No longer present this your member to sin instruments of unrighteousness but present yourselves to God alive from the dead. Also your member to God, instruments of righteousness.*
This scripture is related to presenting the body a living sacrifice, holy unto God. This is the sacrifice acceptable to God and that which is our reasonable service. (Romans 12:1-2) It is the call to become holy in character like Jesus. Peter writes Christ gave us an example, of putting to death sin in the flesh, to this we are called.* We are to have the same mindset in this battle against evil. In Christ I am no longer of sin, I exist an instrument of righteousness, so I present my body a living sacrifice for such a purpose.
Therefore since Christ suffered in the flesh arm yourselves also with the same mindset, so that the one suffering in the flesh has caused sin to cease.*
The word arm yourselves ὁπλίζω (hoplizō) means to arm, equip. Possibly Paul is referring to a shield or armor in general, like the helmet of salvation, it being about the mind of Christ. When Paul writes to present our bodies as "instruments of righteousness" he uses the word ὅπλον (hoplon) which means an instrument, tool. A perfected instrument performs its intended work. In this case causing sin to cease, an instrument of righteousness. The idea of being an instrument is similar to what Paul writes of being his workmanship, prepared beforehand. Someone perfected in Christ, mature, will do good works, as prepared, these exemplify the holy character of Christ. Not all doing good works are prepared nor will know Christ nor be mature. Good works are fruit of those prepared. What God desired of Jesus was a body prepared to do his will, thus Jesus consecrated his body, not just bearing our sin but giving us an example of putting to death sin in the flesh. This happens through suffering. When we grow up into maturity, holiness, we become like the fullness of the image of Christ, so we are Christians (Christ like) and proclaim his holy nature in our conduct, thus we become an instrument of His righteousness.
Therefore since Christ suffered in the flesh arm yourselves also with the same mindset, so that the one suffering in the flesh has caused sin to cease.*
The word arm yourselves ὁπλίζω (hoplizō) means to arm, equip. Possibly Paul is referring to a shield or armor in general, like the helmet of salvation, it being about the mind of Christ. When Paul writes to present our bodies as "instruments of righteousness" he uses the word ὅπλον (hoplon) which means an instrument, tool. A perfected instrument performs its intended work. In this case causing sin to cease, an instrument of righteousness. The idea of being an instrument is similar to what Paul writes of being his workmanship, prepared beforehand. Someone perfected in Christ, mature, will do good works, as prepared, these exemplify the holy character of Christ. Not all doing good works are prepared nor will know Christ nor be mature. Good works are fruit of those prepared. What God desired of Jesus was a body prepared to do his will, thus Jesus consecrated his body, not just bearing our sin but giving us an example of putting to death sin in the flesh. This happens through suffering. When we grow up into maturity, holiness, we become like the fullness of the image of Christ, so we are Christians (Christ like) and proclaim his holy nature in our conduct, thus we become an instrument of His righteousness.
Because Christ also suffered once for sin, the righteous for the unrighteous, so that leading you to God, putting to death the flesh, now, made alive in Spirit.*
Paul writes that God demonstrates his kindness to us though we were dead in trespasses and sin he made us alive together in Christ.* Such kindness is from the riches of his grace, his mercy, from his great love for us. A child is established in such spiritual blessings. But he must grow up into salvation, he must become holy like Jesus, this is his high calling and reasonable service. The one born of God John writes can't continue in sin as God's seed abides in him.* The seed of righteousness has been planted in the child of God, who is indebted to righteousness, the fruit he gets leads him to holiness, his reasonable service, which outcome is Life.* If a child of God practices sin being indebted to righteousness, he exists in a wretched state. His new nature, is to be obedient to God. Paul writes he recognizes that sin dwells in his body but he with the mind will serve the laws of God.* Here we see our part in presenting the body a living sacrifice, we are to arm ourselves with the mind of Christ. It is unto holiness, and is the sacrifice today God desires thus the sacrifice acceptable to him* Is presenting the body a living sacrifice also suffering? Christ suffered for us leading us to God. How? putting to death the flesh now made alive in Spirit.* Paul writes we are planted together with him in his death, we participate in this death, so also to participate in his life. The death of Christ is suffering, so if we are to participate in his death then also in his suffering?
Know this that our old man was crucified with him so the body of sin is rendered useless, that we no longer are enslaved to sin.*
The one who has died has been set free from sin. Now, if we have died with Christ we will also participate in his resurrection. When did Paul write the old man died? When we participate in the death of Christ. So when were we set free from sin? When I was planted with him in his death, as the seed must die first, thus the seed of God is planted in me. But then Paul after writing things these things says he could not find the power to practice this truth. So what is he telling us? is he writing in Romans 6 that if Christ is in us then we have died to sin and sin is rendered powerless? Truly if we believed such to be so it would, so we pray for help with our unbelief. We have the truth to abide in, so to know and be set free. "... the one suffering in the flesh has caused sin to cease." He has become an instrument of righteousness, not sin.
For sin will not rule over you, since you exist not under Law but under grace. What then? sin because we exist not under Law but under grace? Do you not know that if you present yourselves to someone unto obedience existing of whom you obey, whether of sin to the extent of death, or obedience to the extent of righteousness.*
What then shall we continue in sin so that grace abounds?* What is the solution for people to not have the mindset, to continue in sin because they are under grace? Shall I teach them to live under the Law so they will not sin? Shall I teach them to live by commandments, written code, principles or shall I teach them to be under grace and led by the Spirit? If led by the Spirit then you exist not under the Law.* "For while existing in the flesh our sinful passions energized through the Law, in our bodies to bear fruit unto death. But we have been released from the Law having died to that holding captive, to serve in newness of Spirit also not under the old written code."* It is truth, our sinful passions are aroused under the law, so we will rule over sin under grace. It is also truth to the one you obey you are in obedience to. How can one serve two masters? how can one partake from the altar of demons and from the altar of God? is not God jealous of his own? So the question becomes how do we rule over sin under grace. The answer is through abiding in truth, in the power of God, as we entrust ourselves to God to raise us up into newness of life. By his wounds Peter writes we are healed.
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree so that living away from sin, living to righteousness. The one whose wounds heal.*
How did Christ receive wounds? he was flogged forty times. Paul writes God disciplines those he loves, using the word scourge. "For the Lord disciplines the ones he loves, now scourges all whom he receives as son."* This word for scourge means to whip. So what does it mean by his wounds we are healed? Participating in his suffering includes putting to death sin in the flesh but does he whip us for this purpose? is this a process of maturity? Those he loves he perfects, and perfection is in love. Now, this is as James writes Jesus is the judge and lawgiver, the perfect law we look intently into, which is not judgement and condemnation for sin like that of the Law, but he disciplines us for our benefit, so that we grow up into our salvation, mature, becoming instruments of righteousness. If we are to be instruments of righteousness then we can not also be instruments of sin. The discipline of the Lord, is participating in his suffering in regards to putting to death sin in the flesh. For this we arm ourselves with the mind of Christ, who suffered putting to death sin in the flesh and was raised into newness of life.
So you too reason yourself existing dead to sin, now, alive to God in Christ Jesus, now then, not sin reigns in your mortal body to obey its desires. No longer present this your member to sin instruments of unrighteousness but present yourselves to God alive from the dead. Also your member to God, instrument of righteousness.*
The word reason is λογίζομαι (logizomai) meaning to credit, count, reckon; regard, think, consider. Paul writes of a reasonable service, λογικός (logikos) which means pertaining to reason. Surely this is a battle of the mind as Paul writes evil wars against the mind to bring us into captivity to sin in our bodies. It is His power raising us into newness of life, he lifts us up. If we give in to sin we are weighted down, enslaved to sin, and to partake of the altar of demons and to be a new creation is a wretched place. The solution is to arm ourselves with the mind of Christ, to serve the laws of God with the mind. Paul writes he delights inwardly in the laws of God thus agrees with the law that it is good. This is a testimony that he is a new creation, spiritual, and that the law of faith doesn't nullify the Mosaic law but fulfills it, as we become spiritual we can submit to the spiritual laws of God, which is something the carnal man can not do. We are to arm ourselves with the same mind of Christ, he put to death sin in the flesh and was raised into newness of life. So present your body a living sacrifice, holy, no longer as instruments of unrighteousness but present your bodies a living sacrifice to God, instruments of righteousness.*
This post was originally published on (April 16, 2019)
Paul writes that God demonstrates his kindness to us though we were dead in trespasses and sin he made us alive together in Christ.* Such kindness is from the riches of his grace, his mercy, from his great love for us. A child is established in such spiritual blessings. But he must grow up into salvation, he must become holy like Jesus, this is his high calling and reasonable service. The one born of God John writes can't continue in sin as God's seed abides in him.* The seed of righteousness has been planted in the child of God, who is indebted to righteousness, the fruit he gets leads him to holiness, his reasonable service, which outcome is Life.* If a child of God practices sin being indebted to righteousness, he exists in a wretched state. His new nature, is to be obedient to God. Paul writes he recognizes that sin dwells in his body but he with the mind will serve the laws of God.* Here we see our part in presenting the body a living sacrifice, we are to arm ourselves with the mind of Christ. It is unto holiness, and is the sacrifice today God desires thus the sacrifice acceptable to him* Is presenting the body a living sacrifice also suffering? Christ suffered for us leading us to God. How? putting to death the flesh now made alive in Spirit.* Paul writes we are planted together with him in his death, we participate in this death, so also to participate in his life. The death of Christ is suffering, so if we are to participate in his death then also in his suffering?
Know this that our old man was crucified with him so the body of sin is rendered useless, that we no longer are enslaved to sin.*
The one who has died has been set free from sin. Now, if we have died with Christ we will also participate in his resurrection. When did Paul write the old man died? When we participate in the death of Christ. So when were we set free from sin? When I was planted with him in his death, as the seed must die first, thus the seed of God is planted in me. But then Paul after writing things these things says he could not find the power to practice this truth. So what is he telling us? is he writing in Romans 6 that if Christ is in us then we have died to sin and sin is rendered powerless? Truly if we believed such to be so it would, so we pray for help with our unbelief. We have the truth to abide in, so to know and be set free. "... the one suffering in the flesh has caused sin to cease." He has become an instrument of righteousness, not sin.
For sin will not rule over you, since you exist not under Law but under grace. What then? sin because we exist not under Law but under grace? Do you not know that if you present yourselves to someone unto obedience existing of whom you obey, whether of sin to the extent of death, or obedience to the extent of righteousness.*
What then shall we continue in sin so that grace abounds?* What is the solution for people to not have the mindset, to continue in sin because they are under grace? Shall I teach them to live under the Law so they will not sin? Shall I teach them to live by commandments, written code, principles or shall I teach them to be under grace and led by the Spirit? If led by the Spirit then you exist not under the Law.* "For while existing in the flesh our sinful passions energized through the Law, in our bodies to bear fruit unto death. But we have been released from the Law having died to that holding captive, to serve in newness of Spirit also not under the old written code."* It is truth, our sinful passions are aroused under the law, so we will rule over sin under grace. It is also truth to the one you obey you are in obedience to. How can one serve two masters? how can one partake from the altar of demons and from the altar of God? is not God jealous of his own? So the question becomes how do we rule over sin under grace. The answer is through abiding in truth, in the power of God, as we entrust ourselves to God to raise us up into newness of life. By his wounds Peter writes we are healed.
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree so that living away from sin, living to righteousness. The one whose wounds heal.*
How did Christ receive wounds? he was flogged forty times. Paul writes God disciplines those he loves, using the word scourge. "For the Lord disciplines the ones he loves, now scourges all whom he receives as son."* This word for scourge means to whip. So what does it mean by his wounds we are healed? Participating in his suffering includes putting to death sin in the flesh but does he whip us for this purpose? is this a process of maturity? Those he loves he perfects, and perfection is in love. Now, this is as James writes Jesus is the judge and lawgiver, the perfect law we look intently into, which is not judgement and condemnation for sin like that of the Law, but he disciplines us for our benefit, so that we grow up into our salvation, mature, becoming instruments of righteousness. If we are to be instruments of righteousness then we can not also be instruments of sin. The discipline of the Lord, is participating in his suffering in regards to putting to death sin in the flesh. For this we arm ourselves with the mind of Christ, who suffered putting to death sin in the flesh and was raised into newness of life.
So you too reason yourself existing dead to sin, now, alive to God in Christ Jesus, now then, not sin reigns in your mortal body to obey its desires. No longer present this your member to sin instruments of unrighteousness but present yourselves to God alive from the dead. Also your member to God, instrument of righteousness.*
The word reason is λογίζομαι (logizomai) meaning to credit, count, reckon; regard, think, consider. Paul writes of a reasonable service, λογικός (logikos) which means pertaining to reason. Surely this is a battle of the mind as Paul writes evil wars against the mind to bring us into captivity to sin in our bodies. It is His power raising us into newness of life, he lifts us up. If we give in to sin we are weighted down, enslaved to sin, and to partake of the altar of demons and to be a new creation is a wretched place. The solution is to arm ourselves with the mind of Christ, to serve the laws of God with the mind. Paul writes he delights inwardly in the laws of God thus agrees with the law that it is good. This is a testimony that he is a new creation, spiritual, and that the law of faith doesn't nullify the Mosaic law but fulfills it, as we become spiritual we can submit to the spiritual laws of God, which is something the carnal man can not do. We are to arm ourselves with the same mind of Christ, he put to death sin in the flesh and was raised into newness of life. So present your body a living sacrifice, holy, no longer as instruments of unrighteousness but present your bodies a living sacrifice to God, instruments of righteousness.*
This post was originally published on (April 16, 2019)