Sin the Noun and Sin the Verb (Romans 6)

I read an older post about Bro. Ravenhill's statement on sins forgiven past, present, and future. I thought this had some bearing on that discussion, and might be a blessing.

Two words are used for sin in Romans 6. The first is hamartia, a noun. The second is hamartano, a verb. The first is the body of sin. The second are acts that we do. We might say that before Christ we sinned (verb) because we were born into sin (noun).

Paul says that we are dead to sin (noun) in verse 2 so we no longer live in sin.

He says that the body of sin was destroyed in us when we shared in Christ's crucifixion. This is an amazing statement. The word body here is the Greek word soma. Believe it or not that word is derived from the Greek sozo, which is interpreted salvation or saved. The word sozo actually means to be made whole or full. So the body of sin was the fullness or wholeness of sin that was in us. When we share in His death, the wholeness or the fullness of sin in us (ALL of it) is destroyed. We are born again, dead to sin (again the noun), and alive to God.

So, we have the power through Christ to not allow the noun sin to reign or rule over us any more that we would obey it. Sin is dead in us. It has been dealt with. Sin will not have dominion or control over us anymore because we are not under the law (under a system that relied on our own fleshly efforts), but under grace (the power of God to do in and through us what we cannot do for ourselves.) His power has destroyed sin in us. Now we have to learn to walk after the Spirit (later in Romans 8) and not after the flesh.

So verse 15. Shall we commit acts of sin (the verb this time) because we are not under the law but under grace? God forbid.

You see, if I yield myself a servant to these acts, I will come under bondage. But I am no longer a servant to the noun sin. I have been made free from that (the noun sin, the body of sin), and now I serve the righteousness I have become.

You see, the last verse of this chapter says the wages of sin is death. But this again is the noun, the thing we have been set free from through the sacrifice of Christ and our sharing in that sacrifice through dying to self and being made alive in Him. I am no longer paying those wages (death) because I am no longer in sin (the noun)

This is again reiterated in Romans 8 when Paul tells us that there is therefore now no condemnation (no damnatory sentence) for those who are in Christ Jesus.

So it is very important to look at the Greek here, and not simply at the English translation. Paul is saying something very significant. My sins (verb) past, present, future has been dealt with because my sin (noun) has been removed, destroyed, dealt with. That is the power of salvation.

Can I lose salvation? Sure. I am told that I will have it IF I hold the beginning of my confidence steadfast to the end. That is, if I continue to put faith in the finished work of Calvary where my sin (noun) is concerned.

Hope that is a blessing.

Yes that really explains a lot. Many do not know the difference between sin (noun) and sins (verb).

Now what confidence is that verse looking at? It can not be confidence in our self or any abilities we have. We can not put any confidence in the flesh. We can not produce faith nor can we stir up our confidence. We are not self-sufficient.

Phip. 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Now there is NO OTHER confidence possible than this.

Our only possible response to this is how Mary responded to the angel when he told her that she would be the mother of Jesus, the Savior of the word - "LET IT BE DONE TO ME ACORDING TO YOUR WORD."

No self effort involved. No attempt to work up confidence. It was simple - she just took at God at His word knowing that He would do what He said.

Agreed. We can only be saved by grace. But we have to define grace Biblically as the term has been abused I believe. In most all Biblical cases, the term is best defined as God's power and ability doing for or in us what we cannot do for or in ourselves. For by God's power are we saved through faith in that power, and that is why it is a gift of God and not of our own effort or works. Our salvation is so much more powerful than we usually realize.