We Who are Alive to God (1)

[Romans 6:1-11]

              Romans 6:11 states, "So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus."  We have already contemplated twice under the heading of "We Who Died to Sin" (v. 2) about being dead to sin (v. 11).  Today, under the title of "We Who are Alive to God," we want to meditate on God's Word, focusing on Romans 6:1-11, especially verses 4-5.

Romans 6:4 says, " Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life."  The conjunction "Therefore" connects verses 3 and 4, signifying that not only were we baptized with Christ in death (v. 3), but we were also buried with Him and, just as Christ was raised by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life (v. 4).  The purpose of this, indicated by the phrase "in order that" (v. 4), is to walk in newness of life, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father.  How did Christ receive resurrection among the dead?  It was through the glory of the Father (v. 4).  Here, "glory" refers to the power or ability, and by the power of God, the Father raised Christ, who was crucified and buried, from the dead.  God has displayed His power throughout history. Here are three examples: (1) God, by His power, delivered the Israelites who were slaves in Egypt.  (2) God disciplined the disobedient Israelites in the land of Canaan, who worshipped idols, by allowing them to be taken captive to Babylon.  After a 70-year period, God, by His power, brought them back to their homeland.  (3) By the power of God, who created the universe out of nothing, Ephesians 1:19-23 states: "and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.  And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all."  The "powerful working" (v. 19) or "might" (vv. 20, 21) of God, which raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at the right hand of God, surpasses the power displayed when God delivered the Israelites from Egypt or brought them back from Babylon.  God's power in raising Christ, seating Him at His right hand, and subjecting all things under His feet is even more astounding and superior. God has made Christ the head over all things for the church (vv. 20-22).  Just as God, by His astonishing power, raised Christ from the dead, the same power was used to spiritually revive us who were dead in trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1) and made us walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:4).  The word "walk" used here is also found in 1 John 1:7: "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin."  The phrase "if we walk in the light" means "if we live in the light like Jesus."  Then it continues, "we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin."  God, by His power, has revived us who were dead in trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1) to enable us to walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:4).  God has, by His power, made us a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17) with the purpose of enabling us to live a new life in newness of life (Rom. 6:4).

Romans 6:5 states, "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."  Here, the expression "if we have been united with him in a death like his" indicates both similarities and differences between the actual death of Jesus Christ and our death.  The similarity lies in the fact that, like Jesus Christ, we have died; however, the difference is that Jesus Christ's death was the death of the body (flesh), while our death is not the death of the body (flesh) but the death of “the old self” (v. 6).  The crucifixion death of Jesus Christ was a death where He bore our sins, paid the price for our sins, and sought forgiveness for our sins.  In contrast, we died because of our sins.  The body of our old self had to die for us to be able to put on the body of the new self.  Additionally, Jesus Christ's resurrection involved His physical body being raised from the dead, whereas our resurrection involves the revival of our souls that had died.  Ephesians 2:1 states, "And you were dead in the trespasses and sins."  Therefore, we have died and been resurrected in a manner similar to Jesus Christ (Rom. 6:5).

Therefore, we must consider ourselves as alive to God in Christ Jesus (v. 11).  Just as God the Father, by His glory (power, ability), raised Christ from the dead among the spiritually dead, we who were spiritually dead have been raised to become a new creation (new person).  Therefore, we must live in accordance with our new identity, acting in a manner befitting the new self (v. 4).  In other words, we are to live as new people, just as Jesus did, dwelling in the light (1 Jn. 1:7).