Romans 6:1-23
Christians believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day. According to the first five chapters of the book of Romans, those who believe in Him are justified freely by God's grace, declared righteous before Him. This is a basic, fundamental truth of the Christian faith.
A shifting of themes takes place in Romans 6. The apostle Paul moves on from justification to sanctification, from declared righteousness to practical righteous living.
Many believers long for reality in their Christian experience. While justification gives them a righteous standing before God, they wrestle with sin in their lives. Paul addresses that in this chapter.
Consider Romans 6:5. "For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection." United together with Jesus Christ in the likeness of His death and resurrection!
What does this mean? When He died, we died. "Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin." Romans 6:6. Our old man is the man we were before we were born again. Here God is not dealing with sins, but with sin, that is, our sinful nature. In our justification Jesus died for our sins. In our sanctification Jesus died to sin. "For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all...." Romans 6:10.
We not only died with Christ. We were also buried with Him. "Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death...." This baptism is not water baptism, but rather that baptism by the Holy Spirit mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:13. "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body...." All believers have been united with the Lord Jesus Christ. "Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." Romans 6:4.
In his letter to the churches of Galatia Paul wrote, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20.
What are we to do? The life that the resurrected Jesus lives, He lives to God. "Likewise you also, reckon (or consider) yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:11. Count on it. You also have been crucified with Christ. But there's more. "Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God." Romans 6:12, 13.
We are more than identified with the Lord. We are united together with Him in His death, burial, and resurrection to the end that we might serve Him "as slaves of righteousness for holiness." Romans 6:19.
Lord, we are ignorant of many things. Thank you for understanding us, and dealing with us accordingly as Your children. We would present ourselves to You today. Thank you for the victory that is ours through Jesus Christ. We pray in His wonderful name. Amen!
