Freedom from Sin's Dominion in Christian Life

The concept of freedom from sin's dominion is rooted in the biblical understanding of sin and redemption. According to Romans 6:14, "For sin will not have dominion over you. For you are not under law, but under grace" ^[2]. This verse establishes that believers are no longer under the control of sin due to their being under grace.

The biblical definition of sin is crucial to understanding this concept. Sin is described as "any want of conformity unto or transgression of the law of God" (1 John 3:4; Rom. 4:15), encompassing both the inward state of the soul and outward conduct ^[4]. The effects of sin are not only personal but also relational, as it is an offense against a personal lawgiver and moral governor ^[4].

The Christian understanding of freedom from sin's dominion is closely tied to the doctrine of justification. Justification involves the forgiveness of sins, where God absolves the sinner from the condemnation of the law due to the work of Christ ^[1]. This forgiveness is not merely a legal declaration but has a transformative effect on the believer. As stated in Romans 8:2, "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death" ^[3].

The process of sanctification is also integral to the concept of freedom from sin. Sanctification involves the work of the Holy Spirit in bringing the whole nature of the believer under the influence of the new gracious principles implanted in the soul during regeneration ^[5]. This is a continuous process that extends to the whole person, enabling believers to live a life that is not dominated by sin.

Different Christian traditions interpret the extent and nature of freedom from sin's dominion. For instance, the Methodist/Wesleyan tradition, as represented by Adam Clarke's commentary on Romans 6:14, emphasizes that believers are delivered from sin's dominion through God's grace, but can again become subject to it through their own choice or negligence ^[8]. In contrast, the Baptist/Reformed tradition, as seen in John Gill's commentary on Romans 6:18, highlights that believers are made free from the damning power of sin and its guilt, though they may still struggle with sinful nature and actions ^[9].

The biblical basis for freedom from sin's dominion is further reinforced by passages such as 1 John 3:6, which states that those who abide in Christ do not sin ^[7]. However, this is not to suggest that believers are completely free from sinning; rather, it emphasizes the ideal of the Christian life, where the life of sin and the life of God are mutually exclusive.

The apostle Paul's teachings in Romans 1:18-3:20 provide a comprehensive understanding of universal sinfulness and the need for redemption. According to Tyndale House's commentary on Romans 1:18, Paul teaches that both Gentiles and Jews are under sin's power and cannot find favor with God by their own actions ^[6]. The solution to this predicament is found in Christ's sacrificial death, which purchases freedom for believers from God's judgment and bondage to sin (Ephesians 1:7) ^[10].

Sources

Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Forgiveness of sin — One of the constituent parts of justification. In pardoning sin, God absolves the sinner from the condemnation of the law, and that on account of the work of Christ, i.e., he removes the guilt of sin, or the sinner's actual liability to eternal wrath on account of it. All sins are forgiven freely (Acts 5:31; 13:38; 1 John 1:6-9). The sinner is by this act of grace for ever freed from the guilt and penalty of his sins. This is the peculiar prerogative of God (Ps. 130:4; Mark 2:5). It is offered to all in the gospel. (See [219]JUSTIFICATION.)”
Romans “For sin will not have dominion over you. For you are not under law, but under grace. -- Romans 6:14”
Romans “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death. -- Romans 8:2”
Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Sin — Is "any want of conformity unto or transgression of the law of God" (1 John 3:4; Rom. 4:15), in the inward state and habit of the soul, as well as in the outward conduct of the life, whether by omission or commission (Rom. 6:12-17; 7:5-24). It is "not a mere violation of the law of our constitution, nor of the system of things, but an offence against a personal lawgiver and moral governor who vindicates his law with penalties. The soul that sins is always conscious that his sin is (1) intrinsically vile and polluting, and (2) that it justly deserves punishment,”
Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Sanctification — Involves more than a mere moral reformation of character, brought about by the power of the truth: it is the work of the Holy Spirit bringing the whole nature more and more under the influences of the new gracious principles implanted in the soul in regeneration. In other words, sanctification is the carrying on to perfection the work begun in regeneration, and it extends to the whole man (Rom. 6:13; 2 Cor. 4:6; Col. 3:10; 1 John 4:7; 1 Cor. 6:19). It is the special office of the Holy Spirit in the plan of redemption to carry on this work (1 Cor. 6:1”
Romans (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Romans 1:18: 1:18–3:20 Paul delays exploring the theme of righteousness through faith (see 3:21) until after he first teaches about universal sinfulness. Gentiles (1:18-32) and Jews (2:1–3:8) are equally under sin’s power and cannot find favor with God by any action of their own (3:9-20). 1:18 God’s anger is not a spontaneous emotional outburst, but the holy God’s necessary response to sin. The Old Testament often depicts God’s anger (Exod 32:10-12; Num 11:1; Jer 21:3-7) and predicts a decisive outpouring of God’s wrath on human sin at the end of history. While Paul usually de”
1 John (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 John 3:6: He reasons from Christ's own entire separation from sin, that those in him must also be separate from it. abideth in him--as the branch in the vine, by vital union living by His life. sinneth not--In so far as he abides in Christ, so far is he free from all sin. The ideal of the Christian. The life of sin and the life of God mutually exclude one another, just as darkness and light. In matter of fact, believers do fall into sins (Jo1 1:8-10; Jo1 2:1-2); but all such sins are alien from the life of God, and need Christ's cleansing blood, without appli”
Romans (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Romans 6:14: Sin shall not have dominion over you - God delivers you from it; and if you again become subject to it, it will be the effect of your own choice or negligence. Ye are not under the law - That law which exacts obedience, without giving power to obey; that condemns every transgression and every unholy thought without providing for the extirpation of evil or the pardon of sin. But under grace - Ye are under the merciful and beneficent dispensation of the Gospel, that, although it requires the strictest conformity to the will of God, affords sufficient power to be thus ”
Romans (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Romans 6:18: Being then made free from sin,.... Not from a sinful nature; nor from a corrupt heart; nor from vain thoughts; nor from sinful words; nor from sinful actions altogether; but from the damning power of sin: sin brought all men under a sentence of condemnation; Christ has bore the execution of this sentence in himself for his people; hence, as considered in him, they are free from it; and such as are born again have passed from death to life, and shall never enter into condemnation: likewise, such persons are free from the guilt of sin; men are in a legal sense arraigned”
Ephesians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Ephesians 1:7: 1:7 he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son: Believers, who were once prisoners of sin, are free from God’s judgment and from bondage to sin because of Christ’s sacrificial death (see 1:14; 4:30; Rom 3:24; 1 Cor 6:20; Col 1:14; cp. Matt 26:28; Mark 10:45; Heb 9:11-12, 26; 1 Pet 1:18-19).”

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