Romans 6:1-11 The Reckoning

"Paul anticipated three objections to what he'd written in chapter 5."  The objectors would go to extremes ranging from, "If God's grace abounds when we sin, then let's continue sinning so we might experience more grace!" to "If we are no longer under the law, then we are free to live as we please!" to "You have made God's law sinful!"

"When Paul defended justification, he also explained sanctification ... He explained the relationship to the flesh, the law, and the Holy Spirit, and gave three instructions for attaining victory over sin," my commentary explained.

The first was know:  "Christian living depends on Christian learning ... If Satan can keep a Christian ignorant, he can keep him impotent ... At Romans 5:12, Paul made a transition from discussing 'sins' to discussing 'sin' -- from the actions to the principle, from the fruit to the root ... Justification is not simply a legal matter between me and God; it is a living relationship ... Because of the living union with Christ, the believer has a totally new relationship to sin:  He is dead to sin and he should not serve sin."

"Paul uses the word reckon 41 times in the New Testament and 19 times in Romans alone."  It's not the "I suppose...." we're used to in Texas, but rather it means to "take into account" or "to calculate or estimate", but maybe the best is "to put to one's account," my commentary said.  "It simply means to believe that what God says in His Word is really true in your life.  Paul didn't tell his readers to feel as if they were dead to sin, or ever to understand it fully, but to act on God's Word and claim it for themselves.  Reckoning is a matter of faith that issues in action.  It's like endorsing a check:  if we really believe that the money is in the checking account, we will sign our name and collect the money.  Reckoning is not claiming a promise, but acting on a fact."

Father, help me to fully understand and accept that Your promises are indeed facts in my life!

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford