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ROMANS 6:16-18
The verses of our text this month show a great contrast between the state of
those who have obeyed the gospel compared to their former condition. Let us note
them, each verse at a time.
In verse 16, by way of a question, Paul speaks of something the Romans (and all who have obeyed the gospel) ought to know; viz., that a man becomes a servant or slave to whomever he yields himself. First, this is a voluntary action; man does the “yielding.” There are two choices to which one may yield himself: [1] sin, or [2] obedience. Paul personifies both of these, referring to them as “whom.” But the choices involve consequences. When one chooses to be a servant of sin, the result is a state of (cf. v. 23). On the other hand if one chooses to be obedient, the consequences are that he will be righteous. In verse 17 Paul issues a deep expression of gratitude. If we were to merely say, “God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin …” we would have a rather unlikely thing to be thankful for! But Paul goes on to show that God is not thanked because they were servants of sin, but because they removed themselves from that state by obedience. But what was it they obeyed? It is interesting that Paul says they obeyed “that form of doctrine that was delivered you …” Note that they obeyed a form of doctrine, and not the doctrine, per se, here. What is involved in this? We get help by going to First Corinthians 15:1-4 when Paul tells those Christians that he delivered, or preached to them “the gospel.” This was the doctrine; the teaching. But what was it? Simply that Christ died for our sins, that he was buried and that he arose the third day. Those facts are the sum and substance of the gospel, and were the facts that Paul preached. But that same gospel was made known to the Romans ( ). In the first four verses of Romans six Paul reminded them that they had “died, buried and arose to walk in newness of life.” This was the form of the doctrine. The , burial and resurrection of Christ was the doctrine, and baptism was the form of it; something like it. And so in baptism a man imitates what Christ did in his . Then in verse 17 is the result of their obedience. The apostle says, “being then made from free from sin …” The adverb of time “then” should be stressed here. Being when made free from sin? When they obeyed the “form of doctrine” noted in verse sixteen. And so one’s freedom from sin has a time element and Paul in this text tells us when it is. It is not at the point of faith alone, but rather at the point that one’s faith moves him to obey a form of doctrine; something like Christ did, and that is baptism. At that point a man ceases to be a servant of sin and becomes a servant of righteousness. This simple study has couched within it the wherewithal to show that without baptism, man has not yet left a former state of sin and become a servant or righteousness. All one must do is to pay attention to the adverb of time when, and he will then know at what point one is made free from sin. God’s plan of salvation is not difficult! – Bill Moseley |
