ROMANS 6:1-14 OUR UNION WITH CHRIST IN HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION

Just as Romans 3:19-26 is the classic passage of Scripture about salvation from the penalty of sin, so Romans 6:1-14 is the primary passage of Scripture about freedom from the dominion of sin. In this section of Scripture we learn what God has done for us through Christ to enable us to deal with sin, even persistent sin, in our lives. We will see in Romans 6 that the gospel is far more than “fire insurance” from eternal punishment in hell. We will learn that through Christ’s death on the cross, we are given ability to live lives that are both pleasing to God and fulfilling for ourselves. (Jerry Bridges, The Discipline of Grace, p )

I must warn you beforehand, however, that in learning how God has delivered us from the dominion of sin, we are going to wrestle with some of the apostle Paul’s most difficult-to-understand teaching. (Jerry Bridges, The Discipline of Grace, p. 62)

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! By no means! (Rom 6:1-2) The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more (Rom. 5:20)

Grace does not give us a license to sin. Grace, properly understood, actually gives us power over sin

 Romans 6:1-14 Our union with Christ in His death and resurrection  Romans 6:15-23 We are no longer slaves to sin, but slaves to God and slaves to righteousness.

ROMANS 6:1-14 OUR UNION WITH CHRIST IN HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION

IN ADAM ADAMCHRIST IN CHRIST

1. We died to sin What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? (6:2) 1. This death has already occurred in the past 2. This death occurred even though the believer may not be aware of it 3. We have died to sin through our union with Christ

2. We were baptized into Christ’s death 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? (6:3) For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body (1 Cor 12:13)

21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Cor. 5:21)

For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. (1 Cor. 10:1-2)

3. God intends us also to share in Christ’s resurrection 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. (6:4) 5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.

4. We know that our old self was crucified with Christ 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. (6:6-7)

the body of sin.....might be done away with destroyed katargeó (flesh, sinful nature)

katargeó destroy, abolish, eradicate defeat, disable, deprive of power Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death— that is, the devil (Heb. 2:14)

For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless. (Rom 6:6 – NIV Margin)

old self Lit. “old man”

THE OLD MAN MY OLD, PRE- CONVERSION SELF TIME OF CONVERSON

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature (or “the flesh”) with its passions and desires. (Gal. 5:24)

POSITIONALCONDITIONAL THE OLD MAN THE FLESH (sarx) 20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. (Gal. 2:20) 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature (sarx) with its passions and desires. (Gal. 5:24) 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him (Rom. 6:6) if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, (Rom 8:13) 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. (Col. 3:3) …if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Cor. 5:17) 5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. (Col. 3:5) We have been crucified with Christ We have crucified, (decisively repudiated) our sinful nature with all its desires

POSITIONALCONDITIONAL THE OLD MAN THE FLESH We have been crucified with Christ We have crucified, (decisively repudiated) our sinful nature with all its desires Belongs to the past, and is unique and unrepeatable. Belongs to the present and is repeatable, even continuous.

The New Testament speaks of two deaths or crucifixions:  My old man that was crucified with Christ  My flesh that I need to crucify on a daily basis “It is with the first of these two deaths that Romans 6 is chiefly concerned, although the first is with a view to the second, and the second cannot take place without the first.” (John Stott, the Message of Romans, p.176)

For we know that our old self (lit. old man. - i.e. our old, pre-conversion self) was crucified with him (our pre-conversion self died with Christ) so that the body of sin (a synonym for the flesh, our sinful natures) might be done away with, (lit. destroyed. Our sinful nature has been defeated, disabled, deprived of power). that we should no longer be slaves to sin—

....because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. (6:7)

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Gal. 2:20) Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? (Romans 6:1-2)

1. We died to sin 2. We were baptized into Christ’s death 3. God intends us also to share in Christ’s resurrection 4. We know that our old self was crucified with Christ

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Cor. 5:17)