Main Scripture: Romans 6:1-14
Main Idea: In our union with Christ, we’ve been made dead to sin and alive to God.
1. We’ve died to our old master of sin
“How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death… 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his…6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin…10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all…”
· In Adam, sin was our master. We belonged to sin.
· We were slaves who could not free ourselves.
· We belonged to the kingdom of sin
· We could only be freed from our obligation to our master through death.
· Because Christ Jesus died for all of our sins and bore the full punishment of death for our sins, no penalty for sins remains.
· All of us who have been born again by Christ Jesus were completely submersed into His death.
· In effect, we died when Christ died. Our old way of life was completely buried with Christ when we became Christians – the tomb was sealed and the old order of the life of sin has come to an end.
· We could not be raised to life unless we first experienced a death.
· In our union with Him, we have died to sin like Him.
· Death marks the closure of all contracts, agreements and obligations on this earth.
· A dead man has no debt. Justice is no longer carried out on a man who died. Death is the final word & the ultimate finality.
· Once one has died, he cannot be punished any further.
· Our old self was crucified with Christ. This is not something that we must do, nor something that is yet to be done to us that we must make happen.
· This scripture is not a command to be crucified or to die to self or to die to sin.
· All of those who have been united with Christ by faith are considered as already crucified with Jesus in His crucifixion.
· In Christ’s death, we’ve already died to the penalties for sin
· In Christ’s death, we’ve already died to the authority of sin
· Christ’s payment was in full – He died once and for all sin.
· The body of sin – the ruling power of sin has been brought to nothing.
2. We’ve been made alive to our new Lord
“in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life…. we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his…. we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him… but the life he lives he lives to God”
· Because we’ve died to sin, we’ve been set free from the power of sin
· A dead man is not accountable for his sin and we who have died to sin no longer have to answer for our sins. We no longer are enslaved; we have been set free!
· "When my oldest brother heard we were free, he gave a whoop, ran, and jumped a high fence, and told mammy good-bye. Then he grabbed me up and hugged and kissed me and said, "Brother is gone, don't expect you'll ever see me any more," I don't know where he went, but I never did see him again." - Susan Ross
· Christ has completely paid for our sin and conquered death, which is the penalty for sin, so now no penalty for sin remains for those who have been united with Him.
· His resurrection was the proof that no punishment remained and because He fully took the punishment for sin, He will never die again, since death no longer can lay any claim to Him and all those who have become united with Him.
· Through the resurrection of Christ we have been made alive to Him
· We can know God and hear our His voice as our Master now. “My sheep hear my voice”…
3. We must live out what we already are
“So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace”
· Hebrews 7:27 “He has no need… to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.”
· Hebrews 9:11-12 “But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent ( not made with hands, that is, not of this creation he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.”
Potential Application Questions:
1. What does the fact that we’ve been freed from any and all obligations to our old master of sin mean to us?
2. How does it affect the way you approach a stronghold of sin in your life to know that we don’t have to obey sin any more – that sin will not have dominion over us and is no longer our master?
3. What is the affect on our thinking, of really knowing (not just believing abstractly) that we’ve been made alive with the resurrection life of Christ?
4. How does the truth of this scripture protect us against these two false extremes of either:
a. viewing sanctification as something we will never be able to make progress in (we’re only worms)
b. viewing sanctification as something we don’t need to pursue once we’ve achieved “victory” in the Christian walk.
5. Where have we lacked faith in our pursuit of Sanctification? How can we practically consider our being dead to sin and alive to Christ as we face this area anew?
6. How is being grounded in who we are meant to protect us against legalism in pursuing sanctification?
