Romans 6 Transformation Verses 1.What, then, shall we say? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2.Let it not be! We who died to sin how shall we still live in it? 3.Are you all continuously ignorant that we, as many as were baptized into Christ Jesus, were baptized into his death? I insert you all whenever Paul is referring to more than one person. This is important for you to know, because it makes it clear that the statement then applies to all believers. You are not alone in these struggles. (See Endnote 6:3 below). 4.We were buried together, then, with him through the baptism into death, that even as Christ was raised up out of the dead through the glory of the Father; so also we, in newness of life, live our lives. 5.For, if we have become united together [with Christ] in the likeness of his death, so also we shall exist [in the likeness] of the resurrection. 6.Continuously knowing this, that our old man has been crucified with him, that the body of sin may be made useless, so that sin is no longer continuously enslaving us. I insert continuously whenever Paul is referring to an ongoing process, not a one time event. VERY IMPORTANT: Being changed into the image of Jesus is a lifelong process. Therefore, It is important for you to know when Paul is referring to your daily living here on earth (an ongoing process), and not just the one moment when you made Jesus your Lord (IWGYR pages 85-86). Also see Endnote 6:6). 1.What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2.God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3.Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4.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. 5.For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection. 6.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. 7.For he that is dead is freed from sin. 7.for he who has died has been set free (1344) from sin. The word here translated as set free is Strong s #1344, dikaioo. It is a verb that means to be acquitted of guilt. It is then as though you never committed that sin! You no longer have to reap death and destruction because of your guilt (IWGYR pages 40-41). For more details, see Endnote 6:7 below.
Transformation Verses 8.And if we died with Christ, we are continuously believing that we also shall live together with him, 9.knowing that Christ, having been raised up out of the dead, no longer is continuously dying, death is no longer continuously being lord of him. 10.for the one who died to sin died once and for all, but on the other hand he is continuously living: he is continuously living in God; 11.so also you all, be continuously occupying yourselves to indeed being continuously dead to sin, and continuously living in God in Jesus Christ our Lord. We are to be continuously focused on the process of being changed into the image of Jesus. See Endnote 6:11. We are multifaceted inside, like a honeycomb with many compartments, rather than a honey jar which is one compartment. Some areas in us are filled with Jesus, and those good roots produce good fruit. Some other areas are filled with sin; and those bad roots produce bad fruit. We need to be continuously removing bad roots by the blood of Jesus. (IWGYR page 40). 12.In this manner, be not continuously letting sin reign in your mortal body, to be continuously obeying it in its powerful impulses; This transformation of your character is the only way that you can be free from the bad fruit that impels you from the force of the bad root. 8.Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9.Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10.For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11.Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 12.Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Transformation Verses 13.You all also do not be continuously manifesting your members as weapons of ungodliness in sin, but on the contrary manifest yourselves in God, in that way continuously living separated out of the dead, and your members weapons of righteousness (1343) in God; This noun, #1343, dikaiosune, means the nature and quality of God s character. It means that you have actually been transformed into the image of Jesus, and now you are a new creature (in that area of your life, IWGYR page 40). Paul uses this word repeatedly in the following verses, because he is emphasizing the fact that Jesus image has actually been imparted to you. This new nature in you will continuously bring about good fruit in that area of your life. See Endnote 6:7 for more details. 14.for your sin shall not have lordship, for you all are not continuously under law, but under grace (5485). Strong s #5485, charin, here refers to God s gracious free gift of being cleansed of our sins that He has provided through Jesus Christ. 15.What then? Shall we sin seeing that we are not continuously under law but continuously under grace (5485, see previous verse)? Let it not be! 16.Have you all not known that to whom you all are continuously presenting yourselves as slaves into obedience, slaves you all are to him to whom you all are continuously obeying, whether of sin into death, or of obedience into righteousness (1343)? 17.but thanks be to God, that you all were continuously slaves of sin, yet you all obeyed from the heart the type of teaching to which you all were given; 18.and having been freed from sin, you all are enslaved to righteousness (1343). We don t have to try not to sin. When we have been transformed, we simply are like Jesus, and act like him (IWGYR pages 43-46). 13.Niether 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. 14.For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. 15.What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. 16.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? 17.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. 18.Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
Transformation Verses 19.In the manner of men I speak, because of the weakness of your flesh, for even as you all did present your members slaves to uncleanness and to lawlessness into lawlessness, so now present your members slaves to righteousness (1343) into God s holy character. The word here translated as God s holy character is Strong s #38, hagiasmos. It is a noun which refers to the resultant state of the sanctification process. It means to be holy even as God is holy. Isn t this astonishing? We are actually changed into His image (IWGYR page 86). 20.for when you all were slaves of sin, you all were free from righteousness (1343), 21.what fruit, therefore, were you all having then, in the things of which you all are now ashamed? For the end of those is death. 22.And now, having been freed from sin, and having become servants to God, you all are continuously possessing your fruit as a consequence of sanctification (38), and the goal abiding life. Sanctification is Strong s 38, hagiasmos (see verse 19 above). Here Paul is saying that your good roots (Jesus in you) are continuously producing good fruit by their very nature (IWGYR pages 39-40). Also see Endnote 6:22 below. 23.for what one earns from sin is death, but the gracious free gift of God is abiding life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Perhaps you are now used to the frequency of you all and Continuously. In subsequent chapters I will no longer be color coding these words. 19.I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. 20.For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. 21.What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22.But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 23.For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Chapter 6 Endnotes: 6:3: My repetitive use of you all may seem awkward at times; but modern English has no plural form of you, so you all clarifies when the you is meant to be plural. The King James uses ye to indicate plural. 6:6: The use of continuously may seem awkward, and sometimes redundant; but it is important to understand that is the meaning of these Greek verbs. Greek verbs are far more complex and expressive than are English verbs. One aspect of Greek verbs expresses continuous, ongoing action. Because Romans 6, 7, and 8 deal with the continual process of living our lives here on earth as Christians, it is crucial that we can see when the text is referring to a continuous process, and when it is referring to a one time event. 6:7: The word here translated as set free is Strong s #1344, dikaioo. It is a verb that means to be acquitted of guilt, as if there is nothing wrong with you if you were to stand in a court of justice. It means to deliver, set free; not the mere declaration of innocence, but the liberation from sin which holds man a prisoner When you have been set free, it is as though you never committed that sin! (IWGYR pages 40-41). This Greek word (Dikaioo, #1344) is closely related to two other words that appear frequently in Romans. Diaiosune (1343) is a noun that is usually translated as righteousness. It means not guilty. It refers to the nature and quality of God s character. Man does not simply receive the righteousness of God, but he is made righteous and acquires the nature of God. It means that you have actually been transformed into the image of Jesus, and now you are a new creature (in that area of your life, IWGYR page 40). Dikaioma (1345) is a noun, usually translated as righteousness. It is the produce, or result, of being justified by God. When we are declared righteous, that is solely because we now have the nature and character of God in that area of our life. We have been transformed into the image of Jesus. As you can see, all three words refer to the process and results of God s action to cleanse us from sin and change us into the image of Jesus. This is a miraculous provision and impartation. We literally become a new creature (in that area of us) in Jesus Christ. There is no other way to become holy. The frequency of the use of this family of words is additional testimony that this process of sanctification (the miraculous transformation of us into the image of Jesus) is a major topic of Romans, Chapters 6, 7, and 8. Where these words appear in these three chapters is summarized below: #1343, diakaiosune, a noun (6:13, 16, 18, 19, 20; 8:10). #1344, diakaioo, a verb (6:7; 8:30). #1345, dikaioma, a noun (8:4).
6:11: The Greek verb logozesthe (#3049) is a verb Paul commonly uses that means: to reckon, consider, take into account, weigh the reasons, to put together with one s mind. In this passage Paul is coaching people to continuously stay focused on being transformed into the image of Jesus, because this is the only way to be free from the power of sin and its powerful influence when it is present (see the next verse, verse 12). Good roots (Jesus in us) are the only way to have good fruit. 6:22: The Greek word hagiazo (#37) is a verb that means to make holy, purify, sanctify. It means to impart God s nature and character into a person (into their honeycomb, (IWGYR page 40). The Greek word hagiasmos (#38) is a noun which refers to the state of being sanctified. It means the result of the process of being made holy even as God is holy.