Romans 6 continues Paul's discussion on the subject of salvation by grace, apart from works of the law. And as he concludes chapter 5, we see a picture of one who has been redeemed from sin through the sacrifice of Jesus, being freed from sin and its penalty.
But Chapter 6 then goes on to answer the question: if it's true that my sin highlights God's righteousness, and that forgiveness of my sin shows God's grace, then shouldn't I sin more, so that God can be even MORE glorified in forgiving me?
Paul's answer in chapter 6 makes it clear that to even entertain this idea is to lack understanding of some basic principles about God, about sin, about forgiveness, and about why we even obeyed the gospel to begin with! But does this attitude that Paul corrects here reflect itself in the "Christian culture" today?
A lot of people in the religious world today tend to use language that seems to reflect a desire to identify not as the redeemed sinner who is freed, but as the broken sinner who still needs to be healed. And while it's true that we all sin, and that we all need mercy, Paul's description of a life under grace doesn't include the concept of being "broken." We come to Jesus so that he can redeem us, and through his sacrifice, he does that.
Paul says that as many of us as have been baptized into Christ have been united with Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection. The old man has been crucified, and sin no longer holds control over our lives. And Paul argues: why would you go back and live the way you used to live, knowing you've been freed from the sin that condemned you? Why would you want to continue in the sin from which you have been cleansed?
The language of "brokenness" implies that I am not functional, that I am not fit for service to God. And yet we see the opposite picture in chapter 6 - that because we have been redeemed, because we are now cleansed and freed, we are to present ourselves as servants of righteousness. God doesn't use broken things in his service, any more than he allowed tarnished instruments in his temple or blemished sacrifices on his altar. But through his grace, he cleanses us, invites us into fellowship with him through Jesus, and gives us work in his kingdom.
So why do so many Christians insist on being identified as "broken?" Why have we been conditioned to see ourselves in a constant state of needing to be redeemed - the one, and not the 99 who are already in the fold? Is it because we don't want to give up the sin in our lives, so we constantly find ourselves in the position of asking God to forgive us of a sin we do not intend to leave behind? Or maybe we've been so conditioned to look down on the "religious," associating them with the hypocrites of the gospel accounts, and convinced ourselves that God prefers to deal with when we're mired in sin instead of when we're striving to be righteous?
Paul's answer in Romans 6 is unequivocal: "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."
