Perceiving Romans 6:15

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

Recently, I have been thoroughly studying "the law". It is unfortunate that on the left side people will say, "good job, when God gave the law it was one of the best things He did!" with zeal and zest I might add. On the right side people will say, "why are you thoroughly studying "the law", don't you know that we are not under it, like the verse says" with zeal and zest as well.

I realized that some justified saints by the time they get to Romans 6:15, are satisfied. I have experienced 3 categories of this satisfaction: 1) They recognize they are justified and do not progress on and turn back unto their carnal lives, 2) They recognize they are justified and immediately go back under the law to try and produce a pleasing life unto God, and the most dangerous of all in my opinion, 3) They recognize they are justified, have zeal and zest for the Cross-work of Calvary; however, go back under the law, yet, more subtlety then group 2. They have a cyclical life of being under the law and being freed by the cross; going under the law and being reminded of the cross; going under the law gaining knowledge of how dreadful of a sinner they are, then are reminded of the cross and are freed again. A process that never seems to end; a form of knowledge, but denying the power thereof. They don't learn they are never to be under the law. Not only does this cycle happen in their lives, but their view of the scriptures becomes veiled. They have justification glasses on when they read the scripture and only see verses that talk about Christ, the cross, being in Him, as verses of their justification. Our Father never stops where they stop, may you and I be like our Father and not stop.

I am not saying, being reminded of the cross; having a zeal and zest for the cross and remembering that Christ paid for your sin, because you were a sinner, is wrong; however, to not progress on in your life in Christ with Him is truly a travesty. I know what Christ did in justifying us is amazing, HE PROVIDED AND GAVE US ETERNAL LIFE, BY PAYING THE DEBT AND PENALTY OF OUR SIN. I know, but what God our Father does through the penmanship of Paul by writing 12 more chapters after Romans 1-4, and 12 other epistles after Romans is to prove and show that on a grand scale and by words and passages on a detailed scale, THAT THE CROSS WAS A MEANS TO AN END. The end being not just eternal life, but functional life, now, that effects our eternal life. An in-depth look at this is not the purpose of me writing, but a basic acknowledgment of what Roman 6:15 is. It is calling justified believers to recognize and should have recognized prior to this point starting in chapter 5.

I have realized that the men and women I am associated with, refer to this verse frequently and rightly so; however, I wonder (especially being an associate pastor, with a heart for saints to have understanding) with consistent, frequent use, if the meaning and proper understanding of this verse has been, not lost, but diminished? I too cannot be excluded from the easiness to pop this verse like spiritual Tylenol (as I heard one pastor say it). It is a easy verse to remember, it is a powerful verse and built into the older English is the grammatical mechanics that make this verse stick in your mind. It is supposed to be all those things; however, God's Word is to work effectually in us, which is a constant, consistent work, not just a spiritual Tylenol that may only have 4-6 hours of strength. I believe it is vital to not only "know" (knowledge) what this verse is saying is important, but "why" (understanding) this verse is saying, what it is saying, is even more important.

So lets get both. This is not a comprehensive look at this verse or its' preceding and following detailed context, but a tool for you to use and my attempt to engage your mind. Our Father calls us to PAY ATTENTION, STUDY, and GAIN WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING from Him.

As mentioned earlier, I have been studying the law and its' purposes'. As I went back in Genesis and Exodus to study out the preceding events of Israel coming to mount Sinai, it was brought to my attention that by the time Israel came to the mount, they were on their last straw of acknowledging something God was teaching them. The LORD by sending the plagues on Egypt was teaching Israel and providing for the uprooting of their heart and mind that they were naturally (because of Abraham) special. The LORD taught this by sending plagues on Egypt; however, the first 3 included the Egyptians and the Israelites. This was to teach them they were no different from the Gentile Egyptians and were not naturally special. The last 7, God "put a division between my people (Israel) and thy (Egyptians) people" (Ex. 8:22). This was to teach them it would only be by God's provision that they would be special.

The 2nd opportunity for Israel to uproot this heart of Jewish natural specialness was through God's provisions up until mount Sinai; which again was to teach them it was God who would have to provide for them, because they were not naturally special.

The 3rd opportunity would be the law. Due to the heart of Israel to think they were naturally special and did not need provisions from the LORD their God; God deliberately and intentionally through Israel's willingness by putting them under the law, put them under the dominion of sin. This last opportunity would be Israel's drawn out lesson consisting of 5 courses (Lev. 26; Deut. 28) to learn what they should have learned in Egypt and before they came to Sinai; however, they failed to recognize their need of God's provision for them; therefore granting themselves the schoolmaster of the law and the very thing the law was designed to produce, an abounding of sin in their members, to again show and teach Israel they were not special. Sin until the law was strong enough to produce death; however, the law was an consistent, constant, contract of extra strength Tylenol that flowed into the members of the members of Israel and made sin abound.

By the way, the heart of natural specialness came to its' acme during the Lord's earthly ministry. It is a heart found in the Pharisee's who thought because they were Abraham's seed, thought they were naturally special, and had natural righteousness/justification. This is what the Lord was up against during His earthly ministry and many of His "sayings" and "teachings" are uprooting this issue by the "words" of His mouth.

With quick, yet proper understanding of the very basic issue of the law, let's take a look at Romans 6:15. Before v. 15, look at v. 14, "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace." Again, before we are to have this verse work effectually in us we need to not only know the fact of it, but have understanding of it.
In Romans 6 our Father has moved into discussing sanctification and how we can now serve Him in newness of life. The following correction, reproof, and instruction in righteousness of sanctification doctrine are found in chapters 6-8. These components are what comprise the "ableness" of God's inspired word to thoroughly furnish us as mature men and women of God ("man of God") He has provided for. Therefore, when the reader comes to Romans 6:14, they are receiving reproof and correction on the doctrine of their sanctification in Christ. The issue is the believer is not only justified, but baptized into Christ with a whole new identity: a reality which the believer first learns he/she needs to reckon. Paul begins to teach what system this new identity works off of; the law or grace? What is schooling us, the law or grace?

Our Father before the believer gets to chapter 6, has already discussed in very basic, general terms the purpose of the law.

Romans 3:22b, "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight: FOR BY THE LAW IS THE KNOWLEDGE OF SIN."

Romans 4:15, "Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression."

Look at these two verses and the different components of the law and bring that to Romans 6:14-15. Notice quickly the first verse. The believer is in the realm of justification, but that no flesh will be justified in God's sight. No one by their own flesh will be justified in God's sight. In Romans 6 the same can be said of sanctification, no flesh by its' own works can be sanctified in the sight of God. The law provided for self-sanctification; Lev. 11:44,

"For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify YOURSELVES, and ye shall be holy; for I am hold: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."

It is my understanding by the basic understanding you are to have by the time you get to Romans 6:14-15 is that the law is a means of self-sanctification in the flesh, which is contrary to God's intention. Romans 6 actually gives the details of our baptism and the identification of the body of sin being crucified with Christ. This is the reality we are to reckon and the means of our sanctification from the power of sin in our mortal bodies, today. Again, these two components of the law:

1) Gives the knowledge of sin

2) Works wrath
a. Means of serving sin
b. Means of sins dominion......which these (a & b) produce wrath.

Although, sanctified the moment a believer was justified, we begin to learn about it here. Our Father begins to teach, how sin will or will not have dominion over you in your new identity in Christ? He presents it in the positive,

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

Notice a few things:
1) "shall not" - potential mode, meaning "sin COULD still have dominion over you; however, due to our new sanctified position in Christ we have the capacity to be something we were never before and that is being "not under the dominion of sin"

2) "for ye ARE NOT under the law" - definitive mode, meaning we "are not" under the law. This isn't a potential thing. In God's provision He took us out from under the law, that our identity in Christ could operate removing us from the dominion of sin; however, practically WE can put ourselves under sins dominion by willfully going back under the law, which is inconsistent to the preceding verses.

3) "but under grace" - "but"= adverse particle: but we ARE under something else, GRACE. Grace, described here still is a gift of God; however, the application of it is extended into the system in which our new identity in Christ will operate. The means in which our Father is going to teach us. Just as the law gave "knowledge" and functioned by "worketh" things, the grace of God gives "knowledge" and functions by "working" certain things. When I say "working" I am not talking about "fruit" or the "product" of grace, although it does, but rather that it operates or functions.

This leads to the verse 15.

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

Here is some reproof and the next couple verses give some correction. Our Father anticipates the believer's next line of thinking. The first question of 6:1-2 was answered by our new identity and reckoning it so; however, due to verse 14 our Father has opened a whole can of worms, because of the longevity and mastership/dominion of the law over us and by now saying we are no longer under it. The believer will come along and say well if we are not under the operation of the law, then we can sin; however, our Father forbids this thinking and is going to give the mechanics of "graces' operation" to not only destroy sin, but serve God in newness of life and in the spirit. Our Father does this in the rest of chapter 6 and the two following chapters, and truly through the rest of Paul's epistles.

How amazing that not only did our Father justify us through what Christ has done, but He also gave us a new identity by a spiritual baptism in Christ's death, burial, and resurrection, so that we could serve Him in newness of life. Not only that, but He provided for the necessary means for that newness of life to function and operate and understood as we should have understood by the time we got to these verses in Romans that, that new life in Christ cannot function under the law, because its' components are of giving the knowledge of sin and working wrath. How wonderful to not only be able to learn these things, but have them work effectually the way our Father designed them to in our inner man.

These verses give the necessary reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness that we need to understand and have God's doctrines work effectually in us. They prove with great certainty that our Father wants us to progress and mature with proper understanding and thankfulness. Our Father has provided not only for justification, but sanctification and as I said before it is a travesty to not only recognize His provision and not take full advantage of it, but also to not properly understand our Father has provided Himself as the means of teaching us to be godly and not have us be under the tutor and governorship of the law. These verses are more than a spiritual medication or cliche's, they are the Word's of the living God that have specific context and meaning that is designed to work effectually in certain parts of our inner man that God also created and has now quickened by the Spirit; to produce a shewing of our members as instruments of righteousness. These verses take believers from step one to step two, they lay the second cornerstone of the foundation of our edification in our inner man, so that, we cannot only have a wonderful foundation, but also BUILD upon that foundation. I am talking about a spiritual building with a correct foundation with the perfect mix of concrete, a wonderful building of each brick laid exactly where it is supposed to, in order to give it the strength, establishment, and stability it was designed to have, and the most glorious capstone of that building in our inner man that in the end could be seen as a inner man conformed to the image of Christ. This is not spiritual jargon, theology, or a time for our pride to get in the way, they are the living Word's of the Living God. Our Father has order, sense and sequence, foreknowledge to know exactly what we need and more than able to provide what we need by His word, He is complex, but not complicated, and has designed His curriculum to teach us with genius and wisdom. He is God, but He is our Father and has specifically provided for Himself to be just that, and for us to be His "sons and daughters".

Look Up,
Josh Strelecki

"To Know Wisdom and Instruction"

As I continue to study out THE issue of "they are the sons of God" and how we are adopted as sons, I have been taken back to the book of Proverbs to see the curriculum God has laid out for His sons to follow. Proverbs is fitting for many reasons, but logically because David writing a book of Proverbs (an educational system of an elder teaching a younger man how to be an elder) to his son Solomon (ch. 1-9) typifies that of God teaching His sons. Although, the doctrine of Proverbs I as a member of the Body of Christ do not follow there's a "table of contents" as it were that is laid out in Proverbs, that I have learned every son goes through. The little I have learned already is amazing and the table of contents can be laid out right on Paul's epistles. The main reason I write is this. Throughout all my study and my former persuasion experience in religion and Calvinism, under Lordship salvation I have never come across or understood this issue of adoption and now that I have I am utterly awed. Every denomination as it gave its' own style of education also sought to deny the flesh in some form or capacity, the attention and desire was always misplaced. There may have been some desire to please God, but always went about it in the wrong way. Again, focus, time, energy, was almost always put on the flesh and how to deny it and stop sinning; however, as I learn more and more about "being a son of God" the very first thing God does within His son is "to know wisdom and instruction". Father wants us to be aware of wisdom and instruction, it is a basic but necessary component to being a son of God. The Father then takes you and explains something about His business that will shock, awe, and amaze you. What He explains reveals that all the allurements and attractions are not to be compared with God as our Father teaching us as His sons. The Father is excited and desires to teach you and this "to know wisdom and instruction" is designed to give you the same desire and excitement in receiving the education from your Father. Our Father doesn't want us focused on the flesh and carnal things, but rather reveals that He is MORE attractive than anything else, and His teaching us as a Father this curriculum with Pauline doctrine is not even to be compared with earthly things. Our Father is truly amazing.

Look Up,
Josh Strelecki

Don't Frustrate The Grace of God

"I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain."
- Galatians 2:21

Every believer, ones who solely trusts that Christ has died for their sin, was buried, and raised again, ones who believe Christ was delivered for their offences and raised again for their justification (to be declared righteous), and the ones who God's righteousness is not only unto, but the ones on whom it is upon, should know what it is to frustrate the grace of God. The believer understood through faith that they were sinners in need of God's righteousness, that no matter what good or bad they had done they fell short. The believer came to understand that all their attempts through law keeping and service to others was not the means of their righteousness, but that their righteousness would come from a source outside themselves, who is Christ.

It seems all to common among believers today that fruit, service, and law-keeping are the focus in the life of a believer. The issue of righteousness is lost and almost unsettled in the believers life resulting in a proving of their salvation by trying to produce something they never could: righteousness. They put their flesh suits on, hit the religious treadmill, and start working and exercising the flesh all to prove something they received by faith in the first place.

Righteousness never came by law keeping or the flesh and never will for if it did or if it does Christ is dead in vain. If your trying to prove your saved, stay saved, or think your saved by works, by law keeping, by the flesh then Christ is dead in vain. The believer starts out by believing solely in the crosswork of Christ, and they continue believing in the crosswork of Christ, He remains the issue. It is then when Christ is not dead in vain, but rather the reality of Galatians 2:20, is unleashed in the inner man.

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me."

I pray to all those that read that "as ye have received Christ Jesus, so walk ye in Him."

In Him,
Josh

LAW and FLESH

"I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me."
-Romans 7:21

I started yesterday my reading and as I always remind the saints at Twin Cities Grace Fellowship, the epistle to the Romans is jammed-packed and every time I read, something always jumps out: new and/or refreshing. The text is absolutely wonderful. Here are a few of my notes I have made on Romans 7; however, I don't include every verse in this blog.

Romans 7:1- “Death breaks the dominion and obligation of the law”
We are dead to the law so that our position of being dead to sin (chapter 6) can be put into practice. The reason why God had to do that is because the law was not designed to accommodate the deadness to sin. The law was designed to put sin into motion (7:5).

v. 4- God had to make us dead to the law so that we can bring forth fruit unto Him. (Gal. 2:19)
You can’t live unto God under the law, if God has to make you dead to the law so that you can live unto Him, God has to make you dead to the law so that you can bring forth fruit unto Him. Then that means you can’t do it under the law. This is the critical thing that we have to learn and realize the reality of.

v. 5, “For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.”

v. 6, “But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.”
Newness of spirit is little (s) that means a new system of operation and thinking in your human spirit, instead of the letter of the law there. Instead of having that performance system in your mind and thinking that God is going to bless if you do good and curse if you do evil and having fear for your motivation of serving (law contract). Instead of operating out of that thinking, God says we are dead to sin, dead to law, so that we should serve in newness of spirit, Grace thinking, who you are in Christ, and operating out of that.

v. 7, next objection, “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, thou shalt not covet.”

v. 8, “But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.”

Example of v. 8
v. 9, “For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, SIN REVIVED, AND I DIED.”
Nothing wrong with the law, but our assumptions are wrong!!

v. 13, “Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.”

v. 14, “For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.” (Heb. 9)

v. 15-25= “Struggle to put His position in Christ under the law.”
The sin he wants to stop he can’t, and the good he wants he can’t.

v. 17, We are to be free from sin and dead to sin. Why then in verse 17, is sin doing anything in us? It comes by the law. The law does not provide the capacity to do the good you wish, but has the flesh operating and sin reviving. Our flesh is dead.

v. 22-23, “For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.”

***Another law in my members…who wins the war, “and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. ***

v. 24, “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”
He just described functional death and the deliverance is getting yourself from under the law and operating who you are in Christ.

v. 25, “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”
Reference-chapter 6, in Christ Jesus our Lord we are under grace!!! What we need is a system that doesn’t cater to the flesh because the flesh only serves the law of sin. What we need is a system that doesn’t call upon the flesh and that's what grace does, it's crucifying you in Christ. God puts us under grace, may we not put ourselves under law.