Romans 6:1-2 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
‘What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? … How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know you not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?’ – having proved the sinfulness of both Jews and Gentiles and that both must be redeemed alike by Christ through faith and grace, Paul now takes up the argument of the divine method of dealing with sin and the secret of a victorious holy life (Romans 6:1-8:39). The questions come up that if salvation is free and apart from works – if the more heinous the sins the more abundant the grace to pardon then may we not go on in sin so that the grace of God may become magnified? God forbid.
Seven plain gospel facts are stated in 1John: Christ was manifested to take away our sins (1Jn. 3:5; Tit. 2:12). One cannot be in Christ and continue to sin (1Jn. 3:5-6; 2Cor. 5:17). Man can be as righteous as Christ in this life (1Jn. 3:7; 4:17; Tit. 2:12). Every man who sins is of the devil (1Jn. 3:8; John 8:44). Christ came to destroy the works of the devil (1Jn. 3:8; Matt. 8:17; Acts 10:38; John 10:10). One cannot sin as long as the Word of God remains in him (Rom. 6:14-23; 8:1-13; 1Jn. 3:9). All people are not children of God (1Jn. 3:10).
Literally thousands of religious teachers are constantly saying that no man can live free from sin, that we sin every day, and that there is no man that does not sin every day he lives. One can see that this teaching is entirely out of harmony with the Bible by reading Scripture. If these men sin every day, then they are sinners every day and there is no time that they are not sinners. If they are sinners all the time, then there is no time they are not under the death penalty of the broken law, and they will be sent to Hell as sinners to pay the death penalty. They are not Christians or saved from sin any one day they live if they sin every day they live. Christ means nothing to them if they are sinners and if they cannot be saved from sin. People who think they cannot live free from sin are really mistaken as to what sin is. If they class lack of knowledge, temptations, and common mistakes in life that do not break the law of God as sin, then they are right that no man lives free from sin. But if they think one cannot live free from the sins of Galatians 5:19-21 as well as Romans 1:21-32; 6:19; 2Corinthians 12:21; Ephesians 4:19; 5:3; Colossians 3:5; 1Thessalonians 2:3; 4:7 and 2Peter 2:1-22 that will damn the soul, then they are all wrong, for such must be true of anyone who will be saved. Men who argue that no person can live without sin are simply using every excuse under the sun to continue in sin. They want to make people believe that they are Christians and yet they want to indulge in some sin or bad habit that will condemn them in the end. Men can live free from sin if they get saved from sin and permit Christ to live in their lives by the power of the Holy Spirit. If men live in sin daily then there is not a day in which they are not tindering the condemnation of a broken law and they will be sent to Hell to pay the death penalty for sin.
‘God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?’ many reasons are given in Romans that we should not continue living in sin: Death to sin nullifies it (6:2-3); resurrection from spiritual death (6:4-5); we walk in newness of life (6:4); death to sin and resurrection from sin means walking like Christ (6:5; 1Pet. 2:21-22; 1Jn. 2:6; 4:6, 17); the old man is crucified and dead (6:6; Eph. 4:22-24; 1Jn. 5:18); the body of sin is destroyed, that henceforth we should not sin (6:6); we are freed from sin (6:7, 18, 22); faith counts sin dead (6:8); sin has no dominion over us (6:9); sin not to reign in the body (6:12); the body must not yield to sin (6:13); married to Christ, not sin (7:4); we walk in the Spirit (8:1-4); we are made free from the law of sin (8:2); we are spiritually minded (8:6); Christ is in us, not sin (8:10); we are not debtors to sin (8:12); the Spirit mortifies sin in us (8:13); we have Spirit of freedom (8:15); intercession of Christ and the Holy Spirit keeps us (8:26-27, 34).
Living the Word 