"Buried With Christ"

Romans 6:1–4 CSB

What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life.

HOOK: Zombie Gospel

Some people think Christianity is just about “behavior modification”

like dragging around your old self and trying to make it behave.

But Jesus didn’t come to make bad people better.

He came to make dead people alive.

Transition:

That’s the problem with the ‘zombie gospel’:

it tries to keep the old self alive while pretending to follow Jesus.

But the gospel doesn’t offer “sin management”

it offers a funeral.

A real one.

And that’s exactly what Paul is talking about in Romans 6.

He’s not calling us to try harder—he’s calling us to die.

To bury the old self. And to rise with Christ into something completely new.

Let’s look at what he says…

BOOK:

Romans 6:1–4 CSB

1 What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? 2 Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life.

Context:

Romans 5 ends with “where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more.”

Jesus, The Better Adam

“The New Humanity”

In Romans 6, Paul anticipates the objection: “If grace covers all sin, should we just sin more?”

Paul’s answer is emphatic: Absolutely not! (literally: “God forbid!” in Greek)

Baptism is the physical sign of a spiritual reality: We have died with Christ and are raised to new life with Him.

Baptism is our funeral.

Union with Christ Means a Shared Story

When Paul says we are “baptized into His death,” he’s saying our story is now inseparably linked to Jesus’.

HIS death becomes OUR death to sin. HIS resurrection becomes OUR resurrection to life.

Illustration:

Think of a marriage:

when two people become one, their lives are no longer separate.

What affects one affects the other.

In Christ, we are united in His death and resurrection.

Death to Sin Is a Past Event, Not a Future Goal

Paul uses past tense: “we were buried,” “we have died to sin.”

This isn’t something we’re working toward—it’s something that’s already happened IF we are in Christ.

We don’t fight for victory over sin—we fight from victory.

Application:

Stop trying to earn what’s already been given.

Start living like it’s true.

“Newness of Life” Is a Daily Reality (verse 4)

“Walk in newness of life” is present tense—ongoing, daily.

It’s not just a one-time event at salvation or baptism; it’s a continual journey of transformation.

Illustration: Like a phone that receives a software update—it’s the same device, but now it runs differently.

In Christ, we’ve received a spiritual update that changes how we operate.

Baptism Is a Declaration of Allegiance

In the early church, baptism was a bold public statement—often at great personal cost.

Still is today. Families cast people out…

It is a FUNERAL.

It is saying, “I belong to Jesus now. My old life is gone.”

Challenge:

Are you living like someone who’s declared allegiance to Christ?

Someone who has been RESURRECTED TO NEW LIFE IN CHRIST?

Or are you still trying to keep one foot in the grave?

God’s Glory Raises Us

Verse 4 says we are raised “by the glory of the Father.”

This isn’t self-help or moral improvement—it’s divine intervention.

The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in you.

Cross-reference:

Ephesians 1:19–20 CSB

and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength. He exercised this power in Christ by raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens…

LOOK: So What?

1. Grace Doesn’t Excuse Sin—It Kills It

Grace is not God winking at sin—it’s God crushing sin through the cross.

Illustration: A cancer patient doesn't ask, “Can I keep a little bit of the tumor?”

We shouldn’t treat sin like a pet—it’s a predator.

2. Baptism Is a Burial and a Resurrection

In Christ, your old self is buried. The water symbolizes a grave.

Greek word for baptism means to immerse, submerge—think of being submerged into death.

Illustration: Baptism is like pressing the reset button—not to go back, but to become brand new.

The life you were made to live.

One that walks with Jesus in the Garden…

Just like Jesus didn’t stay in the grave, neither do we.

And baptism is an act of spiritual warfare

just as when Jesus descended into Hades and made a show of the Rebellious sons of God, so do we, as a reminder to them that King Jesus reigns.

3. We Walk in Newness of Life

Christianity isn’t behavior modification—it’s identity transformation.

Illustration:

A butterfly doesn’t just “try harder” to stop being a caterpillar.

It becomes something totally new.

In Christ, we don’t just clean up the old life—we receive a new one.

TOOK: How Do We Respond?

Ask Yourself:

Have I treated grace like a free pass instead of a power source?

Have I been baptized—not just symbolically, but spiritually united with Christ?

Am I walking like someone who has truly been raised with Christ?

Practical Takeaways:

Kill sin daily.

Not because God will love you more, but because He already gave you new life.

Confess hidden sin and bury it for good.

“Confess”= say the same thing

Reaffirm your baptism.

If you’ve been baptized, remember your burial and resurrection.

If not, consider taking that step (opportunity for next Baptism Sunday).

Walk in newness of life.

Live like you’re free.

Make decisions this week that reflect your new identity, not your old one.

Serve, give, forgive, and love like someone who’s been raised from the dead.

Eyes on Jesus.

Daily Renewal: Ask God each day: “How can I walk in newness of life today?”

Closing Illustration:

A man once asked a sculptor how he carved a majestic lion from a block of stone. The sculptor replied, “I just chip away everything that doesn’t look like a lion.”

That’s what God is doing in us—He chips away everything that doesn’t look like Jesus.

You don’t need to live defined by the marks of your past.

You are buried with Christ—and you walk in newness of life.