Death to Sin, Alive to God
October 11, 2021
Commentary
Some people must have thought that since God’s grace increases “all the more” when sin abounds, then believers ought to sin more so they could experience more grace (v. 1). Paul explains how such a thought should never be entertained (v. 2). Instead, Christians are “dead to sin” (v.3). Anyone who has died to sin has been freed from sin (v. 4). Sin doesn’t have power over dead people (vv. 6-7). An example of this would be a drunk who has died. He can no longer be tempted by alcohol because his body is dead to all physical senses. He can no longer desire alcohol.
The fact that death has no more dominion over Christ is the basis for Paul’s argument that sin has no more dominion over us (vv. 8-10). It is one thing “to know” (v. 9); it is something else “to reckon” (v. 11). Many people have a general knowledge of the truths of this chapter, but never enter the good of them because they fail to reckon them true in experience. We should regard our old sinful nature as dead and unresponsive to sin. Because of our union and identification with Christ, we are no longer obligated to carry out those old motives, desires, and goals. We have a new start, and the Holy Spirit will help us become in our daily experience what Christ has declared us to be.
We are not only dead to sin, but we are also alive in Christ. We are “in Christ” so sin and death have no more dominion over us. The word “destroyed” in verse 6 does not mean annihilated; it means “rendered inactive.” The body is not sinful; it is neutral. It can be controlled either by sin or by God. Sin wants to be our master, as the old nature seeks to control the members of our body. However, the old man was crucified with Christ so that the body does not need to be controlled by sin. It is like a good dog and a bad dog fighting. The one that we feed is the one that wins.
Application
Because of Christ’s death and resurrection, I never need to fear death. This assurance frees me to enjoy fellowship with Him, and to do His will. This should affect all my activities.
Romans 6:1– 11 (NET)
1 What shall we say then? Are we to remain in sin so that grace may increase? 2 Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with him through baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may live a new life.
5 For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be united in the likeness of his resurrection. 6 We know that our old man was crucified with him so that the body of sin would no longer dominate us, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 (For someone who has died has been freed from sin.)
8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that since Christ has been raised from the dead, he is never going to die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 For the death he died, he died to sin once for all, but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 So you too consider yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.