As a proponent of the Gospel of the Grace of God, there are times where I have been accused of being flippant about sin. This type of accusation only comes from someone who does not know me. While far from perfect, I live a moral life and I encourage this in others as well. However, when the pure Gospel of Grace is preached, it does raise some questions in the hearers of this Word. Paul answered these questions many times.
“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:1 – 4 KJV)
“God forbid.” This is the equivalent of asking, “How could you even think that?” Paul let the Romans know they were dead to sin. If we are dead to something, how can we live in it? Like Paul, I do not advocate living in sin. In fact, I advise people to abstain from sin. I don’t give this advice because they could loose their salvation, or make God angry. I advise people who have put their faith in Christ to turn away from sin because it is harmful for them and everyone who loves them.
From the outside, my life looks much like a very religious person’s life. I don’t “cuss, drink, or chew…” I have been faithful to my wife, Crystal, for nearly 20 years. I am an honest and trustworthy employee. I read my Bible and pray often. I was also like this when I was entrenched in religion. What’s the difference?
Motivation. That’s the difference. When I was a child, I made a decision to follow Christ and did so out of a love and gratitude. When I was a teenager, I went through a time of rebellion where I was motivated by selfishness. I also hid it pretty well from most people. One day, my heart changed and I fell in love with Christ all over again. It took several years, but something happened. I fell into religion. My motivation went from love for Christ to a fear of making a mistake and losing my salvation.
I thank God that I was introduced to my first Love. I heard the unfiltered Gospel of the Grace of God. My motivation changed from fear to love and thankfulness. I died to that lifestyle of sin. Crystal and I watch TV and see people living in sin and look at each other and wonder what people see in that lifestyle. It doesn’t even compute with us.
I mention all of this to give context to the statement that grabbed me in Romans 6:4, “we also should walk in newness of life.” I have tried rebellion (selfishness), religion (self preservation), and Grace (God’s unmerited favor). I choose Grace. I choose walking in newness of life. I choose to walk in love. I choose to let God’s love motivate me in every aspect of life.
“Walk in newness of life” does not sound anything like “live in fear of God’s wrath.” It also sounds nothing like, “do whatever you want.” In the context of the verses around it, we are free to walk in this newness of life because we are dead to sin. How can a dead man sin? How can we walk in sin, which is death, when we are raised up into life in Christ?
I love how the Message translation puts Titus 3:3 – 5a in perspective: “It wasn’t so long ago that we ourselves were stupid and stubborn, dupes of sin, ordered every which way by our glands, going around with a chip on our shoulder, hated and hating back. But when God, our kind and loving Savior God, stepped in, he saved us from all that. It was all his doing; we had nothing to do with it.” I encourage you today to walk in this newness of life. Experience God’s Grace. Be motivated by love.
DAN TURNER JR. 