When I was serving at Frankston, the manse had hooked up pipes from our drainage system to fill up containers so we could recycle water from our showers and washing machine. It made me feel less guilty when having a longer shower because the water would go into the recycling tub to use for watering our garden. So I had myself believe that the longer shower I took the better it was for the environment because there would be more water to recycle. Which I know is actually not the case even though it sounds logical. It would be like printing off all my emails because I can then recycle the paper which means less trees would be needed to cut down. Again, that’s not how recycling works.
It’s a very similar reasoning in the argument that St Paul is putting up today. He says: Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? Now what was Paul’s logic in this? His logic is that when we sin God’s grace comes to us through the forgiveness of our sins. Therefore the more we sin the more grace we receive – logical The more we sin the more forgiveness we receive – logical. Like the woman who washed Jesus’ feet. Jesus said that she loved much because she has been forgiven much. Sounds logical but it’s not how grace and forgiveness work. Paul emphatically says “NO”. BY NO MEANS.
Why does Paul reject this logic? It’s because Paul sees what damage is done to our faith through sin – even the smallest of sins. So even though we know we are forgiven of our sins it doesn’t not mean we are free to sin without consequences of our sin. Even though we are forgiven of our sins doesn’t mean that sin cannot attack our faith. What we need to understand here is that Paul is not talking about a punishment from God when we sin. That’s not how God works, which is often how people understand sin. That when we do something wrong then God will somehow punish us. And when we do good we either get rewarded or it offsets our sin. Often people will evaluate their suffering as a result of God punishing them for something they have done. “I must have done something really bad for God to let that happen to me”. No – sin has an affect of separating us from our faith in God as we see in the Garden of Eden with the very first sin.
Adam and Eve sin against God but God does not come down to punish them. God actually comes to see Adam and Eve but because of their sin they separate themselves from God. God did not separate himself from Adam and Eve – Adam and Eve separated themselves from God. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” Adam answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”
So what we notice here is in their state of sin God actually comes looking for Adam and Eve.
That is God’s grace at work – going after the one lost sheep – in that grace comes to bring healing and reconciliation in our broken relationship with God. Paul says that this is how God demonstrates his love for us – that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Grace doesn’t give us freedom to sin – Sin causes harm to our faith, which is what Paul is saying in Romans 6. If grace comes because I have sinned should I sin more so that more grace comes? NO. Because sin causes harm to our relationship with God. It’s like, if I cut myself I will put on a bandaid to bring healing and relief. And that feels good when I apply it – I can feel the healing. But I don’t cut myself again so I can feel even more relief. No, the cutting does harm to us. And so does sin.
Sin harms our relationship with God so why would I want to sin. Paul knows the danger of sin and he also knows how insistent sin is in our lives. That’s why in the next chapter, Romans 7, Paul says: I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Paul sees sin not as something trivial like a lapse in concentration but something that wants to undermine our relationship with God. Sin is our enemy which Jesus says has come to steal, kill and destroy. That’s why Paul is so concerned about sin. He says the wages of sin is death.
But Paul brings comfort and assurance through our Baptism into Christ Jesus. He says that Baptism links us with Jesus death – and if we are linked with Jesus’ death then Baptism also links us with Jesus’ resurrection which is his victory over sin and death. Jesus’ death is what defeated sin and our baptism is into Jesus death and also his resurrection victory over sin and death.
And therefore, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
So, if sin casts doubts into whether or not we are saved then we turn to our Baptism for assurance of salvation.
That’s true logic by Paul rather than my logic of recycled water by having longer showers. What this is not saying is that if you are not Baptised you are not saved. Nowhere does it say that. But if you want comfort and assurance then we need to look outside of ourselves and to where God has washed away our sins and brings comfort. Comfort from sin cannot come from within ourselves. If we sin then comfort doesn’t come from doing something good.If that were the case then we would never know if we have done enough good to pay for our sin so we would live in continuous doubt.
So we look, not to what WE have done but to what God has done. And Baptism is purely God’s work not ours. We present our children for Baptism but God baptizes. And what comfort that brings to us, firstly as parents but then as baptized children of God as our Baptism unites us with Christ and therefore whatever Christ has we also have. And Paul states very clearly what that is. He says: We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. That’s yours also through your Baptism.
So may you cherish your Baptism as a gift from God. Luther certainly did as he battled with Satan over the guilt of his sin and cried out “I AM BAPTISED”. Satan’s name means “the accuser” and he will use your sin to accuse you and to break down your faith in God, as St Peter warns – Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. But thanks be to God who has rescued us from the jaws of Satan into the death and resurrection of Christ as all who are baptized are baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection.
