Romans 6:20-23 The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord!
Observation questions are in plain type. Interpretation questions are in italics. Application questions are in bold. (For a further explanation of how to do this Bible study, see here.)
Pray for insight into the Scriptures and give God praise for “the free gift of God…eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Read Romans 6:1 – 7:6.
Romans 6:20-23
1. When Paul’s readers were slaves of sin, how were they free?
2. What does it mean to be “free in regard to righteousness”?
3. What does Paul then ask his readers?
4. What things are they now ashamed of?
5. What would some of the fruit of those things have been? (See Romans 1:18 – 2:11.)
6. What is the end of those things?
7. But now, what has happened?
8. What does the fruit of slavery to God lead to, and what is its end?
9. What kind of fruit comes from being a slave of God?
10. What does “sanctification” mean and how does it come from the fruit of being slaves to God?
11. How does Paul sum up this section; and, indeed, the whole of chapter 6?
12. Why would Paul use the word “wages” here, and how does that word contrast with “free gift” in the second clause of the verse?
13. The “free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.” How has Paul shown what it means to be “in Christ Jesus” in previous verses of chapter 6?
14. Think back through Romans 1 – 6. Why is 6:23 a fitting verse to reach a climax here in Romans?
15. Have you been united to Christ in his death and resurrection? If so, explain. If not, write out questions you have about union with Christ.
16. If you are a Christian, think back on your non-Christian days. What kind of fruit did your sin produce that you are now ashamed of? If you had stayed in that condition how would that rotten fruit have grown? What would have been the result? If you are not a Christian, what fruit do you see your sin producing?
17. If you are now “in Christ Jesus,” what fruit do you see in your life? How have your desires changed? What goodness is in your life that wouldn’t be there if you were still in unbelief? (Take a moment to give thanks for God’s work in your life.)
18. Considering the sin you’ve been praying about this summer, the wages of that sin is death; but, praise God, his free gift is eternal life in Christ Jesus! We have seen the super-abundance of that free gift of grace is much more than all of our sin. Any fight against sin is founded upon being united to Christ and thereby being set free by his grace but Paul also gives commands for fighting this fight. Going back through chapter 6, find the imperatives (commands) Paul gives for fighting sin and walking “in newness of life.” Underline or write out the imperatives and then write how you can apply them directly to the sin.
19. Do you remember the questions Paul posed at the beginning (vss. 1-2) and middle (vs. 15) of chapter 6? What is the danger of separating the indicatives of the Christian life from the imperatives of Christ’s accomplishments?
Keep the indicatives and the imperatives in mind as you continue to fight your sin, and give God praise that Jesus has paid the wages for our sin and given us the free gift of God, “eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”! You may want to continue your fight against sin by studying Romans 7 & 8 on your own for the rest of the summer.
*Previous questions for Romans 6 begin here. The last devotional will be posted, Lord willing, Wednesday.
Order Keri’s book The Good Portion: Scripture. See her Delighting in the Word Bible Studies. Find the other Good Portion Books.