Wages and Gift

Rom 6:19-23

19 I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

• What attitudes and behaviors remain in your life that you are ashamed of?
  
• What perceived benefit do you receive from keeping these shameful things in your life?
  
• What is the outcome of remaining enslaved to these things?
  
• What is the outcome of your being enslaved to God?
  
• Why is death considered a wage?
  
• Why is eternal life considered a gift?
  
• In purely selfish terms, which is worth more to you: eternal life or the sins that you hang on to?
• How does being a slave to righteousness lead to your sanctification, i.e. your being set apart?
• What is the endpoint of sanctification?
  

Grace, not sin

Rom 5:20-6:4

5:20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 6:1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

• Why is sin so tempting even when you know the results in this life and beyond?
  
• What would happen to you if you tried to be subject to two very different earthly kings? Why?
  
• Why would you ever say "sin so grace can be larger"? What would the opposite statement be?
  
• What does it mean to you personally to die to sin?
  
• How did your decision to be baptized your decision to change?
  
• How can you have a "new life" unless you die to your "old life"?
  
• What changes in your life were prompted by your decision to be baptized?

Transgression and Grace

Rom 5:17-21

17 For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. 18 Therefore, as one trespass [1] led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness [2] leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. 20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Footnotes
[1] 5:18 Or the trespass of one
[2] 5:18 Or the act of righteousness of one

• What does the word "reign" mean?
  
• How did death reign? Who were its subjects? What was the result?
  
• What is the grace that is given abundantly?
  
• What is the gift of righteousness that is given abundantly?
  
• How does grace reign?
  
• Whose act of righteousness provided the means for grace to reign?
  
• What is the result of grace's reign?
  
• How does knowing this impact you?