Day 201

2 Chronicles 1:1‐3:17; Romans 6:1‐23; Psalm 16:1‐11; Proverbs 19:20‐21

Slave to Sin or Righteousness

Paul begins this chapter of Romans in what would seem to be in dialogue with an imaginary opponent in a debate over grace and sin. The opponent is saying that if God’s grace is great enough to forgive sin, then it would make sense that the more we sin, the more God’s grace is available to forgive us. Therefore, we should go on sinning. Paul, arguing with himself, is totally appalled at the idea and exclaims, “By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?”

He is referring to baptism. When we committed to the Lord through baptism, we died with Him and were resurrected with Him to new life, free from sin. We may feel safe from the weapons of sin while in church and deep in prayer but when we enter the world, we are faced with the choice.

We can “offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness…” or, we can “offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness” (Rom. 6:13). I am certain Paul is speaking, at least in part, of our tongues as parts of the body. We are called to spread the Word of the Gospel. Our words can bring others to Christ or drive them away. In my own simple way, I can also see the part of our body as a hand. When we are cut off in traffic there is a hand gesture that telegraphs our feelings. What if we were to open all the fingers in that gesture with an open palm raised to the glory of God? After all, “Where sin abounded, grace super-abounded” (Rom. 5:20).

The Rev. Ed Bartle