Romans chapter 6 unpacks Paul's teaching on sanctification. Now that I am saved, now I am a Christian, how should I live? Can I live as a please? Can I as a Christian do whatever I want? Does God have a purpose for my life? Can I continue in sin that grace may much more abound? Romans teaches that a life which receives salvation is a life changed by Christ. Salvation comes by relationship and that with a living Saviour! Our water baptism demonstrates this truth. In baptism by immersion we are dead, buried and raised again in Jesus! The Christian life is lived out in the sanctuary of Romans chapter 8, like that of David, at the altar of Romans chapter 12 like that of Abraham and in the congregation of Romans chapters 14 to 16 like that of Moses. Like the lepers of old, God takes our broken and dead lives and transforms them and changes them not for our glory but for His! He brings Miriam's flesh alive from the dead, Naaman the leper through the waters of baptism and the leper of Luke chapter 17 to the pinnacle of glorifying Jesus.

Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid how shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein? The interpretation of Romans chapter 6 verse 2 is one of the most contested verses in the book of Romans if not the New Testament! What does Paul mean by this? Is the Christian immune from the power or influence of sin? Is sin no longer attractive to the Christian? Is the Christian no longer responsible for his sin? In this bible teaching message from Romans chapter 6 we present the case that Romans chapter 6 verse 2 and our death to sin is the condition for entry into the presence of God. Death is the personal consequence of sin rather than the judicial consequence of sin which we find in Romans chapter 3. This is the condition of entry back to Eden, back to God fulfilled in Jesus Christ who died our death that we might be raised into the life of Jesus. This is a truth pictured in baptism by immersion, referenced in Romans chapter 6 verse 4. 

Dr J Stewart Gillespie

Romans chapter 6 begins the great section in Paul's letter to the Romans on the subject of sanctification. Christ has died for sin in Romans chapters 3 to 5 and now we see the application of the truth that the Lord Jesus has died to sin in Romans chapters 6 to 8. Paul's preaching of the gospel of God's free Grace triggers the question "shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?" Paul answers this great question through chapters 6 to 8 of Romans. Continuance perpetually in sin for the Christian in incompatible with their relationship with Jesus Christ, with the Righteousness of God and the Glory given to Jesus Christ. We cannot have the blessings of the cross of Jesus Christ with the Christ of the cross. There can be no forgiveness of sins without regeneration. By the work of Jesus Christ the Christian has died to sin and the penalty has been paid. 

Dr J Stewart Gillespie

The righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life, Romans chapter 5 verse 18. Why is the righteousness of the Lord Jesus, the Son of God so important? Why is it significant that it was the eternal Son of God who died for us at the cross of Calvary? The righteousness of Jesus is the subject in the bible of: Angels desire it - angels desired to look into it God demands it - only the righteousness of Christ is sufficient to sustain and survive the righteous wrath of God against sin The security if my salvation depends upon His righteousness. 

Dr J Stewart Gillespie

The amazing grace of God in Romans chapter 5 is a grace that meets me, a sinner in my need, with nothing, separated from God, condemned in Adam, condemned because of sin and in Grace God pours in the person and work of the Lord Jesus at the cross. Here is what is so amazing about Grace. Includes the story of David and Svea Flood, Norwegian missionaries from the Belgian Congo .

In Adam's fall we sinned all. 

Death as the product of sin is not purely explicable in terms of individual personal sin. Personally committed sins and personal guilt is insufficient to explain the death of the innocent, the unborn nor the death and loss of the infant. Personal individual sin was not the cause of death reigning from Adam to Moses. In the pre law period of Adam to Moses God condemned humanity generically by flood in the days of Noah, by fire and flame in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah, by famine in the days of Joseph and in the death of the firstborn in the days of Pharoah and the Exodus. This reign of death was the consequence not only of imparted sin and death but also as the consequence of imputed guilt and condemnation. It is this imputation of guilt and condemnation by contamination or association with Adam that is the corollary to justification by faith in Jesus. If my relationship with Adam brings death, how much more would my relationship with Jesus bring me righteousness, life and imputed justification. 

Romans chapter 5 verses 12 to 17 

Dr J Stewart Gillespie

Romans chapter 5 verse 12 holds the key to understanding justification by faith, the declaration or imputation of God's righteousness which comes the believer by faith alone. Such a bold claim in the gospel seems strange and hard to grasp and yet it is founded on one of the the most common experiences of human existance, that of death. Just as in receiving the nature of Adam we receive with this his death and his sin, so too in receiving Christ, in being in Christ we receive a new nature and with it life and righteosness. That old nature was condemned in Adam and thus remains condemned when we receive it. The new nature is justified in Christ and remains justified when we receive it! In Adams fall we sinned all. 

Dr J Stewart Gillespie 

Bible Teaching From Romans

At times we can slip into unbelief. If there is a God then why is there so much hurt and hurting the in world? If God is real and if God is love why do I suffer? Why are there so many problems in the world if God is a God of love. Romans chapter 5 verse 8 takes us to the proof of the love of God, to the cross of Jesus Christ where God demonstrated and proved teh reality of His love towards us, a love we dare not miss. Dr J Stewart Gillespie

Joy and The Meaning of Life, Glory Transfused by Hope. Joy as a Christian is no small matter! Joy is glory transfused by hope (Romans chpater 5 vs 2). God's righteousness permeates the gospel in its entirety. The righteousness of God is demonstarted in His dealings with the sinner, justified by grace, in His own character as a righteous judge and in the dealings of God with Jesus, the Son, raised from the dead, justified in the Spirit and now glorified eternally in and by His people. Had the righteousness of God been compromised at Calvary, catastrophy would have ensued, the two on the road to Emmaus would have been right in their despair and depression, Satan, death and sin would have won. Do not judge God by a point in time! Judged God (if you must) by the point of time! Romans chapter 5 bible teaching from the Bridgend Gospel Hall, New Cumnock. 

Dr J Stewart Gillespie

The Christian can stand or fail on our ability to perceive the Glory of God in all things. Trials, pressures and suffering can so quickly become discouraging and overwhelming if we are looking for benefit and blessing for ourselves. God works not for my Glory but for the Glory of God in all things! It is only God who is worthy to be glorified, only God who is morally able and capable to be glorified and God uniquely must be the purpose and object of the the created universe, before creation there was only God! Tracing the glory of God through the book of Esther we identify the Haman spirit and the glory of God typified in Mordecai, a type of Christ. 

Dr J Stewart Gillespie

Righteousness, propitiation and redemption run like precious metal veins through the bedrock of scripture like gold, silver and blood. In Romans chapter 3 we see the two distinct forms of righteousness, with the law and wothout the law. The law of the leper in Leviticus chapter 13 and 14 establishes the point that the law is diagnostic and not therapeutic. There is no salvation in the law. In Romans chapter 3 we examine the claims of limited atonement and the all sufficient provision in the work of Jesus Christ. 

Dr J Stewart Gillespie

Romans chapter 3 verse 25 is arguably the most critically important verse in Romans to grasp and understand. The work of Jesus in saving the sinner is presented in terms of the Old Testament picture or type of the mercy seat on top of the ark of the covenant and of the work of the day of Yom Kippur, the day of Atonement. On the the day of Atonement a double sacrifice was offered, the burnt offering or ascending offering of Leviticus chapter 1 and the Sin Offering. A two fold offering pictured a two fold work of Jesus in His atoning death. Jesus both provides for expiation and the removal of sin and guilt as well as justification, the imputation of righteousness. Here is a full salvation bringing us to the mercy seat and the place of union and communion with God. 

Dr J Stewart Gillespie

Chapters 1, 2 and 3 of Romans sets out man's sin and failure. We are tested against the first and great commandment to love the Lord our God with our heart soul and mind and we fail. We are tested in Romans chapter 2 against the 10 commandments, the law of God and we fail. We are tested against the 14 fold character of Jesus in chapter 3 and we fall and fail. In making this discovery of our own sin and need we make an even greater discovery! We discover the greatest and glory of Jesus. As much as I have fallen short of the Glory of God, God is able to restore that Glory, righteousness and image of Christ in me by His Holy Spirit. Justification by faith is the beginning of the rest of the Christian life. Dr J Stewart Gillespie

Romans chapter 3 verse 23 is an unlikely conclusion to the first 3 chapters of Romans. Does this verse tell us why we cannot enter heaven? The broken 10 commandments have already proven that we are sinners. "For all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God" points to the truths that as fallen men and women we have lost more than ever realised and in Christ we stand to gain more that we can ever imagine.

Dr J Stewart Gillespie