign over you cause you are not under its Dominion, Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. You know how Christ has suffered for us in the flesh, you are also suffered with Christ, your body is crucified with Christ, Cause your bodies are the members of Christ, arm yourself with the same mind that you had suffered in the flesh with him in his flesh,
Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
Because you are freed from sin by the Death of Christ, your members are freed from the power and dominion of sin, Now you have the choice for not to yield your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin which earlier you dont have, But yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, how we should yield ourselves unto God? it is as those that are alive from the dead, those that are alive from dead die no more, Law9, sin10, death11 wont have any dominion over them, they live unto God by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ12 since Christ liveth unto God, this yielding ourselves unto God will only come from the faith in Gospel i.e., motivated from the faith in the appeared kindness and love of God our Saviour toward us because he has given us his only begotten Son and in him the eternal life, righteousness and the forgiveness of sins that we may live through faith in him alone, reckon yourself alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord because he has made you so in Christ, God has created us in Christ as new creatures and old things are passed away, we are new creatures in the resurrected Christ the Son of God. we were created as a new creation that we should walk in newness of life.
Yield your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. to yield our members as instruments of righteous unto God once was an impossible thing for all of us, once they are under the bondage of sin until faith is revealed, we are made free from the dominion of Sin and Law dominion by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and became the servants of righteousness, this righteousness is not the righteousness which is by Law that is by Works or in our keeping commandments, Paul is not saying that we should yield ourselves to Law which Demands and Condemns our Conscience, by it we have the knowledge of Sin13, by it we will find ourselves to be Sinners and Guilty of Sin, it worketh wrath14 i.e., it creates Fear, impatience, Mistrust and hatred toward God our Father in our hearts, and Law is a power of sin15 by it sin easily beset us16 and Law says to them that are under it "the man which doeth those things shall live by them and Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things". but to the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ who alone is our righteousness, who alone is our hope of righteousness, faith in our Lord Jesus purifies our hearts17 and it creates in us immense confidence, courage, Virtue, patience, full assurance, Love, Joy, etc, Only faith of our Lord makes us to yield ourselves willfully, joyfully, and with love unto God, Because faith worketh by Love, But Law is not of faith, it worketh by hatred and fear, the person who is under Law restrains himself from doing wicked works not because he wants to do so, but because he has to, he worketh all things in fear and hatred as a servant who's master is a Hard and a stringent man18, who always shows anger and gives unbearable Jobs and always finds fault in his works and threatens to punish him, Law is Hagar which is also called mount Sinai of First covenant which bears Children who are to be slaves this Hagar (Law) fears and trembles in the presence of her master (God) along with her Children, Hagar (Law) inspires fear and hatred in her Children who are under its tabernacle toward her master, Law makes her Children who are with her Fearful, unconfident, poor and beggarly before God because its only a bondwoman and Law itself is fearful, unconfident, and it trembles greatly in the presence of God as mount Sinai quaked greatly in the presence of God that's why it worketh only wrath of God in the consciences of her children, But in our Lord Jesus Christ by faith of him we have access to God our father with all boldness and confidence, God our Father loves our Lord Jesus Christ more than everything and us in him cause he kept all things under his feet, he left nothing that is not put under him. Our Father loves us more than everything in his beloved, love of God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ toward us is greater than all loves, we are more important to God our Father than anything we have nothing to fear for anything even the Law. we are children of the new Jerusalem the Church which is the Body of Christ, the new Jerusalem is the mother of us all and we are all the citizens of that one city and the members of the body of Christ, he gave himself for us That he might sanctify and cleanse us with the washing of water by the word, That he might present us to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. we are Christ's own and Christ ours own we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones19. he loves us even as he loves himself,
1 Romans 6:7, 1 Peter 2:24, Romans 7:4, Galatians 2:20, Galatians 6:14, Romans 6:2, 2 Isaiah 26:19, Ephesians 1:20-23, Ephesians 2:6, Ephesians 1:3-4, Colossians 1:19-22, 3 John 8:51, Romans 6:8-9,
4 1 John 5 John 14:19, 6 Colossians 1:22, 7 2 Corinthians 5:20-21, 8 Galatians 2:16-17, 9 Romans 7:4,
10 Romans 6:7, 11 Romans 6:9, 12 Galatians 2:20, 13 Romans 3:9-20, 14 Romans 4:15,
15 1 Corinthians 15:56, 16 Romans 7:11, 17 Acts 15:9, 18 Matthew 25:24-25, 19 Ephesians 5:29-30,
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
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.
For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Law is given because of transgressions In other words, that transgressions might be recognized as such and thus increased, by the Law we have the knowledge of Sin and lust I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet1. law made me weak and vulnerable, when the commandment came sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence when we were under the Law the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death cause we were sold under Sin and Sin dwelleth in our flesh. All though I was under Sin before Law came but not under the powerful and cruel reign of Sin on my members in such a way that it doesn’t allowed me to do the Good which I wanted to do, but forced me to do the Bad that I hate to do, though I was under Sin before the Commandment came Sin was powerless over me it was dead but when commandment came Sin got its power to crush me and to kill me cause I am obliged to keep commandment, The whole world is under Law and it is obliged to keep Law2, but this obligation to Law by them will give Sin the power and reason to crush them because Sin is already in their flesh
Christ our Lord has redeemed us from dominion of Sin and Law, we are under the Grace which is in him3, once when we were under law, Sin hath reigned unto death through Law, but on those who are under Grace, now righteousness (which is by faith of Christ) reigns unto eternal life, Grace is given to each one of us by our Lord Jesus Christ, and without grace no one can come to our Lord Jesus Christ i.e., no one can believe in him, Once by Law I had knowledge of Sin, but now I knew righteousness of God by Grace, the righteousness of God which is by Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ is revealed to me in Gospel, now I live by Faith, now Grace reignth through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord4
What then? shall we sin, because sin shall not have dominion over us, once Sin reigned over our bodies and our members were in control of it, though we wanted to do Good things and keep Commandments we were unable to do them and though we wished a lot in our mind to stay away from the Evil and forbidden things which we were addicted to do, we can't, because Sin had dominion over us5 and sin which is in our members, fights against our mind, and brings us into captivity of sin to do sin, In fighting against our mind Sin takes occasion by the commandment, brings in us all manner of concupiscence in our mind, the works of the flesh are manifested in us while were under the Law, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, etc But now we are freed from the dominion of Sin and Law, now we are under Grace, now we are free Children of God and we are not under the Law which is a yoke of bondage. now there is no Law to force us to do this and that, yes we have the Liberty to do all things6, What then? shall we Sin, God forbid. now to Sin means to give away ourselves willfully as a slaves to Sin, because we are free from the tyranny of Sin shall we Sin. because our members are freed from the dominion of Sin shall we give again them unto the service of Sin to fulfill the lusts of flesh. 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.
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. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. Apostle gives thanks to God our Father for he has delivered us from dominion of Sin through our Lord Jesus Christ by faith in him. we were under the bondage of Sin until the faith is revealed7, we obeyed from the heart i.e., we believed in our heart / believed with heart the from of doctrine which is "the word of Faith" the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are made free from Sin and became servants of righteousness by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ cause he has made free from Sin in his body through death and by his resurrection we are made servants of righteousness, the righteousness here Apostle Paul speaks is not the Law which is yoke of bondage, now Grace reignth over us through our Lord Jesus Christ and it reigns through righteousness, this righteousness is not by works of law but righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ
1 Galatians 3:19, Romans 7:7-13, 2 Romans 3:9 & 19, 3 Ephesians 1:6, 4 Romans 5:21, 5 Romans 7:15,19,&21, 6 1 Corinthians 6:12, 7 Galatians 3:2 & 22-26,
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.
Apostle saying I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh; because flesh lusteth against the Spirit, so that we cannot do the things that we would. for as we have yielded our members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now we should yield our members servants to righteousness unto holiness. now we can yield our members through faith because Sin has no dominion over us.
For when we were the servants of sin, we were free from righteousness. we are free from righteousness means not that we haven’t done any good deed or followed any commandment nor we are free from the obligation to be righteous and to keep Law but we were free from dominion of righteousness by Grace on our members because faith haven’t yet revealed to us, but now we are servants of righteousness we should be free from Sin by faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. If we look unto Law sin will abound us1, to be free from Sin we need to be free from Law also2, unless we die unto Law we can't live unto God3 by faith of Christ cause Law is not of faith
What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. those things are the "works of flesh" which are Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God4. For the end of those things is death.
But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. but now we are being made free from Sin and now Sin wont have dominion over members and become servants to God our father means the control of our members has been taken out from Sin and now they are under Grace which is by God, the spirit of God dwells in us5 and the body will be dead6 i.e., there wont be "works of flesh", but the Spirit lives6 to bear the fruits of spirit such as love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance etc. As once we produced the fruits of flesh when we were under Sin now we bear the fruits of spirit under the Dominion of God our father cause he has given us his spirit, we are his children cause we are led by his Spirit7,
For the wages of sin is death, because they are servants and servants need to be rewarded for their work and their work is this the "works of flesh" Now to them that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. the reward for their work is death.
But to us that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, our faith is counted for righteousness8 because our Lord has made us righteousness of God in him9,
The Eternal Life is free gift of God to us through our Lord Jesus Christ, its not by our works and its not a reward for us. But God has given this gift the Eternal life to us and this eternal Life is in his Son Jesus Christ our Lord10. Our Lord procured this Life for us in him by his cross through Death and by his resurrection from dead11, we should know that for us to believe in Christ is given on his behalf12 because we are his members, we are his own and father loved us and elected us in him before the foundation of the world, he died for us and we to in him by his body13,
1 Romans 5:20, 2 Romans 6:14, Romans 3:9 & 19, 3 Galatians 2:19, 4 Galatians 5:19-21,
5 1 Corinthians 5:19, 6 Romans 8:10, 7 Romans 8:14, 8 Romans 4:5, 9 Colossians 1:22, Ephesians 5:27 10 1John 5:11, 13 & 20, 11 Colossians 1:22, Ephesians 2:5-6, John 3:14-15, Isaiah 26:19, 12 Philippians 1:29, 13
by mr.charlesspurgeon@yahoo.co.in
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