“Dead but Alive” (Romans 6:1–14), Part 1

“Dead but Alive” (Romans 6:1–14), Part 1
Pastor Cameron Jungels
Eastside Baptist Church
Sunday AM, October 8, 2017

Romans 6:1–14 (NIV)

6 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? ² By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? ³ Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 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.

⁵ For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. ⁶ For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—⁷ because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

⁸ Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. ⁹ For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery 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, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. ¹² Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. ¹³ Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. ¹⁴ For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

 

1. The super-abounding grace of God does not open a door of freedom to go on living in sin (1–2a).

The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, (Romans 5:20, NIV)

2. On the contrary, our break with the old life of sin, judgment, and death is so radical that it can be described of as a death (2b–4a).

a. We are no longer under the condemnation of sin and its penalty of death.
b. We are no longer under the power and dominion of sin.

i. Because we are united with Christ.
ii. Being united with Christ, his death on the cross was our death.
iii. Being united with Christ, his burial was our burial.
iv. So, Christ conquered the reign of sin and death over us when he died on the cross for us.
v. This new standing and transfer from the realm of sin and death to the realm of grace and life is applied to us at our conversion – represented by baptism.

3. And, our entrance into the new life of grace, righteousness, and life is so complete that it can be described of as a resurrection (4b–5).

Main Idea: Our union with Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection means that sin no longer has power over the believer and is no longer welcome in the life of the believer.