Crucified With Christ

1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 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, 6 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. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Legalist hates grace.

Jews who have strived to be righteous through the Law don’t like being told that all your righteous efforts are worthless and are as filthy rags and that your only hope is the exact same as the dirty rotten Gentile dogs which is to humble yourself before the Lord and throw yourself upon the mercy of God’s grace.

It means that all their effort is wasted and surely this kind of righteousness is vanity because people are motivated by fear, if you take away the fear of judgement and doom then people will simply continue in their vile sins and unrighteous acts with no regard and say it is good because the grace of God abounds. The legalist says grace is licence to sin.

Thats exactly what this question that Paul raises and answers is.

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?”

In this chapter, as well as in other places in his writings, Paul is making statements of fact about our position “in Christ” followed by instruction

Statements

We died to sin

we are united in the death of Christ

our old man was crucified with Christ

the body of sin is done away with

we are no longer slaves to sin

we are freed from sin

Sin shall not have dominion over you

you are not under the law

you are under grace

Instructions

Walk in newness of life

Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin

Reckon yourselves to be alive to God in Christ Jesus

Do not let sin reign in your mortal body

Do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness

present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead

Present you members as instruments of righteousness to God

So our position in Christ is firmly established then instruction. It is so vitally important that we understand the order of this because if we switch the order around we no long preach grace, we preach works.

Do not yield yourself to sin or you will be a slave to sin is very different to you are freed from sin so don’t yield yourselves to sin.

Paul speaks elsewhere of this now but not yet concept.

Philippians 3:12–14 NKJV

12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 1:4–6 NKJV

4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

Ephesians 2:8–10 NKJV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

So Paul has not changed his doctrine in Rom 6 it’s still the same gospel of grace.

In chapter 5 Paul spoke about two humanities those in Adam and those in Christ.

Romans 5:17 NKJV

17 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)

Those who reign in life do so through the One Jesus Christ. As it said in Eph. we are created in Christ Jesus unto good works.

So how do we go from being sinners under the condemnation of death in Adam to being created in Christ Jesus to reign in life.

Thats what Paul is getting into in chapter 6 first we must die then we must be resurrected.

Crucified With Christ

Romans 6:6 NKJV

6 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.

Our old man was crucified with Him. The “Old Man”being that part of us that is in Adam and under the reign of sin and under the condemnation of death.

This old man was crucified with Christ. that is the penalty of death was paid in full for my sin. That means that sin is dealt with once and for all. The reign of sin, which is death, is over and sin dominion over me is no more.

Now he says that we have been crucified so that the body of sin might be done away with or destroyed. For the purpose that we are no longer slaves of sin.

Freed From Sin

Romans 6:7 NKJV

7 For he who has died has been freed from sin.

This does not mean that we no longer have a battle with sin. Being freed from sin is not to be sin free. I doubt that I have gone one day without sinning.

So what does Paul mean that we are freed from sin.

we are still talking in terms of dominion or reign which was spoken of in chapter 5. in Adam we are under the dominion of sin and the condemnation of death but through union with Christ in His death the rule and power of both sin and death has been abolished.

Romans 8:1 NKJV

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

Romans 8:9 NKJV

9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.

So this is our position in Christ sin no longer is our master it no longer has dominion over us. This is a statement of fact. So what instruction does Paul have for us based on this fact?

Romans 6:4 NKJV

4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

His instruction id based on union with Christ in His resurrection.

Romans 6:8–11 NKJV

8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So then, despite the challenge brought by the legalist Paul’s gospel of grace still stands.

Romans 1:16–17 NKJV

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”

We come to God in faith and we are justified by faith and it is by faith that we are sanctified from faith to faith. Paul tells us the deep spiritual truths about out union with Christ in death and resurrection and urges us unto sanctification by having faith in this reality. Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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