DON'T FORGET: GRACE is not freedom to sin, GRACE is freedom from sin.

DON'T FORGET:
GRACE is not freedom to sin, GRACE is freedom from sin.

Passages From Romans 6 (with DLG notes)
Romans 6:1-2
(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?

Romans 6:11-18
(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.
(13) 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.
(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.

DLG notes for chapter 6
vs. 1... This was addressed because of a misapplication of what Paul had said in Ro. 5:20. This question was addressing the possibility of CONTINUING, REMAINING in a life of sin. This implies no change of behavior or change of allegiance.

vs. 2... Clearly Christians do not continue in sin. To be a sinner is to not be a Christian and to be a Christian is to cease being a sinner. The thought of sinning Christians is repugnant. The rest of chapter six explains what it means to be dead to sin, and how believers do not continue in sin.

vs. 11... "reckon" is an accounting term which means, calculate, conclude, compute, reason; as in 2+2 reckons to be 4. To "reckon" in the formal sense is not to guess, as in the informal use of the word. Remember, the "day of reckoning" is a day of accountability.

vs. 12... As followers of Christ, we can choose to not be under the authority and power of sin, while in this life. In fact, we can choose, we must choose to be completely delivered from the sin nature, the pollution of sin, in this present evil world. Our choice will determine our master.

vs. 13... As believers in Christ, we choose to render and surrender our earthly existence, our physical nature to either sin or to God. Even those who have chosen to be delivered from the nature of sin (vs. 12), aka the "Old Man," must continue to make the choice not to allow sin the power to use our bodies as instruments of sin. We should be as responsive to sin as a dead man is responsive to sensate influences, which is NONE. Instead, we should continually choose to yield our physical being as instruments of righteousness to God. It is our choice.

vs. 14... Statement of fact. Those who are dead to sin (vs. 2) are not under the power of sin, because they are not living by a rules and regulation mentality, but are actually living in victory over sin because they are under the power and control of grace.

vs. 15... Similar question to vs. 1, BUT NOTICE. The question addresses occasional sin rather than the continued life of sin. From vss. 1 and 2 we see that it is absurd for a person to continue to live in sin if they are indeed Christian, since Christians are to be dead to sin and alive to God, walking in newness of life. However, the occasional sin in an otherwise Christlike life was also unacceptable. There is no room for even one sin in the life of a believer. Grace does not allow for sin in the sinner and grace does not allow for sin in the believer.

vs. 16... We are the servants, to whomever we surrender, yield our lives. Our obedience reveals our master. We are either servants to sin or servants to the obedience of Christ. Surrender, yielding to sin leads to death. Surrender, yielding to obedience to Christ leads to righteousness. We are either going to be dead in our sins in this life, or we are going to conquer sin and live righteously in this life.

vs. 17... By God's grace, believers are changed from being a servant to sin by obeying the truth. Obedience is not just the result, it is the response to grace. In order to live victoriously, we need the right form of doctrine and we need to obey it from the heart. It needs to be an obedience of desire, not an obedience of obligation.

vs. 18... Freedom from sin takes place by the work of God's grace. The work of God's grace does free us from sin. When we are freed from the tyranny of sin we becoming the willing servants of righteousness. We cannot serve two masters. It will either be sin or righteousness. It will either be sin or the Son of God. Sin and righteousness are mutually exclusive. Sin and righteousness do not coexist. One will prevail and the other will fail. God provides, God calls, God enables, we decide.