The Sixth Chapter of Romans

The Sixth Chapter of Romans

Comment:

The sixth chapter of Romans is too long to copy here—and difficult to summarize in a brief response. The Letter to the Romans is a carefully constructed introduction which Paul sends to a church in Rome that he hopes to visit in the near future as he continues his work of carrying the message of Jesus Christ throughout the Roman Empire. Since he did not establish this Roman congregation, he wants to be sure they understand his personal views on the significance and message of Jesus Christ. It is this careful exposition of basic principles that has made Romans so important—and so frequently misunderstood—in the centuries since it was written.   Central to Paul is the idea that in his life, death and resurrection Jesus transcended the limitations of Jewish custom and belief. The many religious laws that Jews were expected to obey had the purpose of leading us through obedience to the point that Jesus' message could take hold—a message based, not in obedience to the law, but in acceptance of divine grace. He says in Chapter 5 that the law served only the limited purpose of helping us deal with the dominion of sin; Jesus demonstrates a grace that frees us from that dominion, lifting us to a higher spiritual consciousness than mere obedience to the law could accomplish.   But this could suggest, as Paul realizes, that it's now okay to disobey the laws, to "continue in sin" (6:1) in the certainty that we will be saved through grace. And so the sixth chapter makes it clear that life in Christ consciousness requires obedience to the law—but from a new perspective. We no longer obey out of fear of punishment; it is no longer the case that we force ourselves not to sin for the sake of salvation. Rather we recognize in Christ consciousness that sin (which we understand as “error thought”) is a source of nothing but pain and grief. We no longer regard our human forms as inherently evil, prone always to sin, but rather as "instruments of righteousness" (6:13) through which we can express the Christ energy Jesus has demonstrated and calls us to embrace as our true reality. We were once “slaves of sin,” restrained only by fearful obedience to the law from following our basest instincts. We are now to be "slaves to righteousness" (6:19), lovingly choosing to express the highest and best energies within us.   The chapter concludes with this oft-quoted line: "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (6:23). Believing in the power or reality of “sin”—error thought as a power opposite to God—gives rise to a fear-based belief in the reality of death. Embracing the Christ Power within us allows us to know, experience and express our true, eternal, spiritual nature.   Blessings!

Rev. Ed