Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
--Notice the series of rhetorical questions Paul asks.
-- Within the rhetorical questions, Paul teaches some important points. For instance, he says we should not go on sinning so grace may increase.
--All of us were baptized into Christ Jesus were also baptized into his death. In other words, Jesus was the firstfruit of dying so that we don't have to be afraid of it because he took the sting out of death and the victory out of the grave.
5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
Just as Jesus was resurrected from the dead, we will be resurrected also.
8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
--Jesus died once and for all for all of us. He doesn't need to die again.
11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
This is one of Paul's main teaching. He again emphasizes that sin is not our master because we are not under the Old Testament law, but under grace because of Jesus' redemptive death on the cross.
Slaves to Righteousness
15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! 16 Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
Paul asks a series of rhetorical questions again to emphasize that we are free from sin but we are slaves to righteousness which is much better.
19 I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Paul uses an example from everyday life to further explain his point. Paul says in the past people were slaves to sin, but now we should be slaves to righteousness that leads to holiness. Sin results in death, but the benefit of righteousness leads to holiness and the result is eternal life.
--Verse 23 is part of the Roman Road Plan of Salvation. The scriptures are in this order: Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 10:9-10.
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