Romans 6:1–14 tackles a sharp and unsettling question: if God’s grace covers all our sin, why not keep on sinning? In this episode, we walk through Paul’s resounding “Absolutely not!” and see that grace is not permission to remain in slavery, but God’s promise to free us from sin’s mastery and give us a new destiny marked by life, righteousness, and hope.
In this week’s episode, we explore:
- How Romans 6 connects to Paul’s argument in chapters 1–5 about universal sin and justification by faith
- Why the question “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” comes from critics trying to discredit the gospel, not from sincere disciples
- Paul’s answer that part of God’s grace is not only forgiving our sin, but breaking sin’s claim as our master
- What it means to have “died to sin” and how this metaphor describes a change in our destiny and ownership, not the end of our daily struggle with temptation
- Baptism into Christ’s death and resurrection as a picture of leaving our old master (sin) and rising to walk in “newness of life” under a new master (God)
- The “old self” and “body of sin” as the person whose life and future were ruled by sin—and why that identity is truly gone, even though our weaknesses remain
- The image of emancipation: nothing about our personality suddenly changes, but everything about our future and direction is radically different
- How Paul can speak in absolute language about being freed from sin’s dominion while still acknowledging ongoing failure and growth
- Paul’s practical exhortation: do not let sin reign, but present yourselves to God as those brought from death to life, because you are under grace, not law
By the end of the episode, listeners will see that the cross does more than cancel a legal penalty—it guarantees a future where sin will no longer mark who we are. You’ll be invited to stop treating grace as a safety net for ongoing rebellion and instead lean into the hope it offers: real freedom, a new master, and the confidence that God Himself will carry you all the way from death to life, from slavery to holiness.
If I could only study one section of the Bible, it would be Romans 5-8. Understanding these chapters changed my life forever.
In Romans 1-5, Paul argues for justification by faith: He argued that everyone has sinned; that no one — not the pagan, the moralist or the religious person — can keep the law. Because the law requires that we keep all of it perfectly with our whole heart all the time — a standard we all fall woefully short of.
The path to justification is trusting that God will make you holy because Jesus Christ paid the penalty for your sins on the cross. Paul concluded his argument by claiming that you now have a reason to boast because God has chosen you to be made complete, perfect and holy and that Jesus perfectly solved the problem of our sinfulness. God did not choose between two equal choices (wrath or mercy), but His mercy triumphed and prevailed over judgment.
Romans 6-11 function as the “Q&A after the lecture ” where Paul responds to questions intended to discredit the gospel.
In Romans 6:1-11, Paul tackles the first objection: Shall we sin that grace might increase? The spirit behind the question is: “So Paul, aren’t you saying that we should pursue sin that grace might increase? Your gospel implies we should seek to sin! Since no prophet of God would speak a message that implies we ought to continue in sin, you cannot be a prophet of God and your gospel message is wrong.”
Objection:
Our primary objective is to glorify God.
God is glorified when given the opportunity to demonstrate His grace.
Paul claims that forgiving our sins and justifying us is part of the gift of God’s grace.
The more sinfulness God has to forgive, the greater grace He can demonstrate.
Therefore, we should keep sinning, so that God can show His grace.
We know it can’t be true that God will benefit if we pursue evil , so Paul, your gospel is false.
Answer:
Absolutely not! Part of God’s grace is being set free from slavery to sin.
If we continue to pursue the very thing from which God set us free, we mock God’s gift.
It would not glorify God to imply that His gift doesn’t work.
The promise of the gospel is NOT that we will have victory over every daily battle of sin in our lives right now. The promise is that ultimately, one day, we will win the war. The victor in the final battle has already been declared and sin is going to lose, even if it wins the skirmish in the next five minutes. So when sin defeats me, it does not negate the truth that the power of sin in my life has been broken by the cross. It means that the power of sin being broken in my life has not yet been fully realized.
For more detail and explanation, please listen to the podcast.
Next: 09 Romans 6:15-7:6 Grace and the Law
Previous: 07 Romans 5:12-21 Grace Abounds
Series: Romans: Justification by Faith
Study: Romans Resources
Season 2, Episode 8
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