ROMANS ROAD
to RIGHTEOUSNESS |
Romans
1:18-3:20
|
Romans
3:21-5:21 |
Romans
6:1-8:39 |
Romans
9:1-11:36 |
Romans
12:1-16:27 |
|
SIN
|
SALVATION
|
SANCTIFICATION |
SOVEREIGNTY |
SERVICE |
NEED
FOR
SALVATION |
WAY
OF
SALVATION |
LIFE
OF
SALVATION |
SCOPE
OF
SALVATION |
SERVICE
OF
SALVATION |
God's Holiness
In
Condemning
Sin |
God's Grace
In
Justifying
Sinners |
God's Power
In
Sanctifying
Believers |
God's Sovereignty
In
Saving
Jew and Gentile |
Gods Glory
The
Object of
Service |
Deadliness
of Sin |
Design
of Grace |
Demonstration of
Salvation |
|
Power Given
|
Promises Fulfilled |
Paths Pursued |
Righteousness
Needed |
Righteousness
Credited |
Righteousness
Demonstrated |
Righteousness
Restored to Israel |
Righteousness
Applied |
God's Righteousness
IN LAW |
God's Righteousness
IMPUTED |
God's Righteousness
OBEYED |
God's Righteousness
IN ELECTION |
God's Righteousness
DISPLAYED |
|
Slaves to Sin |
Slaves to God |
Slaves Serving God |
|
Doctrine |
Duty |
|
Life by Faith |
Service by Faith |
|
Modified from Irving
L. Jensen's excellent work "Jensen's
Survey of the NT" |
AND HAVING BEEN FREED FROM SIN: eleutherothentes (AAPMPN) de apo tes
hamartias: (Ro
6:14;
Ps116:16;
119:32,45;
Lu1:74,75;
Jn8:32,36;
1Cor7:21,22;
Gal 5:1;
1 P2:16)
In this verse note that both
Sin and Righteousness are personified. As Clarke says now...
"...Sin can enjoin
(order or direct with urgency; admonish or instruct with authority;
command) no good and profitable work; Righteousness can
require none that is unjust or injurious."
"And having been"
shows that this verse is the continuation and conclusion of the
preceding sentence and not a new one. In addition this verse parallels
Romans 6:22
Having been freed
(1659)
(eleutheroo
= the ending " -oo" means not only will it be set
free but it will be seen as set free) (Click in depth word study of
eleutheroo) means to cause
someone to be freed from domination. The picture is that of the
emancipation of slaves. The idea is that the one set free is at liberty,
capable of movement, exempt from obligation or liability, and
unfettered. Although the act of setting free results in freedom and
liberty we must understand that this new freedom is not a license to
sin. In fact true liberty for the believer is now living as we should
and not as we please. For the first time in Romans the important
theme of Christian freedom is introduced. Here the
aorist tense
describes a past tense event - our salvation experience, passing
from death to life, free from condemnation, free from the guilt of sin,
no longer guilty before God. Dear Christian, are you struggling to be
free? If so, then ask the Spirit to illuminate to your mind and heart
this glorious truth - you have been already set free. Instead of
struggling, you need to be standing in the truth of this freedom (study
Romans 8 for it is "the law [principle] of the Spirit of life" Who
enables us to walk in the freedom that we have by virtue of our position
in Christ).
Note that the
phrase "freed from Sin" does not mean that believers no
longer have a sinful nature (see
flesh). Neither does it mean that we no longer
commit acts of sin. The context shows that Paul is referring to freedom
from sin as the dominating power in life. God has now made it possible
for us to live the Christian life and now we can live for God.
Jesus used this verb in His famous declaration...
"you shall know the truth, and the
truth shall make you free
(eleutheroo)." (John
8:32)
Barnes writes that...
"You are not under (Sin's)
dominion; you are no longer its slaves. They were made free, as a
servant is who is set at liberty, and who is, therefore, no longer under
obligation to obey."
From
(575)
(apo) is a preposition
which means "from", "off from" "away
from" and shows separation. Webster's defines "from"
as "as a function word to indicate physical separation or an act or
condition of removal, abstention, exclusion, release."
Apo basically means
the going forth or proceeding of one object from another. Apo
can be a marker of
dissociation, implying a rupture from a former association. This
preposition pictures the separation of one thing from another with
destruction of the union or fellowship of the two. It conveys the idea
of away from, separation, departure, cessation, completion, reversal.
Apo is used some 670 times (Mat
106;
Mk
48;
Lu
113;
Jo
39;Ac
104;
Romans
26;
1 Co
10;
2 Co18;
Gal
9;
Ep
5;
Phil
5;
Col
9;
1 Thes
11;2 Thes
9;1 Ti
5;2 Ti
8;Titus
3;Phile
2;Heb
23;Ja
6;1 Pe
4;2 Pe;
1 Jo
16;2 Jo
2;
3 Jo;
Jude
2;Re)
and is translated most often as: from, 393; of, 129; out of, 48.
Below are a few illustrative uses
of apo...
Matthew uses apo
describing Jesus' name writing...
"And she will bear a Son;
and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people
from (apo = away from) their sins.” (Matthew
1:21)
Luke records Jesus'
instruction to His disciples...
“And
as for those who do not receive you, as you go out from (apo) that city, shake off the dust from (apo) your feet as a testimony against
them.” (Luke
9:5).
Jesus, knowing that the Father had
given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God,
and was going back to God (John
13:3)
Much more then, having now been
justified by His blood, we shall be saved from (apo)
the wrath of God through Him. (Romans
5:9).
for he who has died is freed from
(apo) sin. (Romans
6:7)
For the married woman is bound by law
to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is
released from (apo) the law concerning the husband. (Romans
7:2).
For the law of the Spirit of life in
Christ Jesus has set you free from (apo) the law of sin and of death. (Romans
8:2).
Therefore, my beloved, flee from
(apo) idolatry. (1Cor
10:14).
Therefore, being always of good
courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent
from (apo) the Lord (2Cor
5:6)
Therefore, having these promises,
beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from (apo) all defilement of flesh and
spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. (2
Cor 7:1)
But I am afraid, lest as the serpent
deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from
(apo) the
simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. (2
Cor 11:3).
Let all bitterness and wrath and
anger and clamor and slander be put away from (apo) you, along with all
malice. (Ephesians
4:31)
If you have died with Christ to (from
= apo) the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were
living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as (Colossians
2:20)
For this is the will of God, your
sanctification; that is, that you abstain from (apo) sexual immorality (1Thes
4:3)
But examine everything carefully;
hold fast to that which is good; abstain from (apo) every form of evil. (1The
5:21-22)
Nevertheless, the firm foundation of
God stands, having this seal, “The Lord knows those who are His,” and,
“Let everyone who names the name of the Lord abstain from (apo) wickedness.” (2Timothy
2:19).
and will turn away their ears from
(apo) the truth, and will turn aside to myths. (2Timothy
4:4)
Take care, brethren, lest there
should be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart, in falling away
from (apo) the living God. (Hebrews
3:12)
how much more will the blood of
Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish
to God, cleanse your conscience from (apo) dead works to serve the living God?
(Hebrews
9:14)
See to it that no one comes short
of (from = apo) the grace of God; that no root of bitterness
springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled (Hebrews
12:15).
Submit therefore to God. Resist the
devil and he will flee from (apo) you. (James
4:7)
Little children, guard yourselves
from idols. (1John
5:21)
And I saw the holy city, new
Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from (apo) God, made ready as a bride
adorned for her husband." (Rev
21:2)
"and if anyone takes away from
(apo)
the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from (apo)
the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book. (Rev
22:19)
YOU BECAME SLAVES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS: edoulothete (2PAPI) te dikaiosune:
(Ro
6:19,20,22;
Isa 26:13;
54:17)
Having been set free from the evil nature, the believer was constituted
a slave of righteousness. Believers have changed masters, no longer
slaves of Sin, but instead slaves of Righteousness.
There is no middle ground, no “no man’s land” in this war. Believers are
no longer free to do whatever they desire. They are free only to do
that which is consistent with the character of God. True freedom is
freedom from the ruthless tyrant Sin. Now that we are in
Christ we are slaves who do what
God approves of. Our new master is personified as "Righteousness".
JFB writes
that...
The case is one of emancipation
from entire servitude to one Master to entire servitude to another,
whose property we are. There is no middle state of personal
independence; for which we were never made, and to which we have no
claim. When we would not that God should reign over us, we were in
righteous judgment "sold under Sin"; now being through grace "made free
from Sin," it is only to become "servants to Righteousness," which is
our true freedom." (Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible) (Bolding added)
R H Mounce emphasizes
that...
"The freedom brought by grace does not provide carte blanche to
continue in sin. On the contrary, grace places the believer under
obligation53 to holiness and growth in righteousness."
(Mounce,
R. H. Romans: The New American Commentary. Broadman & Holman Publishers)
The BKC
adds that now...
"Christians are not to give in to sin
because they are dead to it and no longer slaves of it. It is totally
contrary to God’s plan for slaves of righteousness to become enslaved to
sin!" (Walvoord,
J. F., Zuck, R. B., et al: The Bible Knowledge Commentary. 1985. Victor).
Charles Hodge writes that...
"It was not license but a change
of masters that they had experienced. This being the case, it is
impossible they should serve sin; they now have another master. A freed
slave does not continue to be subject to his former master. Similarly,
our Lord says: “If the Son sets you free, you will be free (eleutheroo) indeed” (John
8:36). This subjection to righteousness is perfect
liberty. It is the subjection of the soul to God, reason, and
conscience, in which true liberty consists. This being the
case, in the following verse the apostle explains the reason why he used
an apparently incongruous illustration when speaking of the relationship
of the believer to righteousness." (Hodge, C. Commentary on the
Epistle to the Romans, 1835) (Bolding added)
