FREEDOM from sin and the power for doing right was considered to some extent last week in the study of the first part of the sixth chapter of Romans. The real philosophy of the ability to do right is set forth still more fully in the concluding verses of the chapter:
"Even so reckon ye also yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus.
"Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey the lusts thereof: neither present your members unto sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves unto God, as 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 law, but under grace.
"What then? shall we sin, because we are not under law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye present yourselves as servants unto obedience, his servants ye are whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But thanks be to God, that, whereas ye were servants of sin, ye became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching whereunto ye were delivered; and being made free from sin, ye became servants of righteousness. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye presented your members as servants to uncleanness and to iniquity, even so now present your members as servants to righteousness unto sanctification. For when ye were servants of sin, ye were free in regard of righteousness. What fruit then had ye at that time in the 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 sanctification, and the end eternal life. For the wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Rom. 6: 11-23.
In former articles the fact has been dwelt upon that God's plan of salvation bestows the righteousness of Christ upon the individual who will turn to Him and accept it. And having received the gift of righteousness the individual is to "reckon" himself "to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus."
When the person is converted and gives himself to God, he will have the same temptations to sin that have always presented themselves to him. Indeed, at times those temptations will come to him even stronger than ever before, for Satan will redouble his efforts to keep his subjects from being taken away from him. But as the temptation is presented, we are to "reckon" ourselves dead unto sin. We have renounced and given up the sinful life, and it is now our work always and everywhere to "reckon" ourselves dead to sin.
This reckoning is the switch that God has provided that the redeemed from sin may always have at hand; and as soon as it is properly set, all the power of the divine Father comes flowing into the individual's life in order to make a fact of what he has reckoned. This is divine philosophy, and it is definitely accurate always in its working. It will always give the sinful, temptation-oppressed, struggling soul relief from the evil tendencies that seem determined to hold him in the slavery of wrong-doing. God has established His laws in the natural world, and we all know how definitely they act. He has placed this law in the spiritual world; and it acts just as positively as the law that governs falling bodies, or any of the rest of the laws that we see in operation in the natural world.
God having provided this mighty spiritual law by which we may "reckon" in His strength that we are dead to sin, we then have the inspiring command, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body." Many have looked forward to the resurrection body before it would be possible to be free from sin. But this text gives us something far better than that. We are not to let sin reign in our "mortal" body. God has issued the decree. It is God's power that makes the decree effective. We may stand in the strength of it and be free indeed.
"Sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under law, but under grace." When the individual is a sinner, he is under the condemnation of the law. He will have to suffer the penalty of law if he remains in that condition. But now he has accepted the "grace" of Christ. He has taken the proffered righteousness of Christ, and is no longer resting under the condemnation of law. He is now under grace.
Then, lest any one should get the impression that he might go on in sin and thus continue to break the law because he is under grace, the apostle raises the question, "Shall we sin, because we are not under law, but under grace?" His answer is most emphatic—"God forbid." The whole plan of salvation is to win man away from sin, and the reason for it is that righteousness is much more enjoyable than sin can possibly be. The carnal mind would seek to have us disbelieve this great truth; it would seek to have us think that it is much more pleasurable to lead a life of sin. While sin has no pleasure that does not conceal a sting, the life of righteousness in Christ is a life of unmarred happiness every moment of all the time.
"But thanks be to God, that, whereas ye were servants of sin, ye became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching whereunto ye were delivered; and being made free from sin, ye became servants of righteousness." When in the life of sin men give themselves up to serve sin, they plunge into all the pleasures that sin holds out. But now a new life has been found. Real joys have come to take the place of seeming joys. The slavery of sin has been renounced, and the freedom of righteousness has been accepted instead. And as the service of sin was entered into with all the heart, this new service of righteousness should be laid hold of with an earnestness that is as much stronger as the one is better than the other.
And "being made free from sin and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end eternal life. For the wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Yes, having followed the plan provided by our Father we reap the precious fruit of eternal life. God ushers His children into joys that are so rich and full that He wants them to have all the eternal ages in which to enjoy them. And they will need all eternity for the purpose of drinking the limitless cup of blessed happiness.