Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Romans
Book: Romans
Chapter: 6
Overview:
Believers must die to
Sin, and live to
God.
(1,2) This is
urged
By their
Christian Baptism and union with
Christ.
(3-10)
They are made alive to
God.
(11-15) And are freed from the
dominion of
Sin.
(16-20) The
End of
Sin is
Death, and of
Holiness Everlasting Life.
(21-23)
1,2 The
Apostle is very full in pressing the necessity of
Holiness. He does not explain away the free
Grace of the
Gospel,
but he shows that connection between
Justification and
Holiness
are inseparable. Let the thought be abhorred, of continuing in
Sin that
Grace may abound. True believers are dead to
Sin,
therefore they ought not to follow it.
No Man can at the same
time be both dead and alive. He is a fool who, desiring to be
dead unto
Sin, thinks he may live in it.
3-10 Baptism teaches the necessity of dying to
Sin, and being
as it were buried from all ungodly and unholy pursuits, and of
rising to walk with
God in newness of
Life. Unholy professors
may have had the outward sign of a
Death unto
Sin, and a new
Birth unto
Righteousness, but they never passed from the family
of
Satan to that of
God. The corrupt nature, called the old
Man,
because derived from our first
Father Adam, is crucified with
Christ, in every true believer,
By the
Grace derived from the
Cross. It is weakened and in a dying state, though it yet
struggles for
Life, and even for victory. But the whole body of
Sin, whatever is not according to the holy
Law of
God, must be
done away,
So that the believer may
No more be the
Slave of
Sin,
but live to
God, and find happiness in his service.
11-15 The strongest motives against
Sin, and to enforce
Holiness, are here stated. Being made free from the reign of
Sin, alive unto
God, and having the prospect of eternal
Life, it
becomes believers to be greatly concerned to advance thereto.
But, as unholy lusts are not quite rooted out in this
Life, it
must be the care of the
Christian to resist their motions,
earnestly striving, that, through Divine
Grace, they may not
prevail in this mortal state. Let the thought that this state
will soon be at an
End, encourage the true
Christian, as to the
motions of lusts, which
So often perplex and distress him. Let
us present all our powers to
God, as weapons or tools ready for
the warfare, and work of
Righteousness, in his service. There is
strength in the
Covenant of
Grace for us.
Sin shall not have
dominion.
God's promises to us are more powerful and effectual
for mortifying
Sin, than our promises to
God.
Sin may struggle
in a real believer, and create him a great
Deal of trouble, but
it shall not have dominion; it may vex him, but it shall not
rule over him. Shall any take occasion from this encouraging
doctrine to allow themselves in the practice of any
Sin? Far be
such abominable thoughts,
So contrary to the perfections of
God,
and the design of his
Gospel,
So opposed to being under
Grace.
What can be a stronger motive against
Sin than the
Love of
Christ? Shall we
Sin against
So much
Goodness, and such
Love?
16-20 Every
Man is the servant of the master to whose commands
he yields himself; whether it be the sinful dispositions of his
Heart, in actions which lead to
Death, or the new and spiritual
obedience implanted
By Regeneration. The
Apostle rejoiced now
they obeyed from the
Heart the
Gospel, into which they were
delivered as into a mould. As the same metal becomes a new
vessel, when melted and recast in another mould,
So the believer
has become a new
Creature. And there is great difference in the
liberty of mind and
Spirit,
So opposite to the state of slavery,
which the true
Christian has in the service of his rightful
Lord, whom he is enabled to consider as his
Father, and himself
as his son and
Heir,
By the
Adoption of
Grace. The dominion of
Sin consists in being willingly slaves thereto, not in being
harassed
By it as a hated power, struggling for victory. Those
who now are the servants of
God, once were the slaves of
Sin.
21-23 The pleasure and profit of
Sin do not deserve to be
called
Fruit. Sinners are but ploughing iniquity, sowing vanity,
and reaping the same. Shame came into the world with
Sin, and is
still the certain effect of it. The
End of
Sin is
Death. Though
the way may seem pleasant and inviting, yet it will be
bitterness in the latter
End. From this condemnation the
believer is set at liberty, when made free from
Sin. If the
Fruit is unto
Holiness, if there is an active principle of true
and growing
Grace, the
End will be
Everlasting Life; a very
happy
End! Though the way is up-
Hill, though it is narrow,
thorny, and beset, yet
Everlasting Life at the
End of it is
sure. The
Gift of
God is eternal
Life. And this
Gift is through
Jesus Christ our
Lord.
Christ purchased it, prepared it,
prepares us for it, preserves us to it; he is the All in all in
our
Salvation.