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Study Section 7:  Chapter 6 – Relationship between Sin and Grace

              7.1 Connect
                      Years ago, I worked with as a plumber’s assistant and worked with the foreman who had gone to
                      a Billy Graham crusade and said he went forward to be saved.  He was a genuinely nice man, but
                      his life did not match his words.  He would laugh at the foul jokes, use the Lord’s name in vain,
                      and talk about his escapades at the bar the previous weekend.  I asked him about his life, and he
                      told me that since he was saved at the crusade, while not perfect, knew God would forgive him
                      of his continuing rebellion against God.  It’s like he went forward to obtain a “fire insurance”
              policy so he would not have to go to Hell.

              Today’s lesson asks the question, “Can we willfully sin against God so that the GRACE of God can cover the
              sin?”  In other words, “How drastic of a life change should be evident once a person believes in Christ by
              faith?”  We know God’s grace covers our sins.  So, what does it matter how much sin we commit?  God’s
              grace is infinite and should abound even if I walk the way of the world.  Right?

              That logic will be discussed by Paul in Chapter 6 of Romans.  Let’s get started…

              7.2 Objectives

                      1.  Students should be able to explain what grace is and how it is integrally related to redemption
                      in Christ.

                      2. Students should be able to describe how God freed us from the bondage to sin.


              6.3 The Passage: Romans 6:1-23

                          Therefore, what should we say? Should we continue in sin, so that the grace would increase?
                          May it never be! We who died to sin have can we still live in it? Or do you fail to understand
                          that, whoever has been baptized into Christ Jesus, into his death has been baptized?
                          Therefore, we have been buried with him through the baptism into the death, so that just as
              Christ was raised out of the dead on account of the glory of the Father, thus also we in newness of life
              might walk. For if we have become united in the likeness of his death, but also of the resurrection we will
              be; this thing knowing that our old man has been crucified with him so that the body of sin might be
              destroyed, so that we are no longer to serve sin; for the one who has died has been made righteous from
              the sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that also we will live with him, knowing that Christ has been
              raised out of the dead no longer to die, death no longer is master over him. For which he died, to sin he
              died once for all time; but which he lives, he lives to God. Thus, also you consider yourselves to be dead to
              sin but living to God in Christ Jesus.

              We are made able to live in newness of life apart from sin by the death and resurrection of Christ by which
              He died to sin on our behalf.

              Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body into obeying its desires, nor offer your members as
              instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to
              God as living out of the dead and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin does not
              rule you; for you are not under law but under grace.

              Because in Christ we are no longer dominated by sin and live by grace we must present ourselves to God as
              tools to display His righteousness.

              Therefore what? Should we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! Do you

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