Explanation: Romans 6 tells us that we are obligated to live a holy life, and it tells us that a holy life is a life of obedience. Paul begins by telling us that grace does not give us an excuse to continue in sin. We are dead to sin. We cannot live in it. We are buried with Christ and raised with Christ. We should therefore walk in newness of life. Our old man is crucified with him. The body of sin is destroyed. We should therefore not serve sin. Death has no further dominion over Christ. Likewise, we should consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God. So we should yield our bodies as instruments of righteousness, not as instruments of sin, because sin cannot have dominion over us (1-14).
     We do not have license to sin because we are under grace and not under the law. If you obey sin, you are the slave of sin. Instead, you should be a slave to righteousness, obey it, and be sanctified. "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (15-23).
     [Sermons: Eric Alexander. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. John Murray. Various. ]
     [Illustration: Today's painting depicts the death of Socrates. This painting presents various contrasts and comparisons with Paul's teachings in today's chapter. Socrates was accused of "refusing to recognize the gods recognized by the state" and of "corrupting the youth." Two of his students acted on his anti-democratic views and twice overthrew the Athenian government and resorted to terrorism. By contrast, Paul, in Romans 13:1 said, "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God." Spiritually speaking, a point of commonality is that Socrates was true to his principles till death, and in today's chapter, Paul tells us to die to sin and be alive to God in accord with our principles. As a point of physical comparison, Paul (in Romans 8:38-39), and Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, instructs us to be true to God even at the cost of our lives, and we will be repaid with resurrection and glorification. ]

     ¹ What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? ² God forbid [do not let it be]. 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. 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. 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 [do not let it be]. 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. 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.

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