Rom. 6:1-14, With Christ in Baptism (3)

How do I live “under grace” rather than under law?  We have four words to consider in Romans 6.

KNOW.  First, this word appears several times.  Don’t you know (v3,16) and knowing (v6,9).  Second, none of these is a command.  None are in the Greek imperative mood.  It is assumed that you know these things, or at least you should know them.  Third, there are two types of knowledge bound up in two different words.  There is “knowledge by experience” in vs. 3 and 6.  Then there is knowledge that you just know to be true, whether it is your experience or not (v9,16). 

You could say, for example, that you know something to be true because the Bible says it is true.  In v6 we know that our “old man” (the person we were from birth until the new birth when we became a “new man”) was crucified with Christ so that the body of sin might be done away with (spiritual circumcision).  This is about us as believers in Christ.  We are learning this by experience from day to do.  But we first know this because, as Paul explains in v7-10, we see it in Christ.  He died and was then raised.  Death no more had dominion over Him.  That is the gospel, the good news proclaimed in the Bible.  Again, in v16, we know we are slaves to whomever we yield ourselves.  We know this because Jesus taught this (John 8:34).  What this means is that our knowledge begins with the Word of God, and then it becomes personal as we grow in Christ.

Thus, Paul reminds us in 6:1-10 of who we are as believers in Christ.  We have been spiritually baptized, joined with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection.  Related to the “know” words is the word “believe” in 6:8. We know what we know because we believe God; we take Him at His word.

RECKON.  “Reckon yourselves to be …!”  This, like “know,” is a “mind” or “thought” term.  It means to take what we “know” in v1-10 and consider it to be true of us.  Who we are in Christ must be very personal.  We must embrace it.  We must see this as real and not merely as doctrine. 

Lest we forget, we are taking considerable time to explain Col. 2:9-23, and the sufficiency of the cross.  Verses 9-10 tell us Jesus is the fullness of God, which means that those who have received Christ by faith are themselves complete!  What Paul was trying to get the Colossian believers to do was to “reckon” themselves to be who the Bible says they are, in Christ!  So, yes!  This word is an IMPERATIVE. 

YIELD.  This is the point when our renewed minds change our hearts.  Given who we are in Christ, the only sensible thing to do is to submit to Him, to take these bodies and every part of them (tongue, hands, feet, faces, everything) and give them to Him.  In other words, in light of His grace which has raised us to new life, we give ourselves to Him to use for His will (Rom. 6:12-14; 12:1).  Yes!  This is a command!