United With Christ

Romans 6:1–5 NKJV

1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,

Rom

In the previous chapter Paul make a bold statement.

Romans 5:20–21 NKJV

20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, 21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Rom. 5:20-21

Paul already had critics of his gospel saying that his teaching was that we should do evil that good may come. This doctrine is known as antinomianism. It takes the abundant grace of God to an ungodly conclusion, namely that we should continue in sin giving no heed to God’s moral laws.

The magnitude of gospel of grace is so incomprehensible, how that by faith in Jesus Christ God declares me righteous forgiving my sins, that it will always beg the question, “if it’s not about my works then why not just continue sinning? In fact, if our understanding of grace doesn’t bring this same criticism then we may not be preaching the same gospel that Paul preached.

Rom 5:20:21

That being said, Paul makes it clear in this chapter that he is not an antinomian.

First Paul put forward the question of his critics?

Romans 6:1 NKJV

1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?

If where sin abounds, grace abounds much more, then why not continue sinning so that God’s grace might all the more abound?

Paul’s answer begins with a phase we will see later on as well, It is translated “God forbid” or “certainly not” or “by no means” or “of course not” the Greek phrase has been problematic for translators because we don’t have anything in english that expresses this phrase accurately. It’s not just no but “no and how dare you even think it?”

Romans 6:2 NKJV

2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

if we take this verse alone it would seem a strange answer, however this is Paul’s lead into an explanation of our union with Christ which as we will see provides an answer to this objection to grace. Paul’s first point being that we are united with Christ in death

In the Likeness of His Death

Romans 6:3–4 NKJV

3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Rom 6:

So I have two questions from these verses that I would like to explore. First what does Paul mean “we who died to sin”? And secondly what baptism is Paul referring to here?

What does Paul mean “died to sin”?

A very common understanding would be that we are dead in Christ through union with Him therefore just like a dead person can’t see, smell, touch, or taste, he also can’t sin. it can’t be tempted with sin because he is dead. So then how can a dead person continue in sin. so in a sense death has saved us from sinning because when we were alive we sinned but now that we are dead we cannot sin.

The problem with this is we are not dead in fact this chapter points out that we are alive in Christ and we must live for God. Also if I we are indeed dead to sin then why do we still sin. Surly it would be imposable for a dead person to sin.

This is not the only time this phrase in used in this chapter.

Romans 6:10 NKJV

10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.

Rom 6:

But see Christ did not need to be saved from sinning because

Hebrews 4:15 NKJV

15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

So what does Paul mean when he says that “Christ died to sin once for all?” I believe he is speaking of substitutionary atonement or the vicarious death. Which are just big theological words that mean that Jesus died in my place taking my sins on himself he died to my sins once and for all. He paid the penalty of death which is the penalty for sin.

So then what does Paul mean when he says...

Romans 6:2 NKJV

2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

Romans 6:2 NKJV

2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

Rom

Well to stay within the context of this chapter he is referring to the union we have with Christ and his death on the cross which would mean that his point is we, in Christ, have died to sin meaning the penalty of sin is paid and we no longer live under it’s condemnation of guilt or dominion of sin so how could we continue to live in sin.

The second question

What Baptism is Paul Taking About?

In the Bible there are different baptisms mentioned, there is baptism with fire, baptism with the Holy Spirit and of course water baptism. Baptism means to be immersed literally to make fully wet. So unless it is otherwise specified we must take baptism to be speaking of water baptism.

Now often this passage in interpreted as baptism of the Spirit because of a concern that otherwise Paul might be teaching baptismal regeneration or that salvation is of baptism. However, I don’t believe there is any danger of that when we consider that Paul has just spent the last 5 chapters teaching that justification is by faith and faith alone.

So how do we take this passage if we understand this to be water baptism? Baptism is an outward picture of a spiritual reality, That reality is that by faith I have accepted the substitutionary atonement of Christ and therefore I have united with Christ so that His death becomes my death and His life becomes my life.

This brings us to Paul’s next point in his argument against continuing in sin which is that we are....

In the Likeness of His Resurrection

through union with Christ we have died to sin, no longer under the condemnation of sin, no longer under the dominion of sin we have been freed from sin therefore, just as we have been united with Christ in death we have also been united to Christ through His resurrection.

Romans 6:4–5 NKJV

4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,

Just as Christ rose from the dead we also will be raised from the dead. This is why the disciples preach the resurrection of Christ everywhere they went. They understood the significants of it. The fact that Christ was raised from the dead is proof that we also will be raised from the dead.

Although

However, Paul is referring here to the resurrection as proof that that we are to live the resurrection life now. “even so we also should walk in newness of life. The old man in the old life was a slave to sin, was under the condemnation and guilt of sin. He had no other choice other than to continue in sin. However, in Christ and signified by baptism that old man has been crucified with Christ and a new man has been raised up. This new man is not under the condemnation of sin and has been raise to walk in a newness of life one where there is another choice we can chose to not sin we can yield the members of our bodies to righteousness instead of sin. I believe that Paul’s point is that if you are even asking the question shall we sin that grace may abound then you are missing the point of your justification and your union with Christ. We have been justified so that we might be sanctified and one day we will be glorified.