The beginning verses of Romans 6 has Paul addressing the power of grace and the believer’s new identity through our Baptism into Christ. He presents a powerful argument that challenges our understanding of sin, grace, and the new life we are called to live. He begins by tackling a misconception that might arise from his teachings on grace. He poses a rhetorical question: “Shall we continue to sin so that God’s grace may increase?”
Basically what he is asking is a logical question: If God gives his grace to us when we sin – does that mean we should sin more so that God will send more grace? With this understanding some might interpret grace as a free pass to sin— a license to live however we please because God’s grace is always going to come each time we sin. But Paul emphatically answers, “By no means!” And that’s because every sin causes spiritual harm to us even though God forgives us.
Grace is not an excuse for sin but a divine intervention of God to protect us from the harm that sin can do. We must recognize that the essence of grace is not about freedom to sin but freedom from sin and its damaging effect to our faith.
When we understand the depths of God’s grace, we can also realize it empowers us to say no to the very sin that once held us captive. Paul reminds us of an extraordinary truth: in baptism, we are united with Christ. When we were baptized into Christ Jesus, we were baptized into His death. This means that our old selves—the sinful nature—were crucified with Him.
Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too have the promise of new life.
What does this mean for us? It means that our identity is no longer defined by our past sins but by our relationship with Christ. We are not merely forgiven; we are made new. So Paul’s argument is not giving us permission to sin but rather – why would you want to sin when sin is what damages our relationship with God.This is a radical transformation, moving from death to life. It’s like a person who has recovered from an addiction who feels they can now control that addiction.
But one relapse sends them back and probably worse than what they escaped from.
Jesus once told a parable about this in Matthew’s Gospel : When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.”
As Baptised children of God we are called to no longer walk in the ways of the world; our lives are now a reflection of Christ’s resurrection power. As believers, we must grasp the reality that our old self is crucified with Christ. We must grasp the reality of how harmful sin is. There is no small sin. All sin leads us away from God. But through Christ, the power of sin has been broken. Sin’s dominion over us has been shattered, and we no longer have to submit to its authority. That’s why Paul makes a distinction between being “slaves to righteousness” rather than “slaves to sin”. Paul emphasizes that Christ, having died, no longer dies. The power of sin is defeated, and death has lost its hold over Him.
This truth calls us to a new way of living. We are to consider ourselves “dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (v. 11). So, what does it look like to live as those who are alive in Christ? It means we consciously choose to reflect His goodness in our decisions, actions, and attitudes. It means actively rejecting sin and pursuing righteousness. I know it sounds simplistic at times but to Jesus there is nothing simple about sin. Not at all.
Jesus earlier in Matthew chapter 5 in his sermon on the mount says: If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.
We don’t like the topic of hell. We try to avoid talking about it. But Jesus makes us fully aware in our Gospel reading about it. He says: Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. But thankfully, through Jesus, we don’t have to worry about that as he says: Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; As he reminds us just how precious we are to God:
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Paul’s call to action is to “consider” ourselves dead to sin and alive to God through our Baptism. Our Baptism invites us into a daily practice of recognizing our identity in Christ and living accordingly. Luther also explains that in his explanation of Baptism in the Small Catechism: He says: that the Old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a new self should daily emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever. And he then goes on to quote todays reading from Romans. And God helps us through prayer, worship, and the study of His Word—by allowing God’s truth and the waters of our Baptism to saturate our lives. As we immerse ourselves in His presence, we find transformative power to live out our new identity.
In conclusion, Romans 6:1-11 presents us with a powerful reality: we are dead to sin and alive to God. As we reflect on this incredible truth, let us allow the grace of God to lead us away from sin and toward deeper fellowship with Him.
