"How shall we that died to sin live any longer therein?" Romans 6v2
Paul develops the theme that grace and sin are incompatible, and therefore it is impossible for a Christian to be at rest in a sinful lifestyle, and it is unnecessary because of what God has done. The believer who continues to live in sin will find that the grace of God that is in him will constantly militate against him. This is because, when we were in our unconverted state we were in Adam, under the domination of sin. Now we are in Christ, in union with Christ, and just as we received all the consequences of being in Adam, we now know the blessings of being in Christ. He develops this by referring to the death of Christ, the burial of Christ and the resurrection of Christ, and says that we are in vital and indissoluble union with Christ in these three spheres. We died with Him, we were buried with Him, and we were raised with Him. We were not there when it happened, most of us were not even born; but just as we were not there when Adan sinned, yet we received all the consequences of the Fall so now we receive all the blessings of the Cross.
In these verses there are two expressions " we died to sin " chapter 6v2 ; and " we died with Christ " chapter 6v8. Death is separation, it separated man from God and separates man from man; now says Paul, what happened at your conversion is that on the negative side you died to sin; you were separated from a ruling evil within you, and it no longer has any claim upon you. It does not say sin died, far from it, sin is still powerful and active and will constantly trouble the believer, but you died to sin; you have been separated from it, there has been a dichotomy, it is no longer your ruler. Also in a positive way you died with Christ; when you leave something you must have something else to fill the void, as human beings can not live in a vacuum. You were separated from sin, the natural bond was broken, and you were bonded to Christ, so that you are no longer on your own. Christianity is not about what we don't do, it is what we do which is better. His death was our death, His burial was our burial, His life is our life and this is the content of these verses.
Someone who is dead is no longer active in the sphere from which they have been separated. The picture of death here is very graphic: verse 3 he says you were buried; verse 5 says you were planted; verse 6 says you were crucified; all these terms speaking of the end of something and also the beginning of something new. There is no need for a Christian to go on living in sin since we have died to sin. Paul develops the teaching as follows:
- Romans 6 v 3-5 - Symbolised in our baptism.
- Romans 6 v 6-8 - Accomplished at Calvary.
- Romans 6 v 9-10 - Confirmed in the resurrection.
- Romans 6 v11-12 - Appropriated by faith.
- Romans 6 v 13-14 - Experienced by submission.
We will develop each of these in due course.
The main thrust of this passage is that grace brings a very real CHANGE of lifestyle.
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