No, we are not to continue to sin so grace may abound.

The answer to the sin question is, we are "dead to sin."

But what does this expression mean?

There are at least three possible answers:

The sin nature is dead in us and we no longer have sinful desires.

It does not matter too much if we sin because God does not regard what a believer does as being sinful.

Sinful behavior is not appropriate, reasonable, expected, or desirable because we have taken our place with Christ on the cross and in so doing have declared our adamic personality to be dead with Christ and our new nature to be risen with Christ.

Paul had not, in previous chapters, introduced the concept that we are dead to sin. He now proceeds to elaborate on the idea of being dead to sin, for it is in our union with Christ's death and resurrection that the answer is found to the perplexing issue of the relationship of the Law of Moses to the new covenant and the relationship of sin to the new covenant.

Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? (Romans 6:3)

If we would understand the sixth chapter of the Book of Romans we must keep in mind that Paul is speaking to people who have been baptized in water. The final verse of the chapter, speaking of the wages of sin, often is addressed to the unsaved. However Romans 6:23, stating that the wages of sin is death, is directed toward believers who have signified their faith, their conversion to Christ, by being baptized in water.

Do we truly understand that when we were baptized into Christ we were baptized into His death on the cross? Do we truly comprehend and accept this position?

It may be a fact that most people who are baptized in water do so in a spirit of obedience, not necessarily as an act of consciously entering into the death of the Lord.

In some denominations water baptism is a ritual signifying membership in the denomination. This concept hardly is scriptural.

When a person desires to become a Christian, to be saved, and he is commanded to be baptized, he does so in obedience to the ministry and the Scripture. "He who believes and is baptized shall be saved." But does he understand he is entering the crucifixion of Jesus?

The Lord Jesus bore upon Himself the sins of the world. No doubt His death began in Gethsemane as He agreed before the Father to carry the necessary load of guilt and shame.

From Gethsemane to Calvary: "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"

And then, "It is finished." The perfect atonement had been made.

This statement by the Lord Jesus ("It is finished") marked the end of the entire adamic creation. The race of mankind, the earth, the heavens—all were brought to their prophesied end on the cross.

What else was terminated? The guilt, the compulsion, and the effects of our sin.

The rebellion against the Father had been judged. Satan had been found guilty as charged. The end of all things had come.

Our adamic nature was slain on the cross of Calvary. Therefore the authority of the Law of Moses over our old personality was brought to an end.

IT IS FINISHED!

To be continued.