Yesterday I was having another great Power Camp with Ps. Yudi Gumanti. The topic was a discussion about the book of Romans. What interest me is the fact that it’s a letter wrote by Paul to the Church at Rome, which you should know some of the fact about Rome at that time. Taken from http://www.abu.nb.ca/ecm/products/outline.htm, here is the summary of Rome:
During the year A.D. 57 that Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome the city of Rome was the largest and most important city in the world at the time, and the capital of the fourth world empire. The Roman Empire was controlled and governed from this seat of power. Paul certainly knew the importance of the city to his ministry.
Everything you find in a large city could be found in Rome. Wealth and poverty could be found everywhere. Slavery was a way of life. Only little over half of the population were free citizens. Of these a comparatively small number were wealthy, while the vast majority were poor and lived on public or private charity. These poor citizens were proud of their Roman citizenship and looked down on manual labor. All they cared for was the games of the Circus Maximus and the gore of the gladiatorial shows.
You could find almost every nationality and each one brought their own sin. The Jewish population especially left its mark. There were at least eleven synagogues. Because of the decay of the moral and spiritual life there appeared a considerable following of Gentiles more or less in active sympathy with their religion. Here as elsewhere in the Empire these ‘God-fearers’ furnished fertile ground for the spread of Christianity.
When I dig deep into the condition of Rome at that time, it made me realize that all sorts of sins are there. Why? I can assume Rome is quite similar to Las Vegas, in which all intellectual and wealthy people are gathered to savor their life in sins which they though will give more purpose to their dying life. When you talk to this people, definitely you need to carefully select your words, because they are a very intellectual people full with doctrine, logic, and reasoning.
But this is what really interest me, it’s amazing that the book of Romans is the only book that teaches Grace more than the other book. Though it’s very understandable that the fact Rome at that time consist of intellectual people so Paul has to teach deeply into the doctrine of Christian believes, but the fact that they consist a lot more people sinning did not even make Paul to be hesitated in teaching about grace to these people.
What other doctrine do we believe as Christian, other than the fact that through HIS love that we’re saved by his mercy and grace.
Real gospel is a gospel that will give holiness. Grace is the Gospel! Grace is the good news. Gospel is not about our deeds, but God’s deeds. If you think you’re qualified for the good news, then you’re not qualified. That’s grace… Only by grace alone it will will lead us to HIS holiness, as stated on Romans 6:14 (NKJV):
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under Law, but under grace.
We’re free from sin (noun), not the act of sin (verb). So when we’re free from sin itself, then we’re free from any act of sin in this world. In the first place, we became sinful not because we did sins, but because of Adam we’re a sinner. For a sinner to do sins is a very common sense, so it’s not a revelation. No matter what we do, in the eyes of God we’ll always do sins, because we’re a sinner.
The good new is, according to Romans 5:19 (NKJV):
19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.
It’s amazing that God tackle the root of sin itself by mimicking the same act through one man called Jesus Christ to abundantly saved us from sin that was caused by one man called Adam.
According to 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (NKJV):
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
As a side note, the translation on ITB (Indonesia Terjemahan Baru) is not quite correct. It was stated that it’s not by our obedience we can win against evil, but because the obedience of Christ we can. Notice that it’s not through our obedience, but it’s through Christ obedience.
We’ve to be free from the thought that we can only be blessed or forgiven if we do good deeds. Usually what happens when the blessing cannot be imparted to us is because we thought that we’re not worth to receive it or we have to do something to receive it. So remove that thought and receive the truth that Jesus Himself had already been obedient so we can receive His grace, mercy, & blessing.
More on those supporting verses that states the obedience of Christ alone will set us free, not our obedience.
Romans 5:12 (NKJV)
12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—
Romans 5:17-21 (NKJV)
17 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) 18 Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. 20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, 21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Now the question is, can we sin because we’re under his grace, mercy, and love? Thank God it was clarified clearly on Romans, as stated by Paul but it was meant to refer to the people that might ask the question in Romans 6:15 (NKJV):
15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!
In fact, the word sin in here is the only verb from all word sin in Romans. It shows that the people who were asking this question doesn’t even know what kind of sin that we’ve been set free from. So the conclusion here is not whether we can or cannot, but it’s about whether we want to or do not want to.
Take a look at Romans 6:16 (NKJV):
16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
The word obey in here means “hupakouó” according to the original Greek translation, which means:
- to listen, attend to, i.e: became obedient, becoming obedient.
- to hear under (as a subordinate), i.e: to listen attentively; by implication, to heed or conform to a command or authority.
To make it simpler, It doesn’t mean obeying through act but through listening. The cool thing is, the “sin to death” in here can be set equally to sin of Adam that cause us go to death and the “obedience to righteousness” can be set equally to obedience of Jesus Christ that made us righteous & saved. So which want to obey or listen to? The sin of Adam or the obedience of Jesus Christ.
Just like it was stated on Romans 8:13 (NKJV):
13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
Flesh in here means your own act of superiority and self-righteousness to just your own self as righteous and worthy in front of HIM, while living by the spirit is believing God with faith and whatever had been done previously on the cross was finished and nothing else need to be done, except for believing in HIM. So what’s the relation with Adam eating the fruit of knowledge good & evil? This will be on my other sharing.
This is supported by Romans 6:16-18 (NKJV):
16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. 18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
Obey from the heart here is the same with to listen/hear under.
Right believing will produce right living!
If we understand that we cannot be set free from Adam’s sin to death with our own deeds & efforts, same thing that we cannot be set free from God’s obedience to righteous. So if we’ve been living under the grace by becoming obey through listening under His obedience to righteous, then we cannot choose to be set free with our own deeds & efforts.
We used to be the prisoner of sin, but now we’re a prisoner of grace when we believe in HIM. According to Zechariah 9:11-12 (NKJV):
11 As for you also,
Because of the blood of your covenant,
I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
12 Return to the stronghold,
You prisoners of hope.
Even today I declare
That I will restore double to you.
When we believe in HIM and HIS salvation to us, we cannot choose not to be righteous, because we’re righteous already. when we’re righteous, we cannot choose not to inherit His kingdom as His son, but we inherit it already. In the end, we cannot choose not to be blessed, but we’re blessed already according to HIS promises.