Romans 6, How can I love as God loves?

In the midst of our study of the various aspects of love in 1 Cor. 13:4-7 we are going to spend three days meditating on the foremost passage on “sanctification” in the New Testament: Romans 6-8.  Love, being a perfection of God, is beyond reach for mortals; it cannot be attained by people who are doing the best they can or trying hard or committed to keeping the rules.  We need God’s help and thus we need to remember His plan for our spiritual growth.  Below is a chart that we have developed to help with the overview of Rom. 6-8.  Perhaps it will be helpful over these three days.  We will ask a few questions for clarification, but the greatest benefit will come from your own Spirit led study.  As always!

The stick-figure man is standing on a platform.  Write in that platform the word from Rom. 5:1 that tells what faith in Christ has wrought in our lives.

1)   Romans 6...

Romans 6 rests on 4 words, given in the chapter in the right order.  (Study it yourself; then look at the above chart for these terms that describe the basic plan of sanctification.)

a)   _________: who I am in Christ (6:1-10).

b)   ______________: this to be true of me (6:11).

c)                          (6:12-14). (A conscious choice, presenting myself to God for righteousness.  It is repeated in Rom. 12:1.)

d)   __________ (6:15-23): then go out & live it.

Trans: but this is not easily done.  Where does the power come from?  Chapter 7 makes clear where the power cannot come from.  Using the terms from 6:14, sanctification will not occur if we are “under law.”