Walking In Newness Of Life

Daily Bread

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From Romans, chapter six,

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:1-4 – NASB)

The apostle Paul was engaged by the Jewish leaders to explain himself. In his teaching of being saved by grace apart from the keeping of the Law, was he promoting sin? Was he promoting that this new faith in this Jesus actually allowed for a person to sin more that grace might abound more? This was the question posed to Paul and he answered it in Romans chapter six.

“Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase?”

Paul made it clear that this was not to be the response to the grace of God in Christ,

“May it never be!”

This exhortation is emphatic in the Greek text and has the exclamation point in English to drive the point home. Is the practice of a Christian, a “Christ-one,” to be a life lived “in sin” that grace might abound, and not a life lived in obedience to God? Absolutely not!

There are some who filter the church with messages that a person does not have to change when they come to Christ for salvation. That is certainly not Scriptural. Repentance, I believe, is a condition that in God’s Word is clearly taught for salvation. One must turn from their sin of unbelief and embrace Christ as Lord and Savior, and when they do, they respond to His doctrine and realize,

“How shall we who died to sin still live in it?”

For one who has partaken of the grace of God in Christ there is a recognition of one’s sinful state and a conscious decision to die to self and live to Christ who is Lord (cf. Galatians 2:20), and such, to turn from sin. Thus the answer to Paul’s question of “shall we who died to sin still live in it” is “may it never be!”

We who are “baptized into Christ Jesus” by placing our faith in Him as Lord and Savior are identified with Him and His death and resurrection. We are no longer to “live” in “sin,” but instead, through our faith in Christ, in who He is and what He has done, we are spiritually “buried” and then “raised” to . . .

“walk in newness of life”

Spiritually born again to a “newness of life,” one that includes a new practice, a practice that loves the Lord Jesus Christ and loves His commandments (John 14:15, 21; 15:9-10) and desires to be conformed to His image (Romans 8:29).

Have a good day brethren . . . and as you walk do so with love in your heart for Christ and for His commandments.

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