Can I Sin More So That I Get More Grace? Part 3

Romans 6:1-4 says,

“What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase? By no means! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer? Or aren’t you aware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We therefore were buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may walk in newness of life.”

We are continuing to study Romans 6 where Paul is answering the question that may arise from Romans 5:20, which says,

“The Law was given so that the trespass would increase; but where sin increased, grace increased all the more…”

The question arising in the mind of a few may be this:

“If sin allows me to get more grace, can I then sin more so I get more grace?”

Paul, in Romans 6, answers this question, along with a few other questions.

In Parts 1-2, we have already examined a portion of his answer.

In Part 3, we will continue this examination.

Paul answers the question of “Can we sin more so we will get more grace?” with an emphatic “By no means!”

He then asks, “How can we who died to sin live in it any longer?”

We have previously looked into this question.

He also asks, “Or aren’t you aware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?”

Paul asks those who are considering sinning more so they can get more grace if they knew, which they did, that they were baptized into Christ Jesus.

What does Paul mean by “baptized into Christ Jesus?”

Baptize means to be placed into and identified with.

Here are two of the ways the word baptized is used in the Bible.

The first way is water baptism.

Water baptism is when a believer in Jesus symbolically identifies himself with Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection by being placed in water, placed under the water, washed over by the water, and raised up from the water.

This act is a picture of the truths that our old identity in Adam (Romans 5:12-21) died with Jesus and that our new identity rose with Jesus.

In dying with Jesus, our old identity ceases to exists.

It has been crucified with Jesus.

My old identity in Adam would read:

“Brad Robertson, a sinner, unrighteous, under judgment, condemnation, and wrath."

My new identity in Christ now reads:

“Brad Robertson, a saint, righteous, forgiven, at peace with God, a member of God’s family, a person whom the Spirit of Jesus indwells, a loved and accepted son of the Father.”

Our new identity in Christ is seen in his resurrection.

Our old identity permanently died with Jesus’ crucifixion.

It was nailed to the cross.

It was buried with him.

Our new identity was permanently resurrected with Jesus for the purpose of living a new life.

We now live a new life in behavior based upon our new identity.

The second use of the word baptized is in 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 when the Spirit baptizes, or places a person into the family of God the moment he believes.

Some believe that baptism in Romans 6:3-4 refers to water baptism, when a person is symbolically identified with Jesus in his death, burial, and resurrection.

Others believe Romans 6:3-4 is a baptism of the Spirit when the Spirit baptizes a person or places us into and identifies us with Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection spiritually.

People may disagree what type of baptism is referred to in Romans 6:3-4, but either way, both refer to identification with Jesus, which is the main point Paul is making.

Remember, in this teaching, Paul is instructing the few who view sinning as an opportunity to get more grace.

He is correcting their misunderstanding of grace by pointing them to their identification with Jesus. and their new identity.

He is teaching this group who are asking if they can sin more to get more grace that our old identity in Adam produces an old set of behaviors based upon an old mindset and that our new identity in Jesus produces a new set of behaviors based upon a new mindset…a new way of thinking and living in contrast to the old way of living.

CLICK HERE to read Part Four.