Can I Sin More So That I Get More Grace? Part 4

Romans 6:5-7 says,

"For if we have been united with Him like this in His death, we will certainly also be raised to life as He was. We know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin. For anyone who has died has been freed from sin."

In Part 3, Paul taught those considering sinning more so they could receive more grace that they had been identified with Christ Jesus in baptism for the purpose of receiving a new identity and living a new life.

In Part 4, we see Paul teaching this group of people that their old self was crucified with Christ Jesus so they could be freed from sin’s control, so the body of sin may be rendered powerless, and so they would no longer be slaves to sin.

What is the old self?

One way to discover what Paul meant by the “old self” is to examine how he used “old self” in other letters.

Paul used the phrase “old self” in the following letters

Ephesians 4:22: “You were taught to put off your former way of life, your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires.”

Colossians 3:9: “Do not lie to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices.”

In these verses, “old self” is the sinful, immoral way of life or practices.

Paul, in the context of these verses, provides a list of behaviors to put off and to put on.

The old behaviors of immorality are the old self and the new behaviors of morality, love, grace, kindness, and compassion are the new self.

With this understanding of Paul’s use of the phrase “old self”, let’s take a closer look at his use of “old self” in Romans 6:6.

Remember, Paul, in Romans 6, is specifically addressing a group of people who are asking if they could sin more so they could receive more grace.

They are desiring to live in their old sinful ways or practices, the old self, so they can receive more grace.

Paul wrote Romans 6 to communicate to this group of people that the old self is identified with Jesus in his death so they can live a new life through his resurrection.

The old self was crucified with Christ Jesus.

All of the sinful practices of the old self were nailed to the cross with Jesus.

Their former immoral way of living was nailed to the cross with Jesus.

As a result, those sinful ways were to be powerless in their lives, having no power or control over them, so they we will not be slaves to sin.

Rather than resurrect the old way of living, the old self, they were to leave it in the grave.

They were now to consider themselves dead to sin and alive to God through Jesus (Romans 6:11), rather than living in sin so they could receive more grace.

They were to offer the parts of their body to God as instruments of righteousness, rather than offering their bodies to sin as instruments of wickedness (Romans 6:12-13).

In Part 5, we will continue to study Paul’s answer to those who were asking if they could continue in sin so they could receive more grace.

CLICK HERE to read Part Five.