WHAT BELIEVERS ENTER INTO BECAUSE OF UNION WITH CHRIST
Romans 6:1-23
As taught by Dave Lindstrom
I. As justified believers, we are now united with Christ in his death(vs 1-7). As such we should:
A. realize tat we have dies with Christ and therefore are free to not live in sin(vs 1-5; Col. 3:3,4).
1. We now have the ability to sin less often. The outward act of water baptism is a symbol of the inward reality (vs 1-3; Col. 2:20).
2. We now have the ability to please God and live righteously (Eph. 5:8-10). Paul calls this walking in newness of life (vs. 4,5). The theological term for this is sanctification (set apart to holiness and used in vs 19,22).
B. realize that our old self (before justification) was crucified so that the body of sin (our sinful tendencies, not our physical body, Rom. 7; Gal. 5:17, Col. 2:11) might be destroyed (vs 6, 7; Eph. 4:22; 25-31; Col. 3:5-9).
Thought: How does dying with Christ free you from sinning?
II. As justified believers, we are now united with Christ in his resurrected life (vs 8-14). As such we should:
A. realize we have been raised with Christ and therefore live with him now and in the future (vs 8, Col. 3:1,2).
B. Realize that Christ (as our redeemer and example) died to sin once, now lives to please God and at the core of our being this is also true with us (vs 9-11; 2 Cor. 5:14-21; I Peter 3:18).
C. Not let sin reign (basilueto- “to be king”, a present, imperative) in our mortal (thnatos- “subject to death”) bodies (vs 12).
D. Not offer (“place at ones disposal”, a present, imperative) the parts of our bodies as tools or weapons (hopla) of unrighteousness for the purpose of sinning. Rather we are to realize we have already offered (aorist, imperative) our body parts to God as tools or weapons of righteousness (vs 13.14).
Thought: Which body part do you need to place at God’s disposal today?
III. As justified believers who are united with Christ, you have a moment by moment choice of whether to serve sin or righteousness (vs 15-23; Gal. 5:13-26).
A. The principle is this: we become servants to whatever we choose to obey (vs 15,16). Obedience to sin takes us away from God’s desired pathway for us (encompassed in the word death)(vs 16; 1 Cor. 11:27-32) and obedience to God moves us closer into His fellowship and righteousness (vs 16; I John 1:3-7).
B. By being heart-obedient to this form of teaching which has been handed over to us (“paradidomai”- as to a new slave master), we can make true progress in righteousness (vs 17, 18).
C. Like we used to offer our bodies for impurity (immoral sexual activity) and wickedness (lawlessness), we now are to offer our body parts to righteousness and sanctification (vs 19, 20; Eph. 4:23, 24; Col. 3:10-17).
D. The wages for choosing to be a servant of sin is shame and death (separated fellowship, discipline, etc.). Choosing to live as a servant of righteousness brings the gift of God’s full salvation (fellowship, blessing, reward, etc.) and eventually fullness of true life forever (including a new glorified body) (vs 21-23; Matt 19:29; I Cor. 3:11-15; 2 Cor. 5:10).
