Romans 6:1-14: Dead to Sin; Alive to Christ

Introduction

https://wtop.com/trending-now/2025/12/san-francisco-woman-gives-birth-in-a-waymo-self-driving-taxi/ - A crazy story of new life? For that mom, a birth story she will never forget.

If you are a follower of Jesus, you have a new-life story. You’ve been born again (John 3). You have a birth story that you cannot forget - a story of how you went from spiritual death to spiritual life.

The Christmas story is a story of new life.

Yet, for many, new life doesn’t always feel very new.

New life in Christ is supposed to be a life of victory over sin, but many of us feel stuck in sin. You’re constantly giving into temptation. More than once you’ve thought, “I can’t believe I did that again.”

While you will continue to struggle with sin as a follower of Jesus, you don’t have to stay stuck in it.

Do you want to make progress in your walk with the Lord or are you satisfied with staying stuck in your sin? Do you want to be like Jesus, or are you content with being like the world?

Romans 6 shows us that if you are in Christ, you can’t settle for anything less than being alive to God and dead to sin.

In this passage, Paul shows us two ways to live the new life Jesus has given us.

Remember what you declared in the baptismal waters.

Romans 5:20 - Where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more. That statement leads to a question, “If my sin multiplies God’s grace, shouldn’t I keep on sinning? My sin is not that bad. It’s actually good, because it makes God’s grace even more obvious.”

Romans 6:1-2 - Paul’s objection. Absolutely not! You don’t continue to live in sin so that grace may multiply! When you came to faith, that was a day of death! (Galatians 2:20).

In baptism, you publicly declared what you died to, and who you now belong to. Remembering our baptism will shape how we fight sin. Baptism doesn’t save us, but we do believe that baptism is a significant moment in the life of a believer because it is a visual display of what God has done inside of you. It is a public declaration of the commitment you’ve made to Jesus Christ.

What you need to know about baptism (doctrinal):

Baptism means immersion. Going under the water and coming back up is a picture of death and resurrection.

Baptism follows your conversion. It’s a testimony of your conversion, not a substitute for conversion.

Baptism is a public declaration of faith before the body of Christ. It’s a declaration of identification. You don’t have to be baptized in a church building, but you need to be baptized before the body of Christ.

Baptism is a beautiful picture of the Gospel at work in your life. Everyone time someone is baptized we should think, “Me to… I did that too…”

What Paul is saying about baptism: (exegetical):

Baptism is a funeral services. (vs. 4) - Going under the water is a symbol of death to your old way of life (drowning). Baptism is the happiest funeral service you’ll ever attend because you are saying goodbye to a life that was leading you to an eternity apart from God. There are no tears of grief at a baptism. Only tears of joy.

Baptism is a birthday celebration.We may not celebrate on your actual spiritual birthday, but it’s a birthday celebration nonetheless. When someone goes through the waters, we’re celebrating new life.

Baptism is a declaration of transformation. In baptism, you’re declaring that God has actually made you new - that you are putting off the old and putting on the new. That you are not the same as you once were. That you have a new master - Jesus Christ.

Baptism is the visual reminder for all of us to see that you were saved from something (eternal death) and you were saved for something (life with God for God’s purposes).

Baptism is a picture of your present and future resurrection - you are alive to Christ now and awaiting His return when you will be given a resurrected body.

Baptism is a visual reminder of your union with Christ. You were in Adam (Romans 5), but now you are in Christ.

Union with Christ means that all that is true of Jesus is now true of you. Jesus’ death counts as our death to sin. Jesus’ righteousness counts as our righteousness. Jesus’ resurrection counts as our resurrected life. This DOES NOT mean that we become divine or sinless, but it does mean that God sees us in Christ, not in Adam.

We declare this in baptism - what is true about us positionally, is progressively becoming true about us practically as the Spirit sanctifies us.

When temptation bears down on you go back to your baptism. Remember the funeral. Remember the celebration. Remember what you declared before the body of Christ - what you are dead to, and what you are alive to. Remember the public commitment you made to Jesus.

Remembering your baptism shapes how you fight sin.

In baptism you didn’t say, “It’s ok to sin because God will forgive me later.” You said, “Because of what Jesus has done, I want sin to die in my life.”

Baptism is a declaration of war against sin - you’re committing to fight.

In baptism, you made yourself accountable to the body of Christ. You said to the church, “Help me in the fight. Pray for me. Rebuke and correct me when I sin. Discipline me if necessary.”

If you’ve postponed baptism, now is time to make your faith in Christ publicly known.

Elf jokes… I get them this time of year… My true identity is not short but IN CHRIST - that’s the most important thing about me…

Never settle for anything less than victory in Jesus.

vs. 6-7 - The theological reality we declare in baptism - Our old self was crucified with Jesus. We’re no longer enslaved to sin. We are freed from it. Sin rendered powerless - your old nature doesn’t have power over you. You can walk away from sin. You don’t have to give in. Wasn’t true before you came to Christ. Sin was your master.

vs. 8-9 - We will live with the ONE who died and rose again, who is seated at the right hand of God, and who will never die again. Death does not rule over Jesus - it touched Him, but it did not rule over Him. He defeated it. Since Jesus was sinless, death had no claim on His life. The grave could not hold Him.

Now, death does not rule over you. Physical death, the curse of sin, condemnation, separation from God - because of the death and resurrection of Jesus none of those things rule over Jesus or those who have placed their faith in Him.

vs. 10-11 - Jesus died once and for all time - He is the ultimate sacrifice for sins. He lives forever for His Father - everything He came to do, He did it for the glory of His Father and for our good.

The life He lives, He lives to God - Jesus is fully devoted, living for the purpose of the Father, in perfect obedience, in perfect service, in perfect fellowship.

Jesus will never bear sin again. He will only live for the glory of the Father and our good.

Paul’s point: you never have to worry about Jesus being defeated. The grave will not call Jesus back because Jesus defeated it. AND Because you are united to Christ, you are DEAD to sin. You are alive to God in Christ Jesus (vs. 11).

You have victory in Jesus. How do you live in the victory that God has given you in His Son?

Count sin as dead. vs. 11 - “Consider” - Paul uses this word 19 times in Romans - God has “counted you” righteous, now you need to “count yourself” dead to sin. Constantly tell yourself the truth about your identity in Christ. This is why remembering your baptism is so important. Present tense verb… Count yourself alive to God - after all, you’re in Christ. What is true of Jesus is true of you. You are in fellowship with the Father. You are counted righteous before Him. You are in service to the Father.

Every time you’re tempted tell yourself: “I have a new master. Sin is not my master.” We give in to temptation because we don’t think well about who we really are. Be honest: how do you really view sin? As just a normal part of life or an enemy that must die?

Romans (1) Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ (6:1–14)

For the Christian to choose to sin is the spiritual equivalent of digging up a corpse for fellowship. A genuine death to sin means that the entire perspective of the believer has been radically altered.

Cut sin from your life. vs. 12-14 - Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal bodies. Paul is not saying that you will be perfect. He talks about his own battle in Romans 7.

The penalty of sin has been paid, but sin is still present. You still live in a broken world, and you still wrestle with the old nature. However, sin has lost its claim on your life. Sin has no power to destroy your salvation in Jesus.

Do not offer parts of your body to sin - your eyes: what you see. Your mouth: what you say. Your feet: where you go. Your mind: what you think. Your hands: what you do, etc.

How do you cut sin from your life?

Name it. Don’t soften sin in your life. e.g., I just have a weakness… Or, It’s complicated… Just how I’m wired… My personality…

Instead, “I look at porn.” “I lie.” “I’m an addict.” “I’m prideful.” “I explode in anger.”

You cannot repent of what you refuse to define. So, define sin in your life so you can run to God’s in confession and repentance.

Ask God AND His people for help. You can’t fight sin alone, and you don’t have to. You have the Spirit of God and His church.

Cut off the access. What needs to go? Your device? What conversations do you need to remove yourself from? What relationships do you need to build? Putting sin to death is a fight - it doesn’t come naturally. You can’t drift into holiness. You have to fight for holiness.

Consecrate yourself daily.

vs. 13-14 - Don’t offer your bodies to sin as weapons of unrighteousness. You have a real choice - you can go back to the old self and cooperate with the work of the enemy, or you can present yourself to God as one who has new life. Give yourself to God as a weapon of righteousness. Give yourself to God for His purpose. Sin will not rule over you - you are under the grace of God. The Law exposed sin, but grace defeated it. You are under grace.

You get to decide daily who gets your body, who gets your words, who gets your attention, who gets your obedience. You will you present yourself to.

Consecrating yourself means you put off sin (cut it) and put on those things you know honor God. (Ephesians 4).

What God-honoring characteristics or habits do you need to put on? Generosity? Encouragement? Gospel-sharing? Humility? Serving through your spiritual giftedness? Kindness? Forgiving others?

How do I start putting on the things that honor God? Just do it - just start giving. Just start speaking words of kindness. Just start being honest. Heart often follows habit. The more you do what you know honors the Lord, the more you grow in your affection for the Lord and the more you want to do what honors Him. Just start. Don’t give excuses. Obey.

This morning, if you are not a follower of Jesus, you can have new life if you repent of your sins and turn to Jesus by faith believing that He died and rose again for you.

Follower of Jesus, what sins do you need to cut? What God-honoring characteristics or habits do you need to put on?

Follower of Jesus, do you need to take a step of obedience and be baptized?