Living the Christian Life, Lesson 4

Living the Christian Life is a Bible study series that explores Paul’s teaching aboutChristian growth and sanctification in Romans 6:1–8:17.

Introductory Thoughts

After a lengthy discussion of theneed for and basis of justification by grace through faith in Christ (i.e.,salvation or conversion), Paul now explains how this same truth shouldtransform our mindset and lifestyle as Christians (i.e., sanctification orChristian growth). The believer’s close identification with Christ’s death,burial, and resurrection places him or her in a new position. He is no longer aslave to sin but serves Jesus Christ instead.

Passage: Romans 6:12-14

In English (NKJV)

v.12     Therefore do not letsin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it inits lusts.

v.13     And do not presentyour members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but presentyourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instrumentsof righteousness to God.

v.14     For sin shall nothave dominion over you, for you are not under law but undergrace.

In Greek

v.12     μη ουν βασιλευετωη αμαρτια εν τω θνητω υμων σωματι εις το υπακουειν αυτη εν ταις επιθυμιαιςαυτου

v.13     μηδε παριστανετετα μελη υμων οπλα αδικιας τη αμαρτια αλλα παραστησατεεαυτους τω θεω ως εκ νεκρων ζωντας και τα μελη υμων οπλαδικαιοσυνης τω θεωv.

v.14     αμαρτιαγαρ υμων ου κυριευσει ου γαρ εστε υπο νομον αλλ υποχαριν

Key Words and Insights

Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old &New Testament Words (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006)together with an interlinear Bible, like The NKJV Greek English InterlinearNew Testament (Thomas Nelson, 1994) is an excellent way to get accuratedefinitions for your Bible study based upon Greek and Hebrew meanings.

• Reign (βασιλεύω): “to possess regal authority, be a king, reign; to rule, govern; to be in force, predominate, prevail.”

• Mortal (θνητός): “mortal, subject to death.”

• Obey (ὑπακούω): “to give ear, listen; to obey; to render submissive acceptance; to be submissive.” This is the same word Paul uses to describe a wife’s proper response to her husband (Eph 5:22, 24).

• Lust (ἐπιθυμία): “earnest desire; irregular, violent desire; impure desire.”

• Present (παρίστημι): “to place beside; to have in readiness, provide; to place at the disposal of; to dedicate, devote.” Sometimes this is translated as “yield" or "surrender." "Hand over" is a good translation of this word.

• Member (μέλος): “a member, limb, any part of the body.” Refers to body parts.

• Instrument (ὅπλον): “an implement (i.e., a tool); arms, armor, weapons.”

• Have dominion (κυριεύω): “to be lord over, possessed of, mastery over; to exercise control over.” This is a similar word to reign (βασιλεύω) used in v.12.

• Under (ὑπό): “under” as in “under subjection” or “under the jurisdiction or influence of.”

• Law (νόμος): “a law, esp. the Mosaic Law.”

• Grace (χάρις): “God’s free (unearned) favor, free gift, gracious provision, gracious dealing.”

Questions for Meditation and Reflection

“Therefore” refers to what Paul said previously. In your own words,state what Paul is referring back to as the reason or basis for what he is aboutto say next.

This 3-vs. segment concludes this 14-vs. section. It provides some practicalapplication as the right response to the theological explanation of vv. 1-11. “Therefore”refers to what Paul said in v. 11, that believers should consider themselves “deadto sin” and “alive to God.” Thus far, Paul’s instructions guide believers inhow to think about life. Now Paul transitions from thinking to doing, fromadopting the right perspective to making the right choices in life. How shouldthe fact that we have been freed from sin’s authority and into a closerelationship with God influence our lifestyle?

What should you not allow to happen to your physical body?

We should not allow sin and its temptations to govern or control whatwe do with our bodies.

What will you do if you do allow this to happen?

We allow this to happen by giving attention, submitting, and obeyingwhat it urges us to do.

What does it mean to “present your members as instruments ofunrighteousness to sin?”

This means to place our body parts at the disposal of sin, givingthem over to do what is wrong. This reminds us of the well-known children’ssong, “Oh Be Careful Little Eyes What You See,” and so on. The point is that wedecided what to do with our bodies. Our bodies should not tell us what to do.The Greek words for let reign, obey, and present appear inthe present tense. This indicates an ongoing, habitual tendency, not just aone-time act. We need to break our tendencies to habitually sin in the waysthat our bodies tempt us to do.

What should you do instead?

We should place ourselves at the disposal of God, offering ourminds, our eyes, our ears, our mouths, our hands, and our feet, etc. to do whatis right (reminiscent of Rom 12:1-2). Why? Because sin’s authority over us is brokenand in the past, and we now have a close relationship with God instead. Thisclose relationship entrusts us with a new obligation, to do what is right and anewfound life and ability to do so. Yet living according to this new reality isnot automatic. We must make choices to do so.

What does this statement mean? “Sin shall not have dominion overyou.”

This phrase is given in the future tense. In this instance andcontext, however, it carries an imperatival force, which means that we should readit not as a future event, but as a strong command, as when a parent says to achild, “You will not forget to do your homework tonight. Is that clear?”So, Paul is underscoring the importance of the instructions he has just givenby saying, “For sin must not have dominion over you.” In other words, becauseof what God has done for us and because of our new relationship to him, we mustnot allow sin to exercise authority over us any longer.

What does “under the law” mean? Then what does “under grace” mean?

This last statement is a statement of established fact, whereas theprevious statements are statements of what we should and shouldn’t do. “Underthe law” means “under the guiding principle of the law.” The law governs us by highlightingsin’s authority, by pointing out frequent failures. It motivates us to tryharder, only to fail more. Now that sin is no longer our mandatory master, welive under the guiding principle of grace instead. It motivates us even more todo right (not to sin). Yet it doesn’t motivate us out of guilt or shame, onlyto increase our failure. It motivates us by God’s mercy and forgiveness, goodnessand generosity. Through grace, God actually enables us to do right

Questions for Personal Application

1. Give some ways that we can choose to “obey” wrong desires by placing our body parts at the disposal of sin?
2. Give some ways that we can choose to “obey” God by submitting ourselves to him instead to do what is right?
3. What must you remind yourself about when you are facing strong desires to make wrong choices?