Romans 6:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?

NIV: What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?

NASB: What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?

CSB: What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply?

NLT: Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace?

KJV: What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

NKJV: What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?

Paul begins this chapter by posing a question about the implications of the statements that ended chapter 5. There, he wrote that where sin increased, God's grace "super-increased." That is, as sin increased, so did God's grace abound to cover the sin of all those who trusted in Christ's death to cover their sin. We literally cannot out-sin the grace of God.

What does that mean, though, for those who have been reconciled to God through faith in Christ? What are Christians supposed to do about sin now that we are Christians? As Paul asks here, should we just keep sinning so that God's grace can just keep increasing? This seems to have been a common criticism of Paul's teaching, as it is one he refutes often in his writings (Romans 3:8; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 5:19–24). It's a frequent charge against Christianity, even today, suggesting that the gospel is really just a license to sin. In the following verse, Paul will answer this slanderous charge with an emphatic "no!"

Romans 6:1–14 explores how Christians should think about and respond to sin now that we are in Christ and our sins are forgiven. In explaining this, Paul reveals new information about what happened when we put our faith in Christ. In a spiritual sense, we died with Him, and to our sin. We were then resurrected to a new spiritual life. Now Paul instructs us to continue remembering that we are no longer slaves to sin. We must not offer our bodies to be used for sin, but we must offer ourselves as instruments of righteousness, instead.

In Romans 6, Paul answers the question of whether Christians should continue to sin. His answer is emphatic: we absolutely should not. First, when we came to God by faith in Jesus, we died to sin. We are not slaves to it any more. Second, what did living for sin ever get us? It led to shame and death. The righteousness given to us for free by God in Christ Jesus leads to becoming like Jesus and to eternal life. We should serve righteousness instead of sin.

After comparing Adam and Christ and what their choices brought into the world, Paul now turns to ask if Christians should continue in sin once they have been saved. He gives several reasons why we must not: we died to sin's power over us; we are now servants to righteousness; and what good did sin ever bring to you, anyway? Paul will transition in Romans 7 to a discussion of what it means to be released from the law of Moses.

The book of Romans is the New Testament's longest, most structured, and most detailed description of Christian theology. Paul lays out the core of the gospel message: salvation by grace alone through faith alone. His intent is to explain the good news of Jesus Christ in accurate and clear terms. As part of this effort, Paul addresses the conflicts between law and grace, between Jews and Gentiles, and between sin and righteousness. As is common in his writing, Paul closes out his letter with a series of practical applications.

Accessed 11/21/2024 8:01:02 AM