Present Your Members as Instruments of Righteousness to God! (3)
[Romans 6:12-14]
We have been contemplating the doctrine of justification, a crucial aspect of the Doctrine of Salvation, under the overarching theme of "Comprehensive Doctrine of Justification" based on Romans 1:18 to 5:21. Moving into Romans 6, we began reflecting on the life of the saints as people justified by God. We have already meditated on the sections titled "We Who Died to Sin" (6:1-11) and "We Who are Alive to God" (vv. 1-11). We also explored the theme "Present Your Members as Instruments of Righteousness to God!" (vv. 12-14) in two previous reflections. Today, under the same theme, we will meditate on the third message, centered around Romans 6:14.
Romans 6:14 states, "For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace." In the Korean Bible, the verse begins with "죄가 너희를" (Sin shall not), while the English Bible adds the conjunction "For" before it. This conjunction, represented by the Greek word "γὰρ" (gar), translates to "why" or "therefore" in Korean. It connects the preceding verse, Romans 6:13b, which encourages presenting our bodies as instruments of righteousness to God, with Romans 6:14. Thus, the connection suggests an interpretation such as: 'Present your members as instruments of righteousness to God, why? So that sin shall not have dominion over you,' 'Present your members as instruments of righteousness to God, therefore sin shall not have dominion over you,' or 'Present your members as instruments of righteousness to God, hence do not let sin reign over you.' If we present our members as instruments of righteousness to God (v. 13), sin will not have dominion over us (v. 14). Here, "members" (v. 13) refers to the various parts of our bodies, including limbs, organs, and internal components. The Bible instructs us to offer all these things as instruments of righteousness to God. In other words, the Bible is urging us to present our visible limbs, organs, unseen aspects such as our hearts, minds, and intentions, and even our strength as instruments of righteousness to God. Matthew 22:37 emphasizes loving God with our hearts, souls, and minds. Mark 12:30 adds strength to this, emphasizing that we should also love God with all our strength. When we present our members as instruments of righteousness to God, sin will not have dominion over us (Rom. 6:13-14). This is the sanctified life of those who have received justification!
In today's passage, Romans 6:14b states, "... for you are not under law but under grace." This statement implies that as justified individuals, we are not under the law but under grace, and therefore, sin cannot have dominion over us (v. 14b). Here, "law" refers to the "Law" given through Moses (Jn. 1:17). If we are under the law, what happens? We find ourselves under God's judgment (Rom. 3:19). In other words, being under the law means being under God's judgment. Furthermore, if we are under the law, we can never receive justification (salvation) and can only become aware of our sins (v. 20). Being under the law leads to an increase in our transgressions (5:20), and we remain under the power of sin (1 Cor. 15:56). Therefore, if we are under the law, sin will indeed have dominion over us (Rom. 6:14). To avoid sin's dominion, we must not be under the law. Romans 6:14 emphasizes that, as recipients of justification, we are not under the law but under grace. This means that sin cannot have dominion over us. The statement "under grace" signifies that we have become those who, through the redemption in Christ Jesus, have received God's grace, being declared righteous freely (3:24). Through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross, all our sins have been forgiven, and we are set free from sin, being justified by God's grace. As justified individuals, we are secure from the claims of sin. Therefore, we should dwell in God's grace, living within its embrace, to prevent sin from having dominion over us.