Our implantation into the death and resurrection of Christ is more clearly expressed in vv. 5 and 6, as remarked before, and in these as well as in other passages the little word “with” is particularly to be observed—crucified with Him, dead with. Him, buried with Him, raised with Him, made alive with Him. We have fully become a perfect plant with Christ, in His death as well as in His resurrection. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection. In His death we are fully set aside before God, with regard to the old man, and renewed to life in His resurrection. We have now our place before God as raised-up-ones with, and stand before Him in His own divine righteousness.
We are not only, through His blood, reconciled and justified, we are also crucified with Him in His death, and made alive with Him in His life. The expression “body of sin” signifies the whole condition of the natural man as fully subjected to sin and its dominion. Now this body of sin in which we had our place before God by nature and served sin, is put aside, in that the old man is crucified with Him and therefore our service of sin has ceased. This discontinuance therefore is the simple result of the fact that we are crucified with Him. Raised up with Christ we have ceased to be slaves of sin; as such we are crucified with Him, and raised up with Him to be slaves of righteousness; “For he that is dead is freed from sin” (v. 7). A dead man cannot be charged with sin; but a living man is responsible for the condition in which he is found.
“Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him” (v. 8). The power of life by which He lived is also our portion. We belong to another world where Christ lives as the risen One. This we believe and also know it, “that Christ, being raised from the dead, dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him” (verse 9). We also therefore reckon upon the resurrection. In His perfect victory over death into which He entered for us through grace, we participate in the resurrection. By faith we have entered into life through Him, became we have part in the death which He has suffered for us.
The obedience of Christ was put to the test to the end, even to the death of the cross. He would rather die than be disobedient, for this would have delivered Him to sin. But He was far from it. He died and accomplished His obedience in death. But now that He has glorified God, He hath forever done with death. Through the glory of the Father, resurrection was the blessed result of the death of Christ. Now, He lives to God, and has nothing more to do with sin; His life stands in connection with God only. “For in that he died, he died unto sin once; but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God” (v. 10). Even so it is with us, for we enjoy all this through faith; we have died to sin, and are become alive unto God and have no other object of life but God through Jesus Christ. “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Christ Jesus” (v. 11). I have to reckon myself to be dead; I have the right to do it, because Christ has died for me.
Sin is not dead, it lives; but I am dead. The old man is crucified, and therefore now follows this grave and solemn exhortation in verses 12 and 13, “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof; neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.” Here it is not a question of a principle, but of a power. With Christ we have died unto sin, and in practice sin has no more power over us. Death has led us out of its service, and as alive from the dead we have now to yield ourselves unto God as in the service of righteousness. But mark well that grace is the source of practical power upon which it depends here. “Sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the law, but under grace” (v. 14). The law demands but gives nothing, and therefore under the law we are the slaves of sin; but grace forgives and gives, and therefore sin cannot reign over us. Under grace we have God on our side, and He is stronger than sin; and because He has judged the same, He cannot permit it to reign.
In grace the flesh certainly beholds an opportunity to sin, but we see in this chapter how the apostle stops it each time. In v. 1, it reads — “Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?” No; for that would no longer be the grace which annulled sin to save us. And here, in verse 15, it says— “Shall we sin because we are not under the law, but under grace?” No; for in this case we should be the slaves of sin in another way; for we are slaves to whom we obey, whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness. (v. 16.) We were the slaves of sin, because we stood in obedience to it; but now that we are in Christ Jesus, we are made free from sin, and become the slaves of righteousness. Through this liberty we are made free to serve God and to obey righteousness, whereas it was impossible for us formerly to serve God. The character of the life which we possess in Christ Jesus is obedience—namely, —obedience in righteousness. We walk in the same righteousness which has justified us in Christ Jesus. And even as free as we were from this righteousness, even so free are we now in Christ from sin. (vv. 15-20.) The apostle here uses the expression — “Slaves of righteousness,” because, as he says, of the weakness of the flesh. Either the Romans would not have understood him, or it was to be feared that they, led by the weakness of the flesh, would have continued in sin, had he used a weaker expression. This slavery is not now service without fruit. Practical righteousness reveals itself always in a more perfect separation to God. One obeys, and the fruit of obedience is unto holiness, the spiritual ability which leads us to a fuller knowledge and fellowship with God.
The three last verses then, show us the fruit, the end and the reward of a slave of God. The slave of sin has no fruit, only shame, and his end and his reward are death. But the fruit of the slave of God is unto holiness, and the free gift received from God, and his end, are eternal life. He possesses this life in Christ Jesus now, but it is also ready prepared for him for the end of his walk. (vv. 21-23.)
Letters of Interest.
1.
Depend upon it, dear — the path of obedience is the path of blessing. Our blessed Master has left us an example that we should follow His steps; and He answered the tempter who sought to tempt Him from this path, three times with the words of Holy Writ—three times from Israel’s guide-book, Deuteronomy. He could say, “By the words of thy lips I have kept me from the path of the destroyer” (Psalms 17), and this path He has put before His sheep (John 15:7, 10-117If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. (John 15:7)
10If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. 11These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. (John 15:10‑11)), so that obedience is absolutely necessary to my enjoyment of His love, to my knowing His joy, and to my asking aright in prayer and getting my requests answered.
As another has said, “The place of divine favor is always ours; we are accepted in the Beloved, but its realization and enjoyment depend on the revelations and action of the Holy Ghost in us, and these depend on our walk, and state, and obedience. The enjoyment of divine favor and blessedness is made to depend on the walk of the saint. It must be so, if it be by the Holy Ghost dwelling in us; for how should we be enjoying communion in love in the midst of evil or idle thoughts?”
There is plenty of activity abroad everywhere, and one is thankful that Christ is preached and souls get blessing; but then the service that will meet with the Lord’s approval on that day is that which is done in His name (i.e. with His authority, for He is Master), and unto Him as an object, His love constraining, as you remark in your letter, “neither to saints, nor to sinners, but to Jesus only.”
There is a great difference between doing what I think He will like me to do, and doing His will. If I say “What is His will?” I must learn it by sitting at His feet; be near enough to Him to be guided by His eye, and be led by His Spirit in communion with Him, this is “intelligent service” (λογεκην) (Romans 12:11I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (Romans 12:1)). Mary is at His feet as learner, then in her sorrow for succor as a mourner, and then as a worshipper; but at His feet was her place.
Joab did many exploits for David, but when the over-comers are seen, and their deeds recorded, Joab is not there (2 Sam. 23). Benaiah does find a place in the kingdom, and what he did is told us, and he got his place when the rejected one got his and reigned, but even he, Benaiah, was surpassed by others, who had also a place there, for verse 23 tells us, “that he attained not to the three.” Those three distinguished ones the Holy Ghost has been pleased to leave on record, to mark out for our instruction.
What then had they done? Benaiah had slain the Moabites and the Egyptian, and also the lion in a pit on a snowy day. But what mighty deeds have these three accomplished (verses 13-17)? They studied the heart of the rejected king, and brought refreshments to him in his rejection, they counted not their lives dear unto them in order to please him; they first of all associated themselves with him in the cave of Adullam in the place of rejection; they then studied his heart, heard his voice, and at the risk of their lives studied and wrought to please him, and verily they had their reward. May we be followers of him! (Hebrews 8:1313In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away. (Hebrews 8:13), Colossians 1:9-109For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; (Colossians 1:9‑10), Hebrews 11:55By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. (Hebrews 11:5)).
2.
“Perfection,” or being “perfect,” as used in the case of Christians (Matthew 5:4848Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:48)), in the case of Israel (Deuteronomy 18:1313Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God. (Deuteronomy 18:13)), and in the case of Patriarchs (Genesis 17:11And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. (Genesis 17:1)), means, I believe, the acting consistently with the character in which God has been pleased to reveal Himself at the moment, guided and governed by the principles on which He acted according to the revelation given and the relationship in which the person stood to Him.
To Abraham God was revealed as “Almighty.” His perfection therefore, was to walk before “Almighty God” as a pilgrim of faith, dependent on His power.
To Israel God was revealed as “Jehovah,” the Fulfiller of all His promises, who, when redemption had been accomplished in figure, came down to dwell amongst His people. Their perfection, therefore, was to walk with Jehovah in that separateness from evil which became Him, and to count on His faithfulness.
To the Christian God has been revealed as “Father.” His perfection, therefore, is to display the relationship in which he is, the nature which he has, a divine nature, by acting as a child, governed and guided by the principles on which his Father acts, and counting on His grace. He is to be an imitator of God as a dear child.
Scripture makes it clear there is no such thing as perfection, intrinsic perfection, in any on earth; there never was since the fall, save in Christ only. The believer cannot say that he has no sin in him—at least if he does he deceives himself, and the truth is not in him. If, therefore, none can say they have no sin in them, none can say they are perfect in that sense.
This lack of intrinsic perfection, however, does not excuse or make a way for failure in practice. The believer is called to walk as Christ walked, and that, most surely, was perfectly. “I do always those things that please him.” There is power for this (Phil. 1:10-1110That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; 11Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:10‑11)). So that while the believer cannot say he is perfect, owing to the fact of sin being in him, yet he is to be governed and guided in his walk by the principles suited to God, revealed as Father, to display the nature he has as a child from the Father, and in this sense to be perfect as his Father in heaven is perfect.
You will find, I think, an illustration of what I mean in verse 16 of the same chapter. That the Christian is expected so to let his light shine before men that they seeing the character of the works cannot do otherwise than trace them to a divine source— “the Father which is in heaven.” The works are such as to leave no doubt from whence they flow.
It is interesting to observe that while God has been revealed to us as Father, He who has been so revealed is the Almighty God of Abraham and the Jehovah-God of Israel. Thus we have the fullness of all the former revelations of God, while having a further and especial one to ourselves—God in grace, the Father.
You will see this in 2 Corinthians 6, where the Spirit of God urging on His saints that holiness and separation from evil which become the place they have been called to, says” Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you, and will be a Father to you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord (Jehovah) Almighty.” Abraham’s and Israel’s God is our Father.
3.
I am sorry to hear from your note that dear —is poorly, yet “it is well:” “your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.” The Lord comfort and sustain you both, and give you fresh experience of His goodness, to be a sweet recollection when in the glory; when there and looking back, of which of our trials shall we say, “I wish I could have had my way, I would have spared myself that?” No, “The Lord has His way, in the whirlwind and the storm” (Nah. 1), and His way is the best way, nay, “His way is perfect.” Flesh says, “But I don’t like it now.” God, however, the “God of hope,” gives faith, and strengthens faith, and faith is the substantiating of things hoped for, so that if I cannot by reason of infirmity “rejoice in tribulations,” I can at least “ rejoice in hope,” and He who says “patient in tribulation,” in the same verse (Romans 12:1212Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; (Romans 12:12)), who is Himself the “God of patience” too, gives patience, power also to the faint (Isa. 11). The Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s patience! Thanks to Him who loves and cares for us, we are all well. We prayed for you this evening. I had my spirit much refreshed last night at —, in speaking from Ruth. She and Boaz “the mighty man of wealth,” two persons so distant every way in chap. 1, made one in chap. 4 and all the details so lovely. The scene “at the gate,” where righteousness was vindicated, the obstruction put out of the way, love and grace set free, and the desire of faith answered—the idolatress of Moab, the poor gleaner in the field, the loved and honored wife in the house (ch. 4:11).