Romans 6:12-23 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

Bible Comments

The Christian's Severance from Sin.

Romans 6:12 f. The conflict turns on the possession of the body: sin and God both claim the use of your limbs; sin must not reign in your mortal body, though that body is in death's domain (Romans 7:25; Romans 8:10 f.; cf. Romans 5:21). With the new man living to God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11), his limbs must be presented for weapons of righteousness, no longer to be plied against God (cf. Romans 12:1; 1 Corinthians 6:15; 1 Corinthians 6:18).

Romans 6:14 f. The plea for continuance in sin (Romans 6:1), You are not under law but under grace, is a conclusive argument against it; for this very reason sin shall not lord it over you. Law inflames, grace kills the love of sin (Romans 6:6; Romans 8:2-6).

Romans 6:16-18. Remember what happened in your conversion, the bonds you then took upon you. Now obedience makes the bondman, to this moral master or that (Romans 6:16). There is no doubt whose slaves you were aforetime (Romans 6:17; Romans 6:19); but you have passed, with full consent and intention, from sin's service to that of righteousness (Romans 6:18). The transference is complete and irrevocable.

Romans 6:19 a. Paul excuses the harsh reflection made on the past of men unknown to him: I speak to human experience, in view of your weak (cf. Romans 5:6) sinful nature.

Romans 6:19 b, Romans 6:20. Iniquity is for iniquity has no other end; the goal of righteousness is sanctification. Let the new service be as thorough as the old: when bondmen of sin, you renounced the claims of righteousness; there must be a complete reversal.

Romans 6:21 f. Look at the wages paid by the two masters: sin's shameful service yields the stipend (as for soldiers cheated by fine promises) of death; God's service bears fruit in sanctification, crowned by life eternal. Undeserved by us, this is God's grace-gift in Christ Jesus (cf. Romans 5:15, etc.).What fruit therefore had you then, of the deeds that now cause you shame? No fruit at all, unless shame be such!

Romans 6:12-23

12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

13 Neither yield ye your members as instrumentsb of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine whichc was delivered you.

18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.

21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.