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Grace Bible Church

4000 E. Collins Rd.   P.O. Box #3762   Gillette, WY  82717   (307) 686-1516

 

- Preaching the Living WORD through the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4:2 -

 

 

 

 

A RESULT OF JUSTIFICATION: VICTORY OVER SIN

(Rom 6:1-2) 9/2/07

Grace Bible Church, Gillette, Wyoming

Pastor Daryl Hilbert

 

I.     PRELIMINARY QUESTION

 

A.    Rom 5:20-21 teaches that wherever sin has increased, grace (introduced by the Second Adam) abundantly supersedes it (“abounded” huperperisseúō - superlative of greater degree; used only twice in the N.T.). Now, through Christ, grace reigns triumphant unto eternal life for those who believe.

B.    The question that begs to be asked is, “If grace abounds where sin has increased, then would it not be better for the believer to “continue in sin so that grace may increase (vs. 1)?”

C.    Paul responds to that question in vs. 2 with as strong a negative as is grammatically possible, “May it never be!” ( génoito).

1.     The negative () is emphatically placed first in the construction.

2.     Furthermore, it is combined with génoito, which is an aorist middle optative of gínomai (to be, exist, become, or happen) and would strongly declare that there is not even the slightest degree of possibility that such a statement could be true.

3.     It is also translated as, “By no means!” (NIV); “God forbid!” (KJV); “Absolutely not!” (NET); and “En ninguna manera” (“in no way” - Spanish Reina-Valera-60)

D.    Saving grace assures the believer that his life will change (Rom 6:4; 2Co 5:17).

 

II.    PRELIMINARY ANSWER

 

A.    Refutation of Antinomianism (Rom 6:14-16)

 

1.     Even before Paul tells how the believer is to have victory over sin, he dismisses the charge that he is teaching “Antinomianism.” But in spite of what Paul has said, there were and there are Christians who misunderstood and promote “Antinomianism.”

2.     Simply stated, Antinomianism is “anti-law-ism” (Grk. anti - against; nomos - law; ism). It is the philosophy that “denies or downplays the significance of God’s law in the life of the believer (Sproul, R. C., “Essential Truths of the Christian Faith”).

3.     The old rhyming cliché for Antinomianism is, “Freed from the law, O blessed condition; I can sin all I want and still have remission.” This cliché, while probably not written by any Antinomian, resembles its logical outcome.

4.     This attitude can never be the deliberate sentiment of a true believer and Paul rightly exclaims, “Absolutely not!”

5.     It is true that the believer has been freed and delivered from the Law (Rom 10:4; Eph 2:15; Col 2:14). However, a true believer has the desire and power through the Holy Spirit to live in conformity to the moral principles contained in the Old and New Testament commandments, which are based on the character of God (Rom 6:14-16; 8:4; Joh 14:15; 1Jo 2:3-6; 5:2;).

 

B.    Refutation of Cheap Grace (Rom 6:4-6)

 

1.     “Cheap Grace” is a term that was coined by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German Lutheran minister who was hanged in 1945 for his resistance against the Nazi regime.

2.     Bonhoeffer, unfortunately a promoter of Neo-orthodoxy, did recognize a movement in Christianity that viewed grace as a means of forgiveness of sin but neglected the necessity of repenting of sin.

3.     Cheap grace means grace sold on the market like cheapjacks’ wares….Cheap grace is not the kind of forgiveness that frees us from the toils of sin. Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves….Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship, 45–47)

4.     The believer is saved by grace and grace is free indeed. But grace cost God His Son and grace also instructs the believer to deny ungodliness and live righteously (Rom 6:4-6; Tit 2:11-12).

 

C.    Refutation of Quietism (Rom 6:12-13)

 

1.     Quietism could be called, “do-nothing-ism.” It would teach that victory over sin is wholly the work of God without the believer’s cooperation. There is no need for a believer’s response to God’s grace.

2.     In its extreme variety, quietism is a spiritual passivism in which God becomes wholly responsible for the believer’s behavior, and the believer feels he must never exert personal effort to pursue righteous living. Quietists have popularized the phrase, “Let go and let God. (MacArthur, Our Sufficiency In Christ)

3.     The Bible clearly teaches that sanctification and victory over sin is through God’s sovereign grace. But, the Bible also clearly teaches that the believer has the responsibility of cooperating and acting upon that grace (Rom 6:12-13; Phil 2:12-13; 1Co 15:10).

 

D.    Refutation of Pietism (Rom 6:8-11)

 

1.     The Opposite of Quietism is Pietism, which could be called, “do-everything-ism.” While Quietism disregards the believer’s efforts in victory over sin, Pietism disregards God’s role in victory over sin.

2.     Pietism overemphasizes human effort and often leads to defeated Christian living or to pride and legalism.

3.     Pietists emphasize self-discipline and holy living often to the extreme of adopting legalistic standards for living. Pietism places so much emphasis on external righteousness and human effort that it ignores God’s role in sanctification. The Pharisees were early advocates of a brand of pietism.” (MacArthur, How To Meet The Enemy)

4.     The believer must understand his position in Christ, which has made him dead to sin but alive to God. It is this work of grace that the believer must rely upon by faith as  he says no to sin but yes to God through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit (Gal 2:20; Rom 6:8-11).

 

E.    Refutation of Perfectionism (Rom 6:22; 7:18)

 

1.     Perfectionism is the belief that a person can attain a state of sinlessness. It is primarily the belief that the Christian life can be lived without sin.

2.     First of all, there is no such teaching found in Scripture. This is an erroneous conclusion coupled with an erroneous definition of sin.

3.     Secondly, Scripture confirms that the believer will struggle with sin his entire life (Rom 7:15-18), no one attains to sinless perfectionism in this life (Phil 3:12-14), and if we say we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and His word is not in us (1Jo 1:10 - “have not sinned”-  perfect indicative of hamartánō - lit. “have not and continue not to sin”).

4.     The truth is that while we will never be sinless in this life, we will by the grace of God, sin less and have victory over sin.

 

F.     Biblical View of Victory Over Sin

 

1.     Admit that you have sinned (1Jo 1:9).

2.     Understand your position in Christ (Rom 6:1-14).

3.     Walk by the Spirit in obedience (Rom 6:12 Gal 5:16, 25).

4.     Memorize and meditate on Scripture (Psa 119:11; Rom 12:1-2; 6:19).

 

 

 

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