Bible Studies

Being In Christ Understanding the Statement

by Henry Jaegers
11/27/24
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Studies in the Book of Romans

By Henry Jaegers

Chapter 6

Being In Christ: Understanding the Statement

  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? (Romans 6: 1 and 2)

 This opening verse requires that we consider how our previous chapter ended. Consider: "Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

 It appears from these opening words in chapter six, is addressing either a view that some have entertained or if Paul is addressing a potential misunderstanding of what he said previously. The misunderstanding is, that the more we sin, the greater will be the opportunity for Grace. It is saying that it is good to continue in sin because the more you sin, the greater will be the abundance of Grace that you will receive. The thought refers to a teaching referred to as Anti-nomnianismm. That teaches, that because we are under Grace there is no reason to continue obeying the Law. And if there is a tendency to think that doctrine is confined to earlier times, that teaching exists today in various forms. It is the teaching that if we are Christians, we live under a new dispensation of Grace and the Law was for those living in Old Testament times. That is the problem addressed. now we shall consider how Paul answers that false understanding of the Gospel.

 Shall we, then continue in sin, that more grace may abound? Absolutely not. That is what the term "God Forbid means. In no way should we interpret God's word in that manner. It is contrary to everything and for every purpose that God gave us this gift of salvation.  We are to give thanks to God for giving us this gift, not abuse it by watering down God's original purpose for giving it to us.

 Then He gives us the reason for his seemingly abrupt reply by explaining something that seems to have been misunderstood. "How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein? Now the question arises, what do you mean, Sin seems to be a very present problem that we have to deal with every day. After all, sin is the gift that we received from Adam. How can we be dead to that? That is a very important question, and I think Paul understood clearly their dilemma in understanding what He meant. Now, I ask, Do you understand what Paul is saying? He is saying that because we have died to sin, there is no excuse for living in sin.

When it comes to this matter of temptation, it seems often that I have no choice when it comes to that. But what Paul is saying, because we are Christians, there is no reason why we must yield to that since Christ living within makes it possible to say no! But why then do I give in to temptation?

 And as we continue this chapter we will discover how to live a life of victory over temptation. But before that can happen, there is something else that we need to understand. And that is, what it means, that we are "In Christ? And that is the main idea in this chapter.

 In approaching the subject of "Being in Christ, I would like to explain the meaning in three ways. First, what does it mean? Second, How and when did it take place? Finally, what is to be the outcome of having received this understanding?

 I believe that these questions when examined cover most of what is taught in Romans chapter six.

 But before I proceed with this exclamation, I would like to share an experience that I had in 1960, regarding this teaching, and how it changed the direction of my life.

 While attending my first year in a Baptist college, I made friends with a man named Barry Truelock. He never attended college after that, but I believe it was all part of the plan God had for me in preparing me for a future ministry. He introduced me to three books that were gaining popularity at the time, especially with non-Baptists. I say that because over the years, I never heard this teaching in the Southern Baptist churches that I attended. The first book was called "The Normal Christian Life", By Watchman Nee.  The Second book was called "The Calvary Road" By Roy and Revell Hession. The third book was called, "Born Crucified" By L. E. Maxwell.

 All of these books had one thing in Common. They explained the meaning of these teachings as taught in Romans Chapter Six. It was through the influences of these books I was able to make the choice between pursuing a secular degree or going to a school where the Bible  was the major subject. I chose to go to Prairie Bible Institute where the principles of the crucified life, were not only taught but were practiced by the people who ministered there. A decision I have never regretted.

 The book that captured my attention was "The Normal Christian life" By Watchman Nee. He began by comparing the Normal Christian life to "The Average Christian life." I was already in the average category and wanted to know what I was missing. It opened to me a new understanding of what it meant to be a Christian, so you will understand why I have chosen this subtitle for this book. I would highly recommend Watchman Nee's as He explains this thing in an easy-to-read manner. The Calvary Road deals more with the practical side of the Normal Christian life and leads to understanding the true meaning of Spiritual Revival. All of these books are still available to purchase. Now let me share with you what I have learned over these last 60-plus years (And am still learning.

 As a means of reference, these teachings are usually found in what is often referred to as "The Deeper Life Conferences. But they are more widely recognized as the Keswick conferences. Their teaching goes farther than the intellect, and they reach deep into the heart.) That is why they are referred to as "Deeper Life Conferences. I attended many of these while attending Prairie Bible Institute.

 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:(Verses 3 through 5)

 Paul begins by addressing something that either they have forgotten or never had been taught. He expressed surprise that they were not aware of this basic teaching. But that same understanding seems to be lacking in many sincere Christians. So Paul begins to explain to them this relation with Christ that is available to begin a "Normal Christian life. Many Christians never progress further than being an average Christian. After all. that is where the rest of the Christians are. Content to be redeemed but not useful as to having any spiritual influence. So the first Question we want to address is, What does it mean to "Be in Christ?"  We all know that when we become Christian, Christ lives in us. But is there a difference between Being in Christ and Christ living in me? In some ways, they are the same but one comes about through something that I do. But when it comes to Being in Christ it is different, because it refers to something that God has done. It happens to us at the time of Salvation.

 In chapter five we talked about what we were like before we received salvation. We inherited a sinful nature from Adam. and that sin nature remains in us. But God has provided a way out of that life by providing salvation as a free Gift. Before we were saved we were in Adam. But when we received salvation some inward change took place within and our life was changed.  But there is something else that happened. God did something to us. He changed our position from "Being in Adam and changed us and declared us to "Be in Christ.

 There is another term that could be misunderstood. It is the term "Baptized.". We often refer to it as "Water Baptism", which is merely a symbol of something spiritual that has taken place. So what is this "Spiritual Baptism? The word "Baptism means to be immersed. But I have discovered a better word in place of immersion. It is the word "To be enveloped. Let me explain.

 When I became a Christian I received a Baptism that was spiritual in nature. That does not mean that I must seek for some extra spiritual experience. It refers to something that God has done.

 To understand this more perfectly in Chapter 12 of First Corinthians verse 13, notice these words. " For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

 For by one Spirit should be understood, By means of one Spirit. We are placed into the Body of Christ.  It is God doing something to us by placing us into the body of Christ. That is what God does at the time of salvation. The baptism mentioned here is spiritual (Or invisible to our eyes, unlike water baptism.

 Here is a simple illustration. Let's say that you have a gift that you want to send to a friend. You put it in an envelope, seal it, and place it in the mailbox. Entrusting the mailman to do his job.

 What God does to us is like that. When He saves us, He envelopes us into the Holy Spirit(Another way to say He baptizes us by means of the Holy Spirit and places us into the body of Christ(Like the mailbox. That is a simple way to explain what it means to be in Christ. That is the easy part to understand. Placing us in Christ is something that God does as a result of our receiving salvation. But let us consider what this verse is telling us.

 The next thing the verse tells us is that we were baptized into his death.  That is a little harder to explain.

 Think about it like this. While Christ lived and walked among men, he was like us in every way but lived without sinning. That is why He was able to become an acceptable substitute for us. He had to face all the pressures that we faced and was the constant attack by Satan. But satan never caused him to fail.  Because we are sinful by nature, under the curse of the broken law. We must die because of this.

 When Jesus died, he became free from all those previous trials. The law had no effect upon him. He was dead to the demands of the law. Satan could not harass him. Death had freed him. When He arose, that was the display of His power over everything.

 Now when the verse tells us that we are buried with Him. That means, that when Christ our substitute died, god did something to us as well. God has counted us dead to the sinful deeds of the body even as death makes us free from the past life. To understand all of this, we must see it in a spiritual way. When I became a Christian, God counted Christ's death as my death. Being united to Christ I have been declared by God to be free from the curse of the law. What is true of Christ, is now true of me.  God has counted me as being part of his death. what does that mean? At one time I was under the dominion and realm of sin. But when I became a Christian, I surrendered the realm of self-rule and handed the dominion of my life over to Christ. That means, that because I am under a new dominion, I am no longer the slave of sinful passions and desires. So being dead to sin means that it is a work of God in placing me in Christ, and because I live under a new dominion, I am no longer sins, aslave. That is not all. I have become part of His resurrection as well. That means that as I live under his dominion, I have the inward potential to no longer submit to the trappings of the flesh.

 Now I must explain, that sometimes when we fail to live this Normal Christian life and yield to the temptations, it does not mean that my position in Christ has changed. It means that I fail to maintain that spiritual dominion while engaging in fleshly pursuits. When I am faced with temptation, I remember whose kingdom is in control and I am able through the Holy Spirit's power to consider myself dead to that old man of the flesh who is trying to usurp the throne that only Christ owns.

 In accepting this teaching, it is important to recognize the importance of faith. I am not talking about intellectual assent. The fact of God placing me "In Christ" must be grasped by faith as a reality. The whole idea of being "In Christ" is something beyond logic. It must be grasped and held to by faith. It is a declared position by God. It is a fact and before we progress further, there should be no doubt about its reality.

 We mentioned in this message what it means. How it happened is that it has been performed by God. Beyond reason and beyond human understanding but one that must be taken as a fact. And that introduces us to what follows in these verses.

 The Fact Explained (Verses 6 through 10)

 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.  For he that is dead is freed from sin.  Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:  Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.  For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

 Before we can act, we need to know something important. What is it?

 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

 There is something conditional in this fact. First, there must have been true conversion that has taken place. We cannot be "In Adam" and claim the blessing of being in Christ. The second thing we need to know is the importance of our abiding in the fact that we are dead to sin. While we are abiding in Christ, we are no longer ruling over our own lives. We have surrendered our will to another. While Christ is in control, the old man of sin is dead. And that is what this verse is telling us.

 At this point, it is necessary to point out the difference between sins and sin. Sin is an abiding principle that we have inherited from Adam. That never changes. It is what we are by nature. It is demonstrated by selfish acts and pride and is the source of all the sins that we commit. We commit sins, because of who we are by nature. But when we surrender our wills to Christ, we are able to resist the pressure from that sinful nature that wants to control us. This sinful nature is referred to as "The Old Man". The one that we received from Adam. Our sins are taken care of by the blood. Gone forever. But we need the cross to take care of the "Old Man. There are some who fail to make that distinction. Sin is what we are, sins are what we do. Now, consider:

 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

 In these verses, we are told that crucifying (Counting him as dead) is necessary. In order that we should no longer serve the deeds of the body. When we do this, we become free from those powers that wish to enslave and destroy us. But it is important that we know and understand this fact. otherwise, we cannot act upon them.  For he that is dead is freed from sin.  Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:  Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.  For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

 Now here is an important fact that we need to focus on. First, that when Christ died for our sins he died only one time. Because of this, the power of sin's temptation has no power over him. It cannot touch him Because he is free from that dominion that seeks to overcome him, he is now free to serve another, which is God. And the significance of this is. that because we are "In Christ". the same is true of us also.

 So, before we proceed let's summarize. When God places me into Christ, it is for a good reason. That is in order to share in His death and resurrection. I share in His death by acknowledging the fact that "The Old Man no longer needs to have dominion over me. And I share in His resurrection by entering into the power that He has provided me to live a life pleasing to God. Having recognized and understood this fact, I am now ready to take the next step.

 The Action that We Are to Take.  (Verses 11 through 14)

 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.  Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

In like manner, as Christ has demonstrated to us, and since we are part of His death and resurrection, so are we to count ourselves. When we are confronted by the power of temptation, instead of focusing on that, consider yourself as having no reason to pay attention to its allurements. We are to act courageously and affirmatively and act in accord with the ability that the Holy Spirit gives us to turn our back upon it. Consider, that you have no right as a resurrected saint to dwell in that territory. Of course that is my paraphrase in order to bring home the force of that action we should take.

 We are New creatures, and we are not our own. From now on we are to submit all that we have as God's instruments unto Him.

 But we cannot leave without explaining the meaning of this verse for it answers the question first posed in verse one. "Shall we continue in sin, that Grace may abound?

  For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

 Under the Law, we were subjected to a higher standard than was possible for us to perform. As long as we strive in our own strength. then only failure was possible. Under the Law, we stood condemned. That is what it was like to be in Adam. But now, we live under a new domain. Our relationship to the law is different. We now delight in it, because now that we live in a new domain we are free from the curse attached to the broken law. In Christ, we have the liberty to serve God in a different way. The abiding Spirit makes it possible for us to bring forth a life that glorifies God. The Law could only produce guilt and failure. Under Grace, we live in a new domain bringing forth forgiveness and victory.

   A question Rephrased (Verses 15 through 18)

 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.  Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?  But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.  Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

 In these verses, Paul is addressing a further misunderstanding that occurs after he so carefully and patiently tries to explain what it means to be in Christ. The question appears to be asking, Since we are no longer bound by the law but live under free grace, does that mean that we are free to practice sin without guilt? Whether that is the question or not, it is one that often concludes that since we are not bound by the law but now under grace, we can  commit sin without having to come under the consequences of the broken law? It seems to be a more sophisticated way of rephrasing the first question. But Paul's answer and reply is, God Forbid! It still means the same and says that the question is far removed from the subject at hand. Notice how Paul answers them.

  Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness.

 The meaning of these words is that whatever the choice that you make, whether sin that leads to death or obedience that leads to righteousness, you become the servant to whom you yield yourself. Choosing to sin has its consequences. It appears that Paul is once again dealing with those who want to hve it both ways.  To be a Christian and enjoy the pleasures of sin at the same time. It is a common problem with those who want to go to Heaven above without leaving the sin behind.

 But now that we are "In Christ", those questions must never be a concern. We are Christ's and our desire is to bring forth fruit to the glory of God. And now we must consider Paul's concluding statement.

 Paul's Concluding Statement  (Verses 18 through 23)

  I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your member's servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so, now yield your member's servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.  What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.  But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 Paul begins by stating that it is necessary to speak to them in this matter because they appear to lack understanding, although he has gone to great lengths to make these teachings clear. The fact that he has to answer such questions, reveals that something is amiss in their thinking.

 I recall another instance in one of Paul's other letters while addressing the Christians mentioned in the book of Hebrews. He was trying to explain some important truths but discovered that they were not paying attention. It was because they were locked into basic teachings that prevented them from gaining a clearer understanding of what Paul was trying to teach them.  Spiritual development was essential if they were to be all that God intended them to be.

 And it appears that Paul has hit a snag in some of their understanding of these essential doctrinal facts. That is why he is saying that he needs to speak as a man. It is not as though he has not been doing that, but their question reveals that there is still more work to do in helping them to understand.

 Very often, in teaching the word of God, we must stop and consider if presenting truth in a different way is necessary. I can think of many times when the people weren't following my thought pattern. When this happens I can do one of two things. I can count them as spiritually dull and lay the blame on them. Or I can be honest with myself and realize that it is me that has to change. So, to correct the problem, I must think of a different way to teach. And I think that we have an example of that need demonstrated in the way that Paul is addressing the problem. How has he done this? Consider:

  I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your member's servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so, now yield your member's servants to righteousness unto holiness.

 Sometimes the snag occurs because we have not gone beyond hearing to the point of taking that first step of faith, which when we do, begins to bring new understanding to us. Paul is saying that they need to begin by discarding their corrupt way of thinking and begin to embrace these important truths. We must progress beyond intellectual affirmation, and take that first step of obedience.

 In these concluding words, Paul reminds them of their former life when they were held in bondage to their lusts. But they have been delivered from that, and now instead of producing the works of the flesh that ultimately leads to frustration and death, they are urged to press on toward a life of holiness that brings forth fruit unto the glory of God.

  And as we consider this, the words of verse 23 take on a new meaning.  "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 What Paul is saying in this statement is that continuing in this matter of disobedience leads to death. It is essential that they embrace these teachings because neglecting them has its consequences. They lead to death. On the other hand, embracing these teachings leads to true righteousness which is found in Jesus Christ alone. Disobedience leads to eternal death, but obedience leads to a full and eternal salvation. And yet, we are not finished. We still must face the struggle with the problem of "The Old Man" trying to usurp the throne of our life.

 And when we come to chapter seven we will examine that struggle in more detail.