Romans 6 builds on the idea Paul presented in Romans 5--there is an old nature man created by Adam's sin, and a new nature Man created by Christ's death on the cross. Roman's 6 explains how we are included in Christ's death to destroy the Adam man by our faith in Him. We are not required to live out of the Adam-man at all but out of the Christ-man.
How does this work out exactly? It can appear that Paul is playing with semantics, talking about a positional state that we enjoy as believers some day in heaven as we struggle with our sin down hear on earth. In fact, we hear that familiar statement, " I'm not perfect, just forgiven" as a sort of summary of how impossible it is to live like Jesus. And it would be ok to accept this hopelessness, except that in several verses of Roman's 6, Paul gives us a direct command. And when God gives a direct command in scripture, He both empowers and expects obedience.
Ro 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Ro 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Ro 6:13 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.
The word, "reckon" is logizomai, and means "take an inventory, estimate, conclude, esteem, impute, lay, number, reason, suppose, and think on" So we see that the beginning of living like Jesus takes place in our minds. It is a consideration of who we are in light of what Christ makes us to be.
When I got married, I was no longer Karen Stuit, I had become Karen Cook and I needed to think of myself as a married woman. I had to "reckon" myself as Mrs. Karen Cook. All the changes that marriage caused in my life did not happen on my wedding day, but I did have a new way of thinking of myself that began and continues to change me to this day.
In verse 12, the words "Let not" and "Reign" both mean "to rule". We choose our ruler, just like we do with elections. We have a choice who rules us. The word, "Obey" means "to hear under, to listen attentively, to heed, to conform to a command or authority, hearken to, be obedient to or obey."
We obey that to which we are listening. What am I listening to today? Am I caught up in the news? In politics? Am I listening to the cravings of my body for more food or more sleep? Am I listening to my emotions that come from rehearsing failure, loss and pain in my life? Am I listening to my fears? If I am , those are the lusts, the longings of the old sin nature that I am reinforcing with my mental activity. It would be the same as visiting all my old boyfriends after I am married.
However, if I am meditating on truth, if I have scriptures in my mind to combat the thoughts of the enemy, if I am grateful and thankful and choosing to think about good things, If I am training my mind to look for the good in others and to meet their needs, I am automatically going to live like Jesus.
It is clear in verse 13 that godly deeds are the fruits of godly thoughts. Paul progresses from thinking and listening to our actions--Neither yield your members--your body parts as instruments of unrighteousness, but yield them to God.
So I am not just imperfect and forgiven. I am engaged in a progressive recreation of who I am based on the power of Christ and what I choose to focus on. Yes, my sin is all forgiven. But it is also destroyed--and I am rising out of that nature through Christ's power into the person I truly want to be.
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