Paul continues to show how believers are “identified” with Christ. The old life of believers dies the moment they first choose to trust in Christ for their justification (clean slate). Likewise, believers live in and through Christ from that moment on, culminating in eternal life with new, immortal bodies. (v.8) This present and future existence is modeled after Christ, who was raised to life after his death and will never die again. (v.9) Believers will also never really die again. Our physical death will only be a transition into a new and better kind of life.
Paul personifies both sin and death as he writes, referring to them as slave masters and depicting humans as their unwilling slaves. Christ submitted himself to death, which is the result of the curse of sin. And when he did this, he did it once, on behalf of all who would ever trust in him for payment of their sins. And now he lives to serve the purposes of God. (v.10)
In the same way, believers should think of themselves as being dead to and forever separated from, sin, and now alive and equipped to serve God through the power given by Christ. (v.11)
Given this mentality, we shouldn’t allow sin to control our thoughts, moods and actions as though we are slaves and it is our master. (v.12) We shouldn’t put ourselves in positions that make us available and susceptible to doing or thinking things counter to God’s desires for us. Instead, we should present ourselves to God for his purposes, with the understanding that we have a new life, and the old nature we were born with is dead. (v.13)
We don’t have to “give in” to sin anymore, hopeless that we can change. God HAS changed the status of those who believe. And the law is no longer a source of discouragement, weighing us down. We aren’t under the jurisdiction of the law anymore, but under the jurisdiction of God’s undeserved favor (grace). (v.14)
God’s favor intercedes in the life of every believer to bring about change, empowering us to make choices in line with God’s will and reject the things that are counter to God’s will for us. (Titus 2:11-13)
Again, Paul responds to the argument that grace encourages us to sin without fearing consequence. (v.15)
Duolos is the Greek word used for “slave” in verse 16 and refers to one whose will is entirely consumed in the will of someone else. Believers have the choice every moment to either be the duolos of God, resulting in a regenerative, empowering relationship with him (the meaning of “righteousness” in verse 16), or the duolos of sin, resulting in a self-destructive path in diversion from God’s will (the meaning of “death” in verse 16).
As believers, we should thank God for rescuing us from a natural, downward spiral of obedience to sin. Instead, he is empowering us to be willingly obedient to God, serving and following him not out of obligation, but in heartfelt, grateful response to his loving actions toward us. (v.17-18)
Next Week- The “physics” of good and evil and how they effect our lives.
Coffee House Question- What might we do to help change our motivation for obedience from “obligation” to “gratitude”?
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