What Shall We Say Then?

[Sue J Love]

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.” (Romans 6:1-7 NASB’95)

The whole purpose of God’s grace to us, and of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, and of our faith in Jesus Christ, which is gifted to us by God, along with his grace, is that we might die with Christ to sin and now walk with him in obedience to his commands, in holy living, in the power of God. For Jesus did not die on that cross just to forgive us our sins and to promise us eternal life with him in heaven, but regardless of how we live. He died and rose from the dead so that we would change and be more like him.

So, God’s grace to us is not freedom to keep living in sin without feelings of guilt and without punishment. God’s grace to us sent Jesus to the cross to put our sins to death with him so that, by God-persuaded faith in Jesus, we will now die to sin and walk in obedience to his commands. God’s grace, thus, is training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for Jesus’ return.

So don’t buy into the lies of the enemy which teach you that all you have to do is to make a verbal confession of faith in Jesus Christ once in your life and now all your sins are forgiven (past, present, and future) and heaven is guaranteed you when you die, but regardless of what you do with Jesus. For Jesus taught that NOT everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God the Father. Many who profess his name will be told, “I never knew you. Depart from me..”

So, for those of us who are of faith in the Lord Jesus, sin should no longer be our practice, but righteousness, holiness, and walks of obedience to our Lord should be what we practice (our lifestyles). For, how can we who died with Christ to sin still live in it? May it never be! For we not only died with Christ to sin, but we were raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness, by the grace of God, in the power of God, by faith in Jesus.

For, by faith in Jesus Christ our old self was crucified with Christ, if we are of genuine God-persuaded and God-gifted faith in the Lord Jesus. We were crucified with Christ in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves of sin. Thus, we are not to let sin reign anymore in our mortal bodies, to make us obey its desires. For if sin is what we obey, it results in death (not life). But if obedience to God is what we obey, that results in sanctification, and its end is eternal life with Christ.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]

So, please don’t rely on other humans to teach you the truth of the gospel. For multitudes of humans who are professing faith in Jesus are now teaching a very diluted and altered gospel message which makes no requirements of us at all to die with Christ to sin and to now walk in obedience to his commands. Many are teaching that all we have to do is to make a verbal confession of faith and now all our sins are forgiven and heaven is guaranteed us when we die, because they are teaching out of context.

So, be students of the Scriptures who study them in the correct and appropriate context so that you get the full message and not a half-truth (lie) gospel message, which if you follow it, will land you in hell, not in heaven. But as much as is in your power to do so, try to find a reliable and well established translation of the Scriptures, for many “translations” out there today take many liberties with the truth. In English, I recommend the NASB1995 (or earlier), NIV1978 to 1984, and ESV2001 to 2011 and KJV.

For Our Nation

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.

Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.

Men deceiving: We’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.

An Original Work / September 11, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

What Shall We Say Then?
An Original Work / April 8, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love