Dead to Sin but Alive to God

The argument of Paul is a sinner is justified and declared ‘not guilty’ by the grace of God. The question is if forgiveness and justification are so easy and grace abounds where sin abounds, then why not go on sinning, so that grace also may increase?

This misunderstanding is what Paul is trying to clear in the first section of Chapter 6, from verses 1 to 14. This misunderstanding was hinted upon and condemned by Paul at Rom.3:7-8, “Let us do evil that good may result?” Such an attitude would be to take advantage of God’s goodness. Paul analyses this misunderstanding by taking first the rite of baptism. 

 

God’s grace is abundant and sin is forgiven, but it does not make sin any less serious. Jesus had to die a gruesome death on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. That was the price sin extracted. It is not something to be fooled around.

Paul’s stand is we have died to sin and hence we cannot go on living in it any longer. Paul takes up water baptism to show we are dead to sin. According to him, when we are baptized into Christ Jesus, we are baptized into his death.

During Paul’s time, in the first century AD, the church had only full immersion baptism. Baptism, as is today also, a public proclamation that the new believer has taken Christ as his or her Saviour, in the presence of the church as a witness. Thereafter the person is admitted into the Body of Christ, the church. As such it is an important sacrament and one ordained by the Lord. Matthew 28:19.

When we went under the water during baptism, it is symbolic of the fact that we were buried with Christ into death. Our old self was buried, along with sin and our sinful nature. But the bright point is we also arise victoriously with Christ from death just like He rose from death in His resurrection, to a sinless life, a new and victorious life in Christ.  

Immersion in water during baptism is a burial and emerging from the water after baptism is a resurrection. Paul’s view is, if we are united in Christ in death through baptism, then we are also united with Him in His resurrection. One follows the other.

This formula is also the “Christ-mysticism” of Paul. Whoever is baptised is baptised into Christ and that person is ‘in Christ.’ It is not an Eastern mysticism where the bakt or the devotee enters ecstasy, losing senses and experience merger with the object of devotion.

It is an act of being included in the ‘corporate personality’ of Christ, which is manifest in the church. It includes an active fellowship with the other believers in the church, which is the body of Christ.

Paul’s argument is our old sinful self has been crucified with Jesus Christ on the cross and then buried along with Him. This meant the body with tendency to sin has been done away with. We can no longer sin or no longer want to sin. We are no longer slaves to sin. We are not under the influence and control of sin, but have overcome sin. The power of sin over us is broken. 

The exhilarating news is, if we died with Christ, we will also live with Him. When Christ rose from death, he won a victory over death and provided us also a hope that we will also be raised from death. This is the assurance of eternal life, which we received on the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Christ rose from His grave on the third day, raised by the power of God. He can no longer die; He died once and for all for sin of the world and now that he is resurrected, he lives his life for God. Death has no hold or mastery over him. He defied death and rose victoriously against it.  

Similarly, we are also dead to sin but are alive to God in Christ Jesus. The cycle of death that reigned from the time of Adam to Moses is broken and we have the assurance of eternal life. Death has been conquered, so also sin.

This was accomplished by Jesus Christ, who while he was in flesh, though tempted, never succumbed to sin; by obedience to God unto death, He won a victory over the sinful nature of mankind. Phil.2:8.

Since we are dead to sin, let there be no misunderstanding regarding sin. We can no longer go on sinning, since we are once and for all, dead to sin. We are alive to God in Christ. By the help of the Holy Spirit indwelling us, we are given a new start and a new life.

The doubt persists in our minds, where are the believers sinless? The most devoted man is still in flesh and is still fallible. But with the help of the Holy Spirit, it is still possible to lead a sinless and victorious life on earth. It is Jesus who has won the victory over sin and it is ours to claim.

We need to orient our minds toward such a sinless life. We must refuse to let sin reign in our bodies or to obey its evil desires. We need to appropriate what Christ did for us on the cross; He broke the hold of sin on human race. He won a victory over sin and death. This we need to appropriate in our lives.

Instead of offering the parts of our bodies to sin as instruments of wickedness, Paul is exhorting us to offer the parts of our bodies to God as instruments of righteousness.

The seat of sin is the body, the flesh; it emanates as illegal sexual desires, boasting, covetousness, desire after power, money, position and authority; seeking vengeance and so on. These are the natural instincts of the human body and human nature. Paul’s advice is not to yield to these tendencies, since we are dead to sin, but turn to God to live a life worthy of godly standards. God calls each one of us, “Be holy for I, your Lord God, am Holy.” Leviticus 19:2.  

Sin is not to be our master, because we are no longer under Law, but under grace, says Paul. Law does not give us the power to resist and win over sin; but grace does. With this Paul concludes his first analysis of sin and the misunderstanding that we can sin more as grace abounds.

Grace of God let God’s Son be sacrificed for our sins and apply the victory He won over sin and death to us. Especially as we got buried in baptism with Christ and got resurrected along with Jesus Christ. Grace showered on the believers the Holy Spirit, who gives us victory over sin.

We are lifted above the sinful nature of our flesh and given the taste of the sinless nature of Christ as we appropriate this nature from what Christ had done for us on the cross.  

Hallelujah!