(13) Sin’s power is broken – Romans 6:1-14

1  Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more kindness and forgiveness?  2 Of course not!  Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?  3 Or have you forgotten that when we became Christians and were baptized to become one with Christ Jesus, we died with Him?  4 For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism.  And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.  5 Since we have been united with Him in His death, we will also be raised as He was.  6 Our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives.  We are no longer slaves to sin.  7 For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.  8 And since we died with Christ, we know we will also share His new life.  9 We are sure of this because Christ rose from the dead, and He will never die again.  Death no longer has any power over Him.  10 He died once to defeat sin, and now He lives for the glory of God.  11 So you should consider yourself dead to sin and able to live for the glory of God through Christ Jesus.  12 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to its lustful desires.  13 Do not let any part of your body become a tool of wickedness, to be used for sinning.  Instead, give yourselves completely to God since you have been given a new life.  And use your whole body as a tool to do what is right for the glory of God.  14 Sin is no longer your master, for you are no longer subject to the law, which enslaves you to sin.  Instead, you are free by God’s grace.

There are always those who have it in their minds to “beat-the-system”, or otherwise, try to get something for nothing.  It was no different in first century Rome.  The first century Roman Christians knew of the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, but were never taught about living the new life that comes from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  Yes, it is true that God pours out more and more blessings of kindness and forgiveness when we sin against Him, but only as a way of showing us that He will never leave us or forsake us.  When we become Christians, we died with Christ to become one with Him.  This is symbolized in baptism by us being buried under water, and rising up as a new person.

Paul had heard that the Christians in Rome were living double lives.  Today we call them Carnal Christians – those that profess their faith in Christ, but still live immoral lives.  Paul stressed the importance of the relationship that we have with Christ through baptism.  In verses 3 & 4, Paul reminded his readers that we died with Christ when we became Christians.  And, just as He rose again, we too are raised to new lives.  Our old, sinful selves were crucified with Him on the cross when He took upon Himself all of the sins of the world.  And, because of His act of kindness, we are set free from the power of sin when we become one with Him.

In verse 8, Paul gives us the promise of salvation, “And since we died with Christ, we know we will also share His new life.” 

We search for meaning and purpose in our lives, and we never seem to find it.  When we are young, we race out into our futures with big plans and high hopes.  And, more often than not, we end up settling for something less than our dreams. 

But, what does this mean in our everyday lives?  Earlier on in this study, Paul showed us that we are programmed to obey our master.  As humans, our master is naturally sin.  The sin of Adam passed on to us a sinful nature.  Because of our sinful nature, we naturally gravitate towards sin.

Now, by our faith in Jesus Christ, we are set free from the power of sin.  With Christ, we are now free to live for the glory of God.  Our point of reference has changed.  Instead of living for ourselves, under the watchful eye of the world, we now are free to live for the glory of God.  Our lives take on a whole new meaning and purpose.  We are free to do what we were created, designed, and planned to do by God Himself.  You may be doing exactly what you are called to do, and the only thing missing is the emptiness of doing it for yourself.  When we do what we do for the glory of God, we experience His blessings, His purpose, and His guidance.

What if you are not doing what you are called to do?  Can you put your un-known future in the hands of a real and living God?  I can only speak from my own experience.  People that have known me for years, probably didn’t notice much of an outward change.  I didn’t run off and become a missionary in Africa.  I didn’t quit my job to become a preacher.  I’m still working as a mechanic.  But, there was still a transformation.  Speaking from my heart, I can say that this transformation began with the overwhelming peace that comes with knowing that there truly is a God that wants me to know Him as well as He knows me.  It is the peace in knowing that, just like the thief on the cross, I have the blessed assurance that on the day I leave this mortal body, I will be with Him in paradise.  It is life-changing.

Will we still sin?  Of course we will.  It is a struggle for us not to.  But, now by believing in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we now have power over sin.  We can choose not to sin.  Our perspective has changed from living for ourselves, to living for the glory of God, and with that comes the strength to overcome temptation.

Do you need to be baptized to live a life for Christ, that is, to be a Christian?  The answer is yes.  Why?  In Matthew 28:19, Jesus gave us the Great Commission.  He said, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”  But why is baptism so important to Jesus?  In Matthew 3:13-15, Jesus came to John the Baptist to be baptized.  John felt completely unworthy, and said to Jesus, “I should be the one being baptized by you.  Why are you coming to me?”  And Jesus said, “It must be done, because we must do everything that is right.”  Jesus didn’t need to be baptized for the forgiveness of His sins.  He had no sin. 

No, it was much deeper than that.  The wages of sin is death.  We have to die so that we can live.

Baptism is an outward expression of an inward commitment.  It is dying to our old self.  It is our individual way of publicly stating that we are going this way, and not that way – much like circumcision in the Jewish Law.  Once it is done, it is done – there is no turning back.

Jesus baptism separated Him from the other religious teachers, and more importantly, it was the will of the Father.  When Jesus came up out of the water, the Spirit of God descended on Him like a dove, and a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” 

There is no “test drive” in Christianity.  You can’t just give it a try and decide whether or not it is right for you.  You have to sign on the “bottom line”.  And, your signature is baptism.  It is you standing in front of the whole world and saying, “I am making this choice to make the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit my new master.”  No one can do it for you.  You have to do it on your own.  And the return?  Paul explained in his second letter to the Church in Corinth, “What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons.  They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone.  A new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT)

Salvation is a one time act.  Sanctification is a journey that begins with repentance – the turning away from sin.  It is the start of a new life with the power of the Holy Spirit living within us.  It is the purpose that we all have searched for in our lives.  “Sin is no longer your master, for you are no longer subject to the law, which enslaves you to sin.  Instead, you are free by God’s grace. (Romans 6:14 NLT)

Study Questions

Are you living a double life?

Is the old, sinful person still alive and well in you?  Paul asked the question in verse 2, “…Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?”  Many people do.  It’s one thing to stumble into sin on occasion, but it is a whole other thing to continue to live in it.  Sins like un-forgiveness and gossip are a part of our everyday lives.  Pre-marital sex and adultery are widespread even among Christians.  Maybe its time to make a commitment, or re-commitment to Christ and be free from the power of sin in your life.

Have you been baptized?

It’s surprising how many church-going Christians have never been baptized.  What are you waiting for?  Make that commitment.  Show the world that you are going His way.