We are insignificant human beings. If we compare ourselves to God, we become infinitely insignificant. We had a beginning and exist within the context of time. The best we can do is try to comprehend eternity by comparing it with time. We do so by saying eternity is without a beginning and has no end. If we try to consider the eternity of God within the context of our conception of time, we dishonor Him and entertain erroneous thoughts of Him. God is beyond our comprehension.
Define

We can only refer to the eternity of God by defining Him as having no beginning and without end. All of this is expressed in His name Jehovah. His name means, Him who the past, present, and future are a simultaneous reality. This is the meaning of the Biblical phrase, “He is the One who is, who was, and who shall be.” God’s Being is eternal and eternity is His Being. In God there is nothing that even remotely resembles the progression of time. “…From everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God” (Psalms 90:2). “For a thousand years in Thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past” (90:4). God and time have nothing in common.

Outside of Time

God unchangeably exists while time is in progress. However, God does not measure time as the creature measures time. He is external to the concept of time. He lives outside of time. If He has done something in the past, or will do it tomorrow, or is active at the present moment, this does not suggest that a change of time occurs in God. Such an apparent change merely relates to the object of His activity and the purposes , which He has accomplished.

Use

We must not elevate ourselves beyond the reach of our comprehension. We must not limit God by human conceptions. Acknowledge and believe God to be the One who dwells in incomprehensible eternity. Lose yourself in this eternity. Worship that which you cannot comprehend; and with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob call upon the name of the eternal God.

There is a perfection that God out of His goodness will give to man. Whatever the degree of this perfection may be, all of us will still be dependent upon an external source for our well-being. In other words man’s future perfection will never equal Gods. God’s perfection, however, excludes such a possibility of dependence, as He has no need of anything. No one can add to or subtract anything from God’s being. Neither can any one of His attributes, like His power or love, increase or decrease. God is perfect in His self-sufficiency, in His self-existence, and from all eternity. His all-sufficiency is within Himself and of Himself. This is natural for the being of God. El Shaddai is used in Gen. 17:1; the meaning is “the all-sufficient One.” Acts 17:25 states God is, “Neither worshipped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything.” Therefore there is no common ground between the perfection of God and of any creature.

Use

The perfection of God is an incommunicable attribute and is not the same as that which will be found in man. God is by nature all sufficient and who with His all-sufficiency can and will saturate the soul of man to such an overflowing measure that man will have need of nothing else but to have God as his portion. The soul so favored is filled with such light, love, and happiness, that it desires nothing else but this. “Whom have I in heaven but Thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee” Psalm 73:25.

Our gift of language belongs mostly to the realm of the man. It is a manifestation of divine goodness that man can use his language to give an explanation of divine and spiritual matters. No human language can give full meaning to heavenly and spiritual subjects. Our minds, being finite (having limited capacity) and fallen (sinful), cannot fully understand the being of God. God is beyond our comprehension, but it has pleased Him to use human language to give to us some concepts that can be used to make Him known to us. These concepts we call His attributes. And yet our finite understanding cannot penetrate His perfection and infinity.

Incommunicable Attributes

These perfections or attributes of God are generally distinguished as being communicable and incommunicable. God created man in His image and likeness then renewed him after he fell. This does not imply that sinners become divine and are partakers of the very being of God. When it is said that man partakes of the divine nature, this is meant only as an image or faint similitude, not as full equality. Nevertheless, some attributes are of such a nature that they cannot be found in man even as a faint reflection. These are named as incommunicable attributes. Examples would be all-sufficiency, eternity, and omnipresence. The attributes of God, which can be found in man as a reflection and in a faint resemblance, are called communicable attributes. Examples would be intellect, will, and power.

Jacob once asked the Lord His name, that is, to give some expression of His essence. He received the following answer, “Why is it that you ask after my name?” God was telling him He did not want Him to penetrate any further into the mysteries of God. In Judges 13:18, God says to Manoah, “Why asks thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret?” The essence of God is His eternal self-existence. When Moses asked what he should tell the children of Israel if they asked him who sent him, God responded, “Tell them I AM THAT I AM hath sent me to you.” God is a mystery to us and we will spend eternity learning more about Him and never learning it all. Whoever wishes to know more concerning God’s essence should join me in worship as we close our eyes before an unapproachable light. Yet in some measure He has revealed Himself to us, but we perceive only the uttermost fringes of His Being by reflecting on His divine attributes.

A name cannot possibly express the infinite Being of God, nevertheless it has pleased the Lord to give Himself a name by which He wishes to be called. Jehovah is the name, which is used to indicate His existence. The Jews do not pronounce the name Jehovah. This practice was initially an expression of reverence, but later became superstitious in nature. In its place they used the name Adonai. It means Lord. In Revelation 1:4 and 16:5 the apostle John translates the name Jehovah as, “Him which is, and which was, and which is to come.” This one word has the connotation of past, present, and future. Therefore it refers to the eternal being of God, or The Eternal One. This name uniquely belongs to God, and can be considered His proper name. The Lord claims this name as belonging exclusively to Himself and therefore should not be used by another. Isaiah 42:8; Exodus 15:3 and 13-14.

The noun Jehovah is a derivative of the verbal expression, “I am.” This means I am the only God who exists, there is no other. Many times is scripture Jehovah is used along with anther word to refer to God. Examples would be Jehovah-nisse meaning Jehovah is my banner. Jehovah-Shamma means The Lord is there.

In the last post I said the phrase “dead to sin” has a twofold meaning. The first one was forensic, meaning that which pertains to a court of law. Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sins in God’s court and we are no longer held accountable for them. In this post I will cover the second part of this twofold meaning. “We are dead to sin” means we are dead to sin’s dominion. By dominion I mean its power, its domineering reign or authority. This does not mean we actually do not sin anymore. We all know we still sin. Christians can and do live after the flesh.

False Views

Some say it means a Christian should abstain from sin, from which came the expression “We are to die more and more to sin.” This is good and right and agreeable to Christian doctrine but is not the meaning here. It says “we are dead to sin,” in verse two. Again in verse 11, it says “reckon yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin.” Being dead to sin can not be a proper expression for meaning dying more and more to sin. If we are dead we can not be more and more dead.

Right View

This phrase refers to a condition or a state that Christians are in. We are free from the yoke of a rigorous lord, under whose dominion we were. There was a power or a force or and energy that we have been freed from. Sin is represented in Romans as reigning, in 5:21, but now grace reigns in the same manner. Grace so greatly abounds that it puts an end to the reign of sin. In verse 14 Paul says, “Sin shall not have dominion over you.” Verse17 and verse 20 says, “We were slaves to sin.” Sin is stated as having dominion, such as a lord or master has over his slaves. But now because of the work of Christ we have been set free from the slavery that sin had over us.

Free

Rom. 6:7 says, we have been “made free from sin.” Again in verse 18 Paul says, “Being then made free from sin.” Verse 22, “But now being made free from sin.” And last, Rom. 8:2 “The law of the Spirit of life hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” All of this gives us sufficient proof to believe that “we being dead to sin” means we have been made free from the reign and dominating power of sin.

Use

Even though we have been made free from sin’s dominion, we can still in practice continue under its prevailing influence. We are now free agents from sin’s domination, but in us there is still a considerable remainder of corruption to fight against. Since this is true, why does Paul use the word “dead”? It would seem that “dead” implies not more fighting against sin’s power. Jesus Christ inflicted a mortal wound on this power over us. It is now in the process of dying and it will completely die, but not until we are in heaven with Jesus Christ.

In the mean time, God has provided effectual means for preserving us from continuing in sin’s power. So why do we as believers, who have been made free from the dominion of sin, live in the practice of it? Because we have not properly learned the method of spiritual growth, the means of obtaining the gifts that Christ has stored up for us, that is, our inheritance.

Paul begins in chapter 6 to lay out the steps we must take to proceed onward from our justification to our sanctification. I know of no road to be followed in Christianity that is more hidden from the general eye nor more important to every believer than how we are to carry on in our walk from justification to sanctification. The war we are to wage against our sinfulness is a hard one and needs to be fought with determination. It is altogether essential in our warfare to understand Paul’s phrase “dead to sin.” It has a twofold interpretation and it will help us immensely to understand both meanings. We will cover just the first one in this post.

Pertaining to Law

The term “dead to sin” is to be understood first of all forensically, that is, as a legal term pertaining to a court of law. “Dead to sin” does not mean dead because of sin, but to be dead as to the effects of law. God has the highest court of all, and just as He has pronounced the sinner guilty and sentenced him to death, He has also provided a pardon from the penalty. I believe Paul meant this to be the primary meaning of the two meanings. Remember, this is an argument as to why we should no longer continue in sin.

Death

Before our salvation the penalty of sin was upon us and this penalty was death. Just as under a civil government a criminal is often put to death for a crime and is removed from society for its protection, the same is true in God’s court. In God’s heavenly law, this sentence of death is upon the unrepentant sinner and he will be removed so God’s spiritual family will not be contaminated. It can be said of this person that he will “die for his sins”, meaning he will be executed for his crimes. But the meaning here in this verse means more.

Now imagine, this guilty person dies and God brings him back to life. He brings his body back and puts his spirit into this body and places him once more upon this planet to begin again. This phrase “we are dead to sin” could then be said of him, even though he was now alive from the dead. The phrase does not say he died for his sins. It says he is dead to sin. The two phrases have different meanings.

Rescued

We who have been sentenced to death, have only by the kindness of our Saviour been rescued from it. Sin is still as abominable to God now as it has ever been. It is as offensive to His eye now as it will be throughout all eternity. God’s hatred of sin is unchangeable and sin is not to be tolerated within the limits of His beloved family. God did so much to remove this penalty of death from us, we should want to put it as far from us as possible. That is Paul’s argument.

Free from the Penalty

Because of what Jesus Christ has done, we do not have to go down into the pit of death in the first place. Rather than having us die for our sins and then reviving us from death, Jesus Himself died in our stead. So we were freed from the actual execution of the sentence and so it can be said of us that we “are dead to sin.” That is, unto the penalty of sin. To die was our rightful punishment but this punishment was borne by another. So then, how shall we continue in sin, after an escape from its consequences has been made for us.

Christ’s Death

The meaning in II Cor. 5:14 becomes clear, “We thus judge, that as Christ died for all, then were all dead.” But we did not all personally die. We did die to the law, we died to its personal condemnation. Christ prevented the accomplishment of the sentence, not by reviving us and restoring us after actually dying but by preserving us from dying in the first place. He did as much for us by dying Himself as He would have if He had brought us back from the dead. Shouldn’t we then live no longer for ourselves but to Christ who died for us and rose again that He may infuse into us His new life.

Use

If the sentence of death had taken effect upon us, we would have all been outcasts from God’s family. Since sin is so hateful to God, it would seem strange that God would now just permit it. Sin is so bad that when it first entered our world, all who sinned were cast out from the favour and fellowship of God. God who loved righteousness and hated sin six thousand years ago, carries still the same love of righteousness and hatred for sin. Now a great Mediator stands between me and God, and He bore in His own body the vengeance of the Father and it is this alone that keeps me from being destroyed. Because of Him I can walk in the loving-kindness of the God. The death that He removed from me was expulsion from His holy family, how then can I continue in sin after being readmitted into His family.

Notice the prompt, decisive and unhesitating reply Paul gives to the question in verse one. “God forbid.” He had been teaching that justification is free and received by a simple act of faith in all that Jesus Christ has done. Salvation is brought to the sinner by God and offered to him as a free gift. God seems to even press the sinner to freely accept it. When the sinner consents then the act of reconciliation is struck, and a covenant is entered into. All of this is taught by Paul in the preceding chapter by using phrases like, “free grace,” ” justification by faith and not of works,” and “the gift of righteousness.”

Abundant Grace

In chapter five, Paul taught that no matter how bad you were or how much sin you did, God had a superabundance of grace in store to pardon you. Paul fears the question might then be asked, “Shall we do more sin, in order that we may receive more of this grace?” He answers with a very loud “NO.” He gives this negative answer even before he gives the reasons for his arguments. Even if you don’t understand his reasoning in chapters six, seven, and eight for why we should not continue in sin, at least know Paul’s response to the question is a strong NO. As free and liberal as the gospel is with forgiveness for our sin, there is no place for a Christian to believe he can enjoy the practice of sin once he is saved. But still be assured that no sin into which you have ever fallen and no amount of sin you have done puts you beyond the reach of God’s amazing grace. Paul does not know the measure of the sin you may have been in. He does not know the amount of the the lawlessness you may be involved with. But he does know the abundance of grace that God has to forgive. No sin or amount of sins is so great that it is beyond God’s atonement. There is no guilt so deep that Christ’s crucifixion cannot wash it away.

Use

Therefore, we are not to just be looking back to the walk we have already travelled, but we should be looking with anticipation upon the life we have entered into. Never forget that the gospel that has washed away all of your past sins is the same gospel that God has provided to help you to enter upon a war for the extermination of your present sinfulness. The grace that has abounded unto the forgiveness of your sin is the same grace that is provided to abound in restraining your sin in the present and future. Paul is now going to focus upon the phrase “we who died to sin,” in verse two. What does it mean?

Many Christians regard Romans six, seven and eight as the greatest chapters in the Bible. At the same time, because they are so hard to understand, they are considered to be a great mystery and the “deep things of God.” These three chapters have had a greater number of interpretations applied to them than any other chapters in the Bible. After forty-five years of being a Christian I have found that the theme of these chapters has a thick cloud of obscurity over it, and needs more discernment than any other passage in Scripture. They are talking about the doctrine of sanctification or the believer’s spiritual growth and maturity. My goal is not to give a commentary on these chapters but to give you information in a way that can be applied to your everyday walk toward holiness.

Sanctification

The apostle gives an answer, in verse one, to a plausible objection to his doctrine of grace given at the end of chapter five. Some might say his doctrine of grace leads to a free ticket to sin and to live a worldly life style. But what he is really saying is that a believer’s justification and sanctification are bound so closely together that they can not be separated. Because of this principle we, as believers, are to feel secure from the penalty of sin, and at the same time to strenuously keep away from the performance of it.

The Accusation

Paul’s question, “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” in verse one, was prompted by his sentence in chapter five, “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” There should not be a chapter division placed between chapter five and six. Let the theme flow from one chapter to the other. If a person’s view of sanctification is a correct one, then there should always be the possibility of this accusation, that they are promoting the free participation in sin without any consequences. Paul is going to show us how this is not a correct assumption.

Use

The main point to remember here is that justification and sanctification can not be separated. Both are the product of grace. You are justified by grace and you are sanctified by grace. The Holy Spirit justifies you and the Holy Spirit sanctifies you. So then, just how do you grow? He will explain.

“Hast thou a good conscience, freed from guilt and condemnation, by believing the record which God hath given of His Son?

“Remember, this is thy privilege.  Thou art called to the enjoyment of it.  ‘There is NO condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus’  -  they are freely forgiven ALL trespasses.

“Trust and be not afraid.  Thou mayest safely venture to believe all that the Lord hath spoken.  He will make it good, and the more thou believest, the more will be made good.”

The believer’s ability to cleave to God, and to walk with Him in love “ depends entirely upon a good conscience.  The main point, then, in the Christian walk is to know how to maintain peace in the conscience.”

“While his conscience continues pure and undfiled, and the peace of God rules in it, all is well.  But when guilt enters, unbelief certainly follows close after it, and then there is fresh controversy in the court of conscience.  Many doubts arise, and afford matter for strife and debate.  The sense of peace is not only disturbed, but is also destroyed, by such suspicions as these:  ‘Is God fully reconciled to me?…  He is certainly displeased with me, and therefore I dare not approach him, as I used to do, with love and confidence.’  This is an evil conscience.  It is not purged from dead works, because guilt is still in it, and this keeps the soul at a distance from God.  It begets a coldness and a shyness to him, and by shutting out the comfortable sense of his love, makes way for fear of wrath.

“… The heart follows the determination of the conscience, and cleaves to the Lord, or departs from him, according as the conscience excuses or accuses.  It is therefore absolutely necessary for our peace, that we should know how God has shown himself reconciled in Christ Jesus….

“We stand in a state of perfect acceptance, conferred by sovereign grace;  brought into it by unchangeable love, and kept in it by the power of a faithful God.

“The heart of God is always one and the same towards his chosen people;  for he loveth them freely…  Here is a never-failing source of comfort to a believing heart.  Meditate, O my soul, upon it.”