Dead to Sin, Alive to God
Romans 6:1–10
1. What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2. By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3. Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4. We were buried with Him by Baptism into death so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in the newness of life. 5. For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His. 6. We know that our old self was crucified so that the body of sin might be brought to nothing so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7. For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8. if we have died with Christ, we believe we will also live with Him. 9. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over Him. 10. For the death He
died, He died to sin, once and for all, but the life He lives, He lives to God.
In a court session, an attorney often rises to his feet and passionately exclaims, “Your Honor, I object!” Some Roman Christians must have felt a similar surge of objection as they heard Paul’s letter read. He passionately defended his doctrine of justification by faith, a defense that surely resonated with the emotional turmoil of his audience. They did not understand law or
grace.
Are we to Continue in Sin?
In Romans 6:1–10 Paul is carrying on an argument against an imaginary opponent. Imagine there is an attorney shouting objection! The argument is related to what is said in Romans 5:20. Where sin increased, grace abounded even more.
The Objector said: You have just said that God’s grace is significant enough to find forgiveness for every sin.
Paul said: That is true.
The Objector said: You are saying that God’s grace is the greatest and the most amazing thing in all this world.
Paul said: That is true.
The Objector said: If that is true, let us go on sinning. The more we sin, the more grace will be plentiful. If we sin, God will forgive us anyway. We can say that sin is an excellent thing because sin gives the grace of God a chance to operate.
Paul said: Should we go on sinning to give grace more chances to operate? The answer is “no. “ To believe God receives more glory when born-again believers do evil and God forgives them is a doctrine of cheap grace,
I can imagine that after this, the judge would say, “Overruled!”
In Romans 6:1, “sin” means “missing the mark.” For instance, doing evil things, committing wrong acts, or having wrong attitudes towards others.
Someone said: If we accompany sin one mile, it will compel us to go two. A man told the story about an elderly farmer who was close to death. For many years, the elderly farmer had been quarrelling with his neighbour. The minister told him he would go to hell if he did not forgive his neighbour. The elderly farmer called his elder son to give him final instructions. Son, he started, I am dying. The preacher told me that when I die, I will go to hell if I do not forgive the man who stole my land. I forgive him, but son, you are young and strong. You will live a long time. If you forgive him, I will persecute you for the rest of your life. The elderly farmer’s hatred for his neighbour exemplifies how sin can destroy a life.
The Bible tells His believers if a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him, work it out between the two of you, and if he listens, you make a friend. There was a leader in the church who made me feel uncomfortable. When I was around him, I felt like he was a human X-ray machine, and he knew everything about me. I wanted to stay away from him. My attitude toward him became so bad that, after worship service, if he walked out the lobby door at the same time I did, I would walk out the opposite door.
I knew my attitude was wrong, but my pride got in the way. I didn’t want to admit to the man that I had a bad attitude toward him. Yet, I couldn’t get rid of the conviction that the Lord told me I must go to the man’s house and restore a harmonious relationship with him. The longer I rejected His will, the more miserable I became.
Finally, I drove to his house. I rang the front doorbell, but nobody came to the door. I breathed a sigh of relief. I said, “Lord, I did what you wanted me to do.”I returned to my car, turned on the engine, and drove away. I felt so good because I did what the Lord wanted. But in the back of my mind, I thought I heard a sound from the garage. I could only drive down the road a few blocks before; it was as if the Lord made me stop. I heard the voice of the Lord say, “Paul, you know there is somebody in that garage. Go back and see him!”
I saw him when I returned to the garage under his house. He was under the car on the concrete driveway. I said, “I’m sorry to bother you. Is it possible for us to visit for a little while?” He slid out from underneath his car. He invited me into his home. I sat down on the couch in the living room. Then, I confessed that I had a wrong attitude toward him. I emphasized that I knew he had not done Anything wrong. I asked the man to forgive me. We prayed together. Immediately, my attitude towards him changed, and he became one of my best friends. If I had confessed my sin to him earlier, I would have had peace in my soul sooner.
The Meaning of Baptism
Romans 6:3 says Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? The Greek word for “baptism” has two primary meanings: 1. A literal meaning, which is “to dip or immerse,” and 2. a symbolic meaning, “to be identified with.” Warren W. Wiersbe says, “Historians agree that the mode of Baptism in the early church was Immersion. The believer was ‘buried’ in the water and brought up again as a picture of death, burial, and resurrection. Baptism by immersion pictures the believer’s identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. It is an outward symbol of an inward experience.
The water baptism experience was to remind them of their identification with Christ through the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. “ To be “baptized into Jesus Christ” is the same as what is said in 1 Corinthians 12:13: For in one Spirit, we were all baptized into one body whether we are Jews or Greeks, enslaved people or free — all were made to drink of one Spirit.
There is a difference between water baptism and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. When we have faith in Christ and invite Him into our lives, we are immediately born into the family of God. When Cornelius and his household heard Peter preach, they put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. They immediately received the Holy Spirit. In Acts 10: 47–48, Peter says, Does anyone withhold water to baptize these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
When the Apostle Paul lived, Baptism was observed differently than many Christian-based faiths today. 1. It was adult Baptism. 2. Baptism in the Early Church was intimately connected with confession of faith. Baptism marked a dividing line in a person’s life. His confession of faith in Jesus Christ often meant that he had to tear himself up by the roots, a decision which was so definite that for him, it often meant nothing less than beginning life all over again. 3. When a person descended into the water, and the water closed over his head, it was like being buried in a grave. It was like rising from the grave when he emerged from the water.
Baptism represents an intimate union with Jesus Christ. He died for our deliverance, and we die to sin. As He rose to the newness of life, so do we.
No Longer Enslaved to Sin
The words “brought to nothing” or “destroyed” in Romans 6:6 do not mean getting rid of it entirely. The great disciple of the Gentile world, the non-Jewish world, the Apostle Paul, says in Romans 7:18, “ I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right but not the ability to carry it out.
Warren W Wiersbe says that old nature cannot do anything good. Everything the Bible says about the old nature is negative: no good thing (Romans 7:18); the flesh is no help at all (John 6: 63); no confidence in the flesh (Philippians 3:3). If we depend on the energy of the flesh, we cannot serve God, please God or do any good thing. The legalist says, obey the law, and you will live a good life. But the law only reveals and arouses sin, showing how sinful it is! The secret of doing good is to yield to the Holy Spirit. Only then can we obey the law of God!
One who has Died Has Been Set Free from Sin
To be “free” means “to justify.” In the legal sense, death annuls all obligations. The death penalty, which Christ endured, holds good for the born-again believer through his identification with Christ in His death. John MacArthur says, “Our old self died with Christ, and the life we now enjoy is a new divinely. Given life, the life of Christ himself. “
The believer’s new relationship with Christ has changed his relationship with sin. He is dead to sin and alive to God.
“Dominion” is the “permanent immunity of Christ from the dominion of death.” Paul begins his lesson on sanctification by arguing that, despite their past, all whom God has justified will experience personal holiness. In 1 Timothy 1:12–13a Paul says, “I thank Him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus, our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to His service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent.
Sin robs millions of people of eternal life with Jesus Christ. In Romans 6:23, the apostle Paul tells us that the wages of sin is death. The word “wages” implies that the punishment for sin is what one has earned and deserves. The word “death” refers to physical death and eternal death.
In 1 John 1:6, the Apostle John says. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. Sin makes us feel guilty and depressed. It makes us feel isolated and have a feeling of hopelessness.
The temptation to sin is a part of living in this world. Jesus never said living a Christian life would be easy, but with a daily personal living relationship with Jesus Christ, we can. The forgiveness of God restores peace and joy.
We, who are born-again Christians, need always to be aware that sin wants to be the master of our lives. But in Jesus Christ, we die to sin.
Contributor: By Paul Wooderson
