Biblical Literacy with Mark Lanier

Session 16 – Romans; Romans 6: Mark Lanier, 09/21/25

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Summary

This is a detailed theological teaching on Romans 6, using the life story of poet W.H. Auden as a framework for understanding grace, sin, and the Christian life.

Key Sections:

  1. Auden’s Journey (Opening)
    • Mark Lanier introduces W.H. Auden, a 20th-century poet born in England who initially rejected faith and embraced classical liberalism—the belief that people are naturally good and can be fixed through therapy, education, and economic reform.
    • Classical Liberalism’s Collapse
      • Auden’s worldview crumbled in the 1930s when Hitler and the Third Reich demonstrated that people are not naturally good. This led him to encounter Neo-Orthodox theology through Reinhold Niebuhr.
      • Theological Conversion
        • Auden discovered the doctrine of original sin and came to understand that sinners are helpless and wholly dependent on God’s mercy. He wrote a Christmas oratorio quoting Romans 6:1.
        • Romans 6 Teaching
          • The core message addresses two dangerous extremes:
            • Legalism: The false belief that you can earn God’s grace through works
            • Antinomianism: The false belief that grace means you can sin freely without consequence
            • The Truth in the Middle
              • Paul teaches that through baptism, believers are incorporated into Christ’s death and resurrection. You’ve died to sin’s dominion and now live in a new realm with a new life.
              • Realm Transfer Concept
                • Using the metaphor of crossing a border, Lanier explains that Christians have left the kingdom of sin and entered the kingdom of Christ. The old rules no longer apply.
                • Walking in Newness of Life
                  • The Greek word “peripateo” (walk) refers to lifestyle, not just physical movement. Believers are called to live out their new identity in Christ.
                  • Conclusion
                    • Sin required Christ’s death to defeat it—not therapy, education, or money. The Christian life is an adventure of walking in this new reality through God’s wisdom, power, and fellowship.

                      • The post Session 16 – Romans; Romans 6: Mark Lanier, 09/21/25 appeared first on Biblical Literacy.

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                      Biblical Literacy with Mark LanierBy Lanier Theological Library