We who died to sin

[Romans 6:1-14]

Look at Romans 6:1-2: “What shall we say then?  Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?  May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?”  Here, we have to think the phrase “grace may increase” in terms of the second half of Romans 5:20, “… where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.”  Here, where sin increased, grace abounded more abundantly, which means grace abounded to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ (v. 21).  The Apostle Paul told the Roman church members that they should not continue to sin in order to receive more of this grace (6:1).  In other words, he was saying that we should not continue to sin more in order to receive more grace that leads to eternal life.  Paul said “May it never be!” (v. 2).  It was because we are already dead to sin (v. 2).

Look at Romans 6:3-4: “Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?  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.”  How are we dead to sin?  We who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death (v. 3).  In Romans 6:1-11, the word “into” and “united” occurs 10 times [the word “into” is used 3 times, the word “united” is used 2 times, the word “with” is used 4 times, and the word “in” is used once].  Among the doctrines taught in the Bible, the doctrine of “union” is one of the most important.  For example, look at Romans 7:4 – “Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.”  Here, the word “another” refers to Jesus Christ.  And this Jesus Christ is the one who was raised from the dead (v. 4).  When we “joined” to this Jesus Christ, we mean that the bridegroom Jesus Christ and we, the bride church, are getting married.

Look at John 15:1, 5 – “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.  …  I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”  Jesus Christ is “the true vine,” God the Father is “the vinedresser,” and we are “the branches.”  As the branches, we can do nothing “apart from” that is not being united to Jesus Christ, the true vine (v. 5).  Like the vine and the branches, we are united with Christ.  Look at Ephesians 1:22-23: “And He put all things in subjection 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.”  Jesus Christ is the head of the church, and the church is His body.  That is, Jesus Christ and the Church have become united/one.  Look at Romans 6:3 – “Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?”  We not only died in union with Jesus, but were “buried” with Him (v. 4).  To be buried here means to be completely dead.  In other words, when Jesus was buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, we were also buried with Him.  What is its purpose?  Look at Romans 6:4b – “…  so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.”  Jesus, who died and was buried, God the Father raised Christ from the dead through the glory of the Father (v. 4).  Here, “the glory of the Father” refers to the power of God.  And the power of God the Father is the supreme power.  In raising the dead and buried Jesus Christ, God the Father did not raise Jesus to life by the power that created the heavens and the earth, but raised Jesus Christ from the dead with His supreme power.  Because God raised us up, we believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Here, “from the dead” means that because Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead, we “the dead”, that is, those who have slept in Christ (the dead) are also resurrected.  In other words, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead with His supreme power, all of us who are dead in Jesus are also raised.  Because Jesus, the firstfruits, rose from the dead, we too are raised to life.

The purpose of God's supreme power in raising Christ from the dead is that we too may walk in newness of life (v. 4).  As Jesus died, so we died, and as Jesus was buried, so we were buried.  And just as God the Father raised Jesus with his supreme power, He also raised us to life.  And the purpose is that we may walk in newness of life.  When we think of “life” here, we must think of the word in Genesis 2:7 that Adam, the first man of mankind “became a living being” (Gen.2:7; 1 Cor.15:45).  This living being could or could not have eaten the fruit.  In other words, the living being could have not sinned or sinned.  But Adam disobeyed God's command and ate of the forbidden fruit, so he sinned.  And the result is death.  Like the first Adam, we became sinners and died in our trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1).  But God raised us from the dead and gave us new life.  We have become new creatures (2 Cor. 5:17).  We are born again, regenerated.  This new life is different from the “eternal life” spoken of in Romans 5:21.  The new life can either sin or not, but we must not sin.  As we gain new life, we may sin, but we will not perish.  We just need to repent.  When we do that, we will be forgiven everything.  Still, we must not sin.  But we will continue to sin.

We must walk in newness of life (Rom.6:4).  We must live for the glory of God while doing righteousness.  Look at Philippians 2:12-13: “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”  All of us who have been justified through faith in Jesus Christ must continue to work out our salvation.  The God who works in us both to will and to work for His good pleasure.  Therefore, we must gradually become sanctified and become more like Jesus.  We have this grace.  Therefore, we must meditate on this grace deeply and receive the fullness of grace.  Our problem is sin.  But there is no sin in heaven.  Look at Revelation 21:4 – “and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”  There are only the best of the best in heaven.  There is living water, there is the river of life, there is God, and there is the Lamb, Jesus Christ.  The Lord will give us the crown of righteousness, the crown of life.  This is the hymn “When all My Labours and Trials are O’er”: (v. 1) When all my labours and trials are o'er And I am safe on that beautiful shore, Just to be near the dear Lord I adore, Will through the ages be glory for me.  (v. 2) When, by the gift of His infinite grace, I am accorded in heaven a place, Just to be there and to look on His face, Will through the ages be glory for me.  (v. 3) Friends will be there I have loved long ago; Joy like a river around me will flow; Yet, just a smile from my Savior, I know, Will through the ages be glory for me.  (chorus) O that will be glory for me, Glory for me, glory for me; When by His grace I shall look on His face, That will be glory, be glory for me.  Amen.