Overview of Romans 6: Regeneration and Santification

As we've looked at already, in the entirety of Romans 6 Paul is answering following question: "Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?" (Romans 6:1). He immediately answers this question, "By no means!" (Romans 6:2). We looked at how this phrase does not merely mean "no" but rather a very strong, negative dismissal of the question, as if Paul was saying "Let it never be; do not think of such things; absolutely not!" Through the rest of the chapter, he explains why this ought to be so.

Firstly, Paul appeals to our regeneration to show that we ought to sin no longer (Romans 6:1-14). Regeneration is part of the act of salvation where God, in his own power, takes our spiritual deadness and turns it into life. Regeneration is God's transforming of our souls into capable spiritual souls that are no longer in the cage of sin, but can produce righteousness. In Paul's terms, God "unites" us in a "death" like Christ's, so that the spiritual deadness within us dies, and therefore God causes us to "live with [Christ]" as well. We are no longer dead, but the death that was once in us was crucified with Christ. What does this all mean though? It means that we ought to not sin any longer because God has regenerated us. God has given us a new life, why would we then go back into the old life that he has saved us from? If a prisoner was saved from a jail cell, why would he run back into it? If someone was chained to a corpse and was freed from it, why would he chain himself to it again? We ought to sin no more because God has given us new life.

Secondly, Paul appeals to our sanctification to show that we ought to sin no longer (Romans 6:15-23). Sanctification is gaining in Christlikeness, or in other words, to be growing in holiness. This is the practical aspect of the spiritual walk, as we grow in Christ (hopefully!) every day. In Paul's terms, we must "present [our] members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification." Sanctification leads us to eternal life (Romans 6:22), but we can only be sanctified if we enslave ourselves to righteousness instead of sin (Romans 6:22). This is not to say that one ought to be perfectly sinless in order to inherit salvation, for we are saved by grace (Romans 4:4-5). However, it is to say that an outward pattern of anyone who is truly Christian will be to present himself to obedience to God, rather than to obedience to sin. Once again, that does not mean that we do not fall, but does mean that we always get back up. "For the righteous falls seven times and rises again" (Proverbs 24:16). We ought to not sin because God has a better option for us than our sin, that being sanctification (Romans 6:21). Why would anyone want to go back into the depth of sin in which God has saved him from, when he can produce the fruit of righteousness unto the glory of God? Surely we ought not to sin.

So, have you ever find yourself questioning whether you should "sin that grace may abound"? I know I have. Oftentimes we bank on the Lord's mercy and grace and in doing so commit a myriad of horrendous sin. However, if we look at the Gospel (which is what the book of Romans is all about), we see that we ought to follow a different pattern. God has both regenerated us, and is sanctifying us. Why then would we go back to our former slavery? God has brought death to life (regeneration) and brough fruitfulness from unfruitfulness (sanctification), why would we abandon those things in order to pursue sin? "By no means!" proclaims the apostle--let not these thoughts even spring up in our minds. Amen.