Romans 6:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!

NIV: What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means!

NASB: What then? Are we to sin because we are not under the Law but under grace? Far from it!

CSB: What then? Should we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? Absolutely not!

NLT: Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not!

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

NKJV: What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!

Paul asks a strange question in light of what he just wrote in the previous verses. He has said that sin has no dominion or authority over us because we are not under the law but under God's grace through faith in Christ.

Now he asks if we should sin, or choose to continue to sin, for that reason? In other words, does the fact that we are no longer compelled to sin mean that we are somehow free to indulge in sin without fighting our desires to do so? This seems to have been a criticism levelled at Paul more than once (Romans 3:8; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 5:19–24), and one that misguided people often levy at Christianity today. Paul provides his common response to ridiculous questions: "By no means!" This is from a Greek phrase, mē genoito, which is the equivalent of "of course not," or "heaven forbid!"

Paul will go on to show that our freedom from the authority of sin should cause us to resist and reject our sinful desires, not to take lightly God's grace and forgiveness by indulging them.

Romans 6:15–23 asks why we should not keep sinning once we have come to faith in Christ and are no longer under the law of Moses. Paul answers that we can continue to lead lives of volunteer slavery to sin if we don't resist it. Instead, we should live as if righteousness was our master, which, in a sense, it is. We should obey righteousness instead of our sinful desires, in part, because we now understand the consequences of sin. Instead of shame and death, we should serve God who gives eternal life as a gift.

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 5/7/2024 9:36:14 AM