Romans 6:15 - Living Under Grace

Romans 6:15 - What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be!

Message: Grace living not under the law

Time: Paul wrote Romans from Corinth as he prepared to leave for Palestine. Phoebe (16:1,2) was given the great responsibility of delivering the letter to the Romans believers. At this time, Rome had a population of 1 million, many of whom were slaves. The Romans church was doctrinally sound, but it still needed rich doctrine and practical application. Rome had massive buildings but also slums.

What the Lord is Saying:

Background
Romans 6:1-14 was the Believer's Death to Sin in Principle and the remainder of chapter 6 is the Believer's Death to Sin in Practice. Verse 1 began with a question: "Are we to continue in sin that grace may increase?" This was asked on the heels of chapter 5, verse 20, "where sin increased, grace abounded." It is a natural question. And yet Paul answers emphatically, "No way." The justified person has died to sin. And thus, these verses declared over and over how sin has been crucified and we are united with Christ in His death and resurrection, so we are freed from sin, so we want to change from being in Adam to being in Christ and no longer obey or let us make sin master of our life. God will always see us as freed from sin. That we must remember.

The Law
Verse 15 now asks the question, "Shall we sin because we are under law but under grace?" The Law has not been talked about, up to this point, in chapter 6.  The Law was a practical means of living religion. People have somewhat misrepresented the Law by thinking it is a guide for living. A person seems to want to strive to keep the Law and yet they know they will break it. And this seems to be the daily toil of law keeping. Trying to keep it to the best of your ability. And yet breaking the Law will occur.

I was driving to work this morning, down the interstate, going the speed limit. But, it seemed like I was the only one. Some flying past me, some driving past me, but I saw very few going the speed limit. Some days this isn't the case, but it was Monday morning. I wonder if one of the problems with people equating law keeping with God acceptance is that when no one steps in to tell you that you have broken the Law, one thinks that it is no big deal and therefore isn't much of a violation. There is so much breaking the Law going on that police officers have to focus on those areas where danger is most eminent. And so speeding down the road often gets missed.

Thus Sin
So, a person then continues to sin but in their mind, it isn't sin. Why? No one is telling them they are doing anything wrong and everyone is doing it. And yet man has a conscience.

Question: Shall we sin because we aren't under law?
Is the fact that we aren't under law; it is possible that because the Law doesn't save us mean that because of grace we can sin?

From PreceptAustin.org: In the first question (verse 1), the Greek verb "continue" is present tense and thus refers to a life of habitual sin. In the second question (verse 2), the verb tense (shall we sin) is aorist tense and thus indicates that here Paul is referring to occasional, single acts of sin. The thought is, “Since your doctrine of superabundant grace teaches the impossibility of a life of habitual sin on the part of the Christian, will the fact that a Christian is not under the uncompromising rule of law but under the lenient scepter of grace, allow for at least an act of sin once in awhile?”

So, what is wrong with occasional sin? Since no record of wrongs (I Corinthian 13:5) then isn't okay to sin at times?  

Never

Definitely not is the response. The repentant sinner recognizes that any sin, momentary or habitual is not what they desire in their life.

Promise: From Tabletalk, May 1, 2014, "We are no longer under the law as guilty people, for we are righteous in Christ."