Romans 6 – Dead to Sin and Alive to God

Romans 6

Chapter with Audio

6 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 therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in 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 with him in order 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 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that 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 for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

Slaves to Righteousness

15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.

20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Chapter Analysis

Romans 6: Dead To Sin And Alive To God In Christ

Shall We Continue In Sin?

📖 Romans 6:1–4

¹ What shall believers say then? Should they continue in sin so that grace may increase? ² Absolutely not. Those who died to sin cannot continue living in it. ³ Do believers not know that all who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? ⁴ Therefore, believers were buried with Him through baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, believers also should walk in newness of life.

🔹 The Truth

God’s grace is never permission to continue in sin.

Believers have died to sin through union with Christ.

Baptism points to being united with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection.

The believer is called to walk in newness of life.

🔹 The Promise

Those united with Christ in His death are also called to share in His resurrection life.

✅ Conclusion

Romans 6 begins by answering a serious misunderstanding of grace. Grace does not encourage sin. Grace unites believers with Christ so they may walk in new life.

United With Christ In Death And Resurrection

📖 Romans 6:5–11

⁵ If believers have been united with Christ in the likeness of His death, they shall also be united with Him in the likeness of His resurrection. ⁶ They know that the old man was crucified with Christ, so that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, and believers should no longer be slaves of sin. ⁷ The one who has died has been freed from sin. ⁸ If believers died with Christ, they believe they shall also live with Him. ⁹ Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. ¹⁰ The death He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God. ¹¹ In the same way, believers must count themselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

🔹 The Truth

Believers are united with Christ in His death and resurrection.

The old man was crucified with Christ.

Believers are no longer slaves of sin.

Christ died to sin once for all and now lives to God.

Believers must count themselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ.

🔹 The Promise

Those who died with Christ shall also live with Him.

✅ Conclusion

The believer’s freedom from sin rests on union with Christ. Because Christ died and rose again, believers are to see themselves as dead to sin and alive to God in Him.

Do Not Let Sin Reign

📖 Romans 6:12–14

¹² Therefore, believers must not let sin reign in their mortal bodies, to obey its desires. ¹³ They must not present their members to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present themselves to God as those brought from death to life, and present their members to God as instruments of righteousness. ¹⁴ Sin shall not have dominion over believers, because they are not under law but under grace.

🔹 The Truth

Believers must not allow sin to rule over them.

The body is not to be offered to sin, but to God.

Believers have been brought from death to life.

Grace does not place believers under sin’s dominion; grace frees them from it.

Believers are not under law but under grace.

🔹 The Promise

Sin shall not have dominion over those who are under grace.

✅ Conclusion

Romans 6 does not teach passive living. Believers must actively refuse sin and present themselves to God. Grace gives freedom from sin’s rule, not freedom to serve sin.

Slaves Of Righteousness

📖 Romans 6:15–19

¹⁵ What then? Should believers sin because they are not under law but under grace? Absolutely not. ¹⁶ Do they not know that when they present themselves as obedient slaves, they are slaves of the one they obey, whether of sin leading to death or obedience leading to righteousness? ¹⁷ But thanks be to God, though they were once slaves of sin, they obeyed from the heart the form of teaching delivered to them. ¹⁸ Having been set free from sin, they became slaves of righteousness. ¹⁹ Paul speaks in human terms because of the weakness of their flesh. Just as they once presented their members as slaves to impurity and lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, now they are to present their members as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness.

🔹 The Truth

Grace is not permission to sin.

Everyone serves something: either sin leading to death or obedience leading to righteousness.

Believers were once slaves of sin.

The gospel calls for obedience from the heart.

Those set free from sin become servants of righteousness.

Righteousness leads to holiness.

🔹 The Promise

God sets believers free from slavery to sin and makes them servants of righteousness.

✅ Conclusion

Freedom in Christ is not independence from God. True freedom means being released from sin’s slavery and becoming a servant of righteousness from the heart.

The Wages Of Sin And The Gift Of God

📖 Romans 6:20–23

²⁰ When believers were slaves of sin, they were free in regard to righteousness. ²¹ But what fruit did they have then in the things of which they are now ashamed? The end of those things is death. ²² But now, having been set free from sin and having become servants of God, believers have fruit leading to holiness, and the end is eternal life. ²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

🔹 The Truth

Sin produces shameful fruit and ends in death.

Believers have been set free from sin.

Believers are now servants of God.

The fruit of serving God leads to holiness.

The wages of sin is death.

Eternal life is God’s gift in Christ Jesus our Lord.

🔹 The Promise

The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

✅ Conclusion

Romans 6 ends with a clear contrast. Sin pays wages, and those wages are death. God gives a gift, and that gift is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Overall Conclusion

Romans 6 shows that grace does not lead believers back into sin.

Those who belong to Christ have been united with Him in His death and resurrection. The old man was crucified with Christ, and believers are called to count themselves dead to sin and alive to God.

Sin must not reign over the believer, because believers are not under law but under grace. They have been set free from sin to serve righteousness, bear fruit leading to holiness, and receive eternal life as the gift of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Final Questions For You

  1. Why does God’s grace never give believers permission to continue in sin?
  2. What does it mean to count yourself dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus?
  3. How does Romans 6:23 help explain both the seriousness of sin and the greatness of God’s gift?