That Form of Doctrine

"YE were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you; being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness." Rom. 6:17, 18.

True conversion is a change from sin to righteousness. It is not exemption from service, but a change of masters. It is ceasing to be the "servants of sin," and becoming "servants of God." "His servants ye are, to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness." And since "all unrighteousness is sin," and "sin is the transgression of the law," it is a change from transgression of the law of God to obedience of the same.

The text teaches us how and when this change is affected. The first thing required is obedience; ye obeyed. And it is not merely an outward obedience to a form, but it must be a sincere obedience; ye obeyed from the heart. But form is of importance as a testimony to the obedience of the heart. There needs be some outward manifestation of "repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ," else the Lord would not have instituted it.

What is the form? This is an important question for when it is truly obeyed the sinner is made free from sin. The form of a thing is not the thing itself, but a likeness or resemblance of it; hence the form of a doctrine is an image, model, or figurative representation of it. This leads to the question, What is the great central and all important doctrine of the gospel of salvation from sin? It is "that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures." This was "first of all" in the gospel that Paul preached. See 1 Cor. 15:1-4. The fundamental doctrine of the gospel is the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Christ. All depends upon these facts. "And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain;" and the sinner is not delivered; "ye are yet in your sins."

The form is something to be obeyed; and it is a likeness or resemblance of the doctrine. Christ died for our sins. The sinner in order to be forgiven, must die to sin. To die to sin is to live no longer therein—to cease sinning, that is, cease transgressing the law of God. "How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein." This is a vital point; hence the apostle lays great stress on it. He teaches that we shall be in the likeness of Christ's resurrection; but we must be sure of one thing as a condition, and that is, that the old man is dead. "Knowing this," says he, "that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin."

We do not bury our friends till we feel sure that they are dead; but when we know they are dead we immediately prepare to bury them. So when the sinner is slain by the law, in other words, feels the justice of that law which condemns him to death as its transgressor, and voluntarily dies to sin to live no longer in it, then he may be buried in the likeness of Christ, which is the next thing in the form. "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection."

In these acts of obedience, we have the form or resemblance of the work of Christ, on which our salvation from sin depends. The form closely resembles the doctrine—it has a death, a burial, and a resurrection to a new life. The old life was a life of sin; the new is a life of holiness. Whoever obeys from the heart this form of doctrine is made free from sin, and becomes the servant of righteousness; and this new life persevered in will end in life everlasting. "For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in the things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants of God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and in the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

In chap. 7 the apostle slightly changes the figure, representing the "old man," the "body of sin," the "carnal mind," as the person himself; and he is said to be slain by the law, because of sin, or through its agency; and by faith in Christ he becomes "dead to the law;" the law having put Christ to death, instead of him; and thus he sees himself put to death by the law in the person of Christ, delivered from sin, condemnation, and death, and given a new life in union with him, being married to him who was raised from the dead. He is "delivered from the law, that (sin) being dead wherein he was held" in condemnation.

These are figures, the literality of which is "repentance toward God," whose law we have violated, and "faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ," who has suffered the penalty for us, and offers us pardon. It is plainly and literally expressed in the great and comprehensive command, "Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."

Those who obey this form of doctrine heartily and entirely, becoming truly "dead to sin" by genuine repentance toward God, and by faith in him who died for our sins was buried, and rose again, are buried in the likeness of his death, arising to walk in newness of life, shall then be made free from sin and become servants of righteousness; and by abiding in him, and continuing to walk in this new life of obedience to the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus Christ, they shall, when Christ shall appear the second time be like him, and enter into the joys of eternal life. May this be the portion of the reader and the writer.