VERSEA 9-10: LIVING FOR CHRIST
VERSE 9:
“Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath nor more dominion over Him.”
Paul is now appealing to what should be common knowledge among God’s people.
“Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead”
Literally: “knowing that Christ having been raised from {the} dead”–So we, believing in Christ Jesus, and having a died unto sin, and a life unto righteousness; He died because of sin; in fact, the very purpose of His death being to put away sin–“…now once in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself” (Heb. 9:26b).
KNOWING: (Grk.–eidotes)—This participle justifies the “we believe” of the previous verse. We know both that our present spiritual participation in Christ’s risen life will continue, and also that our mortal bodies will be delivered.
Knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. death no more has abt dominion over Him. Peter says that it was not possible that Christ should be held under death (Acts 2:24), which He came to abolish, but He voluntarily placed Himself under its power for a short time.
We know both that our present spiritual participation in Christ’s risen life will continue, and also that our mortal bodies will be finally delivered, in view of the fact we are conscious of that Christ has been once and irrevocably raised; that God “loosed the pangs of death,” that “He raised Him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption.” death could never had had dominion over Him except that our sin was transferred to Him. death, the “wages of sin” had a brief dominion, but now that is ended forever; and we are in Him—FOREVER.
“dieth no more”
Literally: “No more dies.” Will NEVER die again. He will not need to make any other atonement for sin; for that which He has made is sufficient for all.
He is beyond the dominion of death and will live forever. “I am He that liveth and was dead, and behold I am alive for evermore" (Rev. 1:18). This is not only a consolation to the Christian, but it is an argument why he (the believer) should live a holy life.
“no more dominion over Him”
Literally: “No more Lords it over Him.”–No rule; no lordship; no power!
The tyranny of death has been broken FOREVER! That cruel master can no longer exercise any power over Him. The cross was sin’s final move; the resurrection was God’s checkmate on death. He is free from its influence FOREVER; and the king of terrors cannot reach His throne (comp. Heb. 9:26-28; 10:12). He now lives eternally, and we who are in Him, having shared His death, must share His eternal life.
We, believing in Christ Jesus, and having a death unto sin, and a life unto righteousness, should sin no more. If we be risen indeed with Christ, we should seek the things above, and set our affections on things above, and not on the earth. As for the man who walks in humble, loving obedience, to an indwelling Christ, sin has no more dominion over his soul than death has over the immortal and glorified body of his Redeemer.
DOMINION: (Grk.–kurieuei)—Meaning, “to have power ove; to rule over; be lord of; lord it over; dictate the terms of.”
The presumption in Paul’s entire argument here is that believers are already incorporated into Christ; therefore, what is true of Christ as their Representative is also true of them. Those who belong to Christ will share in His triumph over death. Christ willing submitted Himself to death and its rule so that He might free those who were under its authority; i.e., dominion.
“By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once {for all}”
“And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sin”
“But this Man (Christ Jesus) after He had offered one (once for all) sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God”–(Heb. 10:10-12).
This is complete refuting of the “sacrificial” character of the Mass, which says it is killing Jesus and shedding His blood all over again. Such teaching and ceremony is nothing less than blasphemy for it makes a mockery of Christ’s death on the Cross.
VERSE 10:
“For in that He died, He died unto sin once; but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God.”
“For in that He died”– This would be better rendered, “He died for sin.” For in respect to the design of His death.. For in that He died, He died to sin.
"Died unto sin" certainly does not mean here, as some have taken it, died by reason of sin, or to atone for sin, but has the sense, elsewhere obvious in this chapter. Christ was never subject to sin, or himself infected with it, as we are; but He “bore the sins of many;” and “the Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” He submitted for us to the condition and penalty of human sin; but, when he died, he threw off its burden, and was done with it forever–“So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many: and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (Heb. 9:28).
“He died unto sin once”
Literally: “He died to sin once.” Do no confuse this passage with other Scriptures that declare Christ died for our sins. His death had respect to sin. The purpose of His death was to destroy sin; to make an atonement for it, and by so doing this to put it away.
As His death was designed to do this, so it follows that Christians, being baptized into His death, and having it as their object to destroy sin, should not indulge in it. The whole force of the motive, therefore, drawn from the death of Christ, is to induce Christians to forsake sin (comp. II Cor. 5:15, “And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.”
ONCE: (Grk.–ephapax)—Literally meaning: “Once for all.” This is an adverb denying a repetition, (and implies that it will not be done again).
“Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this He did once, when He offered up himself.”
“Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the Holy Place, having obtained eternal redemption {for us}”
“…but now once in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself”
“…we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once {for all}” (Heb. 7:27; 9:12, 26; 10:10).
The argument of Paul’s rests much on this, that Christ’s death was once for all; that it would not be repeated. Death laid hands on Him and slew Him, but henceforth it has NOTHING whatsoever to do with Him.
“in that he liveth unto God”
Literally: “But in that he lives, he lives to God.” In His resurrection body. A glorious eternal ife, such as we shall live also.
The object, the design of His living is to glory God in obedience to the claims of God . There never, indeed, was a time when Christ did not “live unto God.” But in the days of His flesh He did so under the continual burden of sin “laid on Him” (Isa. 53:6; II Cor. 5:21); whereas, now that He has “put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself,” He “liveth unto God,” the acquitted and accepted Surety, unchallenged and unclouded by the claims of sin.
He seeks to promote His glory. The argument of Paul is this: Christians by their profession are united to Him. They are bound to imitate Him. As He now lives only to advance the glory of God; as all His mighty power, now that He is raised from the dead, and elevated to His throne in heaven, is exerted to promote his glory; so should the believer’s, being raised from the death of sin, be exerted to promote the glory of God.
UNTO GOD: (Grk.–toi Theoi)—Literally: “To God.” The believer seeks to promote His glory.
The argument of Paul is this: Christians by their profession are united to Him. They are bound to imitate Him. As He now lives only to advance the glory of God ; as all His mighty power, now that He is raised from the dead, and elevated to His throne in heaven, is exerted to promote the glory of God ; so should their powers, being raised from the death of sin, be exerted to promote the glory of God. Here on earth His godly life was troubled by the contradiction of sinners, but now He lives in holy union with God the Father. A glorious eternal life, such as we shall live also.
The believer’s life is devoted to the glory of God in the furtherance of the work of redemption. Before His crucifixion, Christ lived unto God also. But that was a life of humiliation leading to the death of the Cross, and may here be reckoned as a part of the process of His dying unto sin. His resurrection-life is a life of exaltation, in which all power is given into His hands for the glory of the Father, in the over-throw of the kingdom of Satan and the establishment of the Kingdom of God in this world.
VERSE 11:
“Likewise, reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
“Likewise reckon ye also yourselves”
Literally: “So also you count yourselves.”–In like manner count yourselves. This is an exhortation drawn from the argument in the previous verses. It shows the design and tendency of the Christian scheme.
LIKEWISE: (Grk.–outō kai)–Literally: “so also.”
RECKON: (Grk.–logizesthe)–Literally: “count yourself.”–This is a present tense imperative that suggests a continuous mind set on the part of the believer Paul is here exhorting his readers and building a strong theological base before turning to the ethical. They are to regard themselves as dead, i.e., insensible and inaccessible to sin, but living in close allegiance and devotion to God through union with Christ.
Regard it as a settled matter that you must do so, and be sure you are doing it. Now we come to the second thing that believers are to reckon on. Judge, or esteem yourselves. Be like Christ, in dying to sin and living to God.
“to be dead indeed unto sin”|
Literally: “To be truly dead to sin.”–That is, corpses in regard to sin. So that sin shall have no influence or control over you, any more than the objects of this world have over the dead in their graves.
Dead in reference to sin, in the sense of putting it away from you, and having no more to do with it. Die as truly unto sin, as He died for sin Alive unto God; living a new life of holiness devoted to God's glory, in imitation of Christ's resurrection-life. Through Jesus Christ; by virtue of your union with Him through faith. In this and the preceding verse, we have the key to the interpretation of the preceding comparison extended in various forms through verses 4-9. Live as truly unto God, as He lives with God. This seems to be the spirit of Paul’s meaning.
Faith in Christ is the means not only of justification, but also of sanctification; and produces a change not of state and condition only, but of character and conduct. It leads a person to live not unto Himself, but unto Him who died for Him and rose again.
“but alive unto God”
Literally: “But alive to God.” Bound to live to promote His glory; to make this the great and sole object of your living.
“through Jesus Christ”– Literally: “in Christ Jesus.”
THROUGH JESUS CHRIST: (Grk.–en Christōi Iesou)– “En” denotes the union believers have with Christin His death and in His life, both symbolically and really.
This identification of Christ Himself with the believer and the believer’s being in Christ is seen in Acts 9:4-5 in what the Christ said to Paul, the persecutor of Christians:
“…Saul, Saul, why persecutes thou Me?”
“And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus Who thou persecuteth…” (Acts 9:4-5)
By means of the death, and resurrection, and example of Jesus Christ. Paul regards all our disposition to live to God as resulting from the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. So the Christian, buried and risen with Christ, must be like Christ in life, dead to sin, but living a godly life through Christ.
Note,
1. “Antinomianism is not only an error; it is a falsehood and a slander” [HODGE]. That “we should continue in sin that grace may abound,” not only is never the deliberate sentiment of any real believer in the Doctrine of Grace, but is abhorrent to every Christian mind, as a monstrous abuse of the most glorious of all truths (Rom. 6:1).
2. As the death of Christ is not only the expiation (penance) of guilt, but the death of sin itself in all who are vitally united to Him; so the resurrection of Christ is the resurrection of believers, not only to acceptance with God, but to newness of life (6:2-11).
3. In the light of these two truths, let all who name the name of Christ not be content with showing that his doctrine has no tendency to relax the obligations to a holy life. Paul here proceeds to enforce these obligations.
VERSE 12:
“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.”
“Let not sin therefore reign”
Literally: “Then do not let sin continue to reign.”–This is a conclusion drawn from the previous train of reasoning.
The result of all these considerations is, that sin should not be suffered to reign (have dominion; obtain the ascendancy, or rule) in us. Never again be its slaves either in being or doing wrong, but be the freemen and willing servants of Christ in being and doing right. Sin is represented as a king, ruler, or tyrant, who has the desires of the mind and the members of the body under his control so that by influencing the passions he governs the body.
THEREFORE: (Grk.–oun)–This is looking back to the first part of this chapter in which our death with Christ unto sin has been asserted, and our relationship to sin being now the same as Christ’s–we have become done with it in death and burial.
REIGN: (Grk.–basileuetô)–Have dominion; obtain the ascendency, or rule. Do not let sin continue to reign as it did once (5:12). An exhortation to contend and strive with corruption and all the effects of it.
- .Do not let sin reign; do not let him work; that is, let him have no place, no being in your souls.Wherever he is he governs, less or more: and indeed sin is not sin without this.
Wherever sin is felt, there sin has dominion; for sin is sin only as it works in action or passion against God. Sin cannot be an inactive thing for if it does not work it does not exist. Sin is a usurper, a tyrant, not a lawful sovereign. Having been deposed, do no let him again usurp the throne of your life.
How is sin known?
By evil influences in the mind, and evil acts in the life. But do not these influences and these acts prove his dominion?
Certainly, the very existence of an evil thought to which passion or appetite attaches itself, is a proof that there sin has dominion; for without dominion such passions could not be excited.
“in your mortal bodies”
Literally: “in your mortal body”– Now that you are redeemed from its power, as our body is destined to a glorious immorality, do not let it again be enslaved to the tyrant that made it mortal in the first place
This must not be, and cannot be, if we are really Dead to sin. The body must be mortal, and subject to death, but it must not be subject to sin. In you. Also, do not allow your mind be enslaved to, or polluted by, the bodily tendencies, appetites, or passions. Control and regulate them according to the will of God. Paul uses the word “mortal” here, perhaps, for these reasons:
1. To remind them of the tendency of the flesh to sin and corruption, as equivalent to “fleshly,” since the flesh (Grk.–sarx)–is often used to denote evil passions and desires,
“for when we were in the flesh, the motions of sin, which were by the Law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death” (Romans 7:5).
“For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son to the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh”
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded {is} life and peace” (Romans 8:3,6).
2. To remind them of their weakness, as the body was mortal, was soon to decay, and was therefore liable to be overcome by temptation. Perhaps, also, he had his eye on the folly of suffering the “mortal body” to overcome the immortal mind, and to bring it into subjection to sin and corruption.
MORTAL: (Grk.–thnêtos)–Your body became mortal by sin; that is, subject to physical death. We are waiting for the final redemption of the body that will take place at Christ’s coming (8:21-22).
“that ye should obey it”
Literally: “To obey it.” That sin should get such an ascendancy as to rule entirely over you and make you its slave again.
“in the lusts thereof”
Literally: “In its lusts.” In the lusts of the body. In its desires, or tendencies. It is through the lusts and desires of the body that sin is ready to assume control. It is when natural desires are yielded to in self-will or self-indulgence that sin asserts its power and establishes its reign.
The “body” is here viewed as the instrument by which all the sins of the heart become facts of the outward life, and as itself the seat of the lower appetites; and it is called “our mortal body,” probably to remind us how unsuitable is this reign of sin in those who are “alive from the dead.” But the reign here meant is the unchecked dominion of sin within us. Its outward acts are next referred to.