Romans 6:1-11 "Death to Life

Devotional

Day 1: Dying to Sin and Living in Christ

The Christian life is marked by a decisive break with sin, not because of personal goodness, but because God has worked in the heart to bring about a hatred for sin and a new identity in Christ. This transformation is not about becoming a better person, but about dying to the old self and being made alive to God through Jesus. The reality of being "dead to sin" means that the old way of life is finished, and a new life has begun, empowered by the Holy Spirit to walk in obedience and freedom. [08:07]

Romans 6:1-4 (ESV)
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

Reflection: In what area of your life do you still act as if the old self is in control? How can you remind yourself today that you are dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus?

Day 2: Baptism as a Picture of New Life

Baptism serves as a powerful, visible symbol of the believer’s union with Christ in his death and resurrection, illustrating the reality that the old self has been buried and a new person has been raised to walk in newness of life. This act does not accomplish salvation but testifies to the transformation God has already worked in the heart, marking a complete change in direction and purpose. The new life is not simply a better version of the old, but a wholly new creation, born again to live for God’s glory. [11:49]

Romans 6:3-4 (ESV)
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

Reflection: If you have been baptized, how does remembering your baptism encourage you to live out your new identity in Christ today? If you have not, what does this picture of new life stir in your heart?

Day 3: United with Christ—Never Alone

Union with Christ means that believers are inseparably joined to Jesus in both his death and resurrection, ensuring that they are never alone in their struggles, sorrows, or temptations. This truth is not just theological but immensely practical, offering comfort and strength in times of fear, anxiety, sadness, or temptation, because Christ is present and at work within every believer. Remembering this union transforms the way we face daily challenges, reminding us that we are not left to figure things out on our own, but are empowered and accompanied by the living Christ. [28:51]

Romans 6:5-7 (ESV)
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin.

Reflection: What is one specific situation today where you need to remind yourself that Christ is with you and in you? How can you practically keep this truth before you in that moment?

Day 4: Freedom from the Slavery of Sin

Through Christ’s death and resurrection, believers are set free from the bondage of sin; they are no longer slaves to their old desires but are empowered to live in obedience to God. This freedom is not about achieving sinless perfection, but about a new power and ability to resist sin and pursue righteousness, knowing that the old master of sin has been defeated. Salvation is not a minor course correction but a complete transfer from the domain of darkness to the kingdom of light, resulting in a radically new way of life. [33:42]

Romans 6:6-7 (ESV)
We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin.

Reflection: Where do you feel most tempted to believe that you are still a slave to sin? What would it look like to claim your freedom in Christ in that area today?

Day 5: Consider Yourself Dead to Sin and Alive to God

Believers are called to actively reckon themselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus, letting this truth shape their daily thoughts, choices, and identity. This is not a passive reality but a daily, intentional act of faith—reminding oneself that the old self is gone and a new life has begun, secure in Christ’s finished work. Living out this truth brings assurance, hope, and motivation to pursue God’s glory in every aspect of life, knowing that nothing can separate us from Him. [45:38]

Romans 6:11 (ESV)
So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Reflection: What practical step can you take today to remind yourself that you are alive to God in Christ? How might this change the way you approach your relationships, work, or struggles?

Sermon Summary

As we open Romans 6, we encounter Paul’s unique teaching style—anticipating the questions and objections of his readers and answering them under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. This approach is a gift, as the questions Paul raises are often the very ones we wrestle with today. The central question in this passage is whether, since God’s grace abounds where sin increases, we should continue in sin so that grace may abound even more. While the answer seems obvious—“By no means!”—Paul’s logic helps us see the depth of the gospel and the radical transformation it brings.

The heart of the matter is not simply that Christians are “better people” who dislike sin, but that a decisive, permanent break has occurred: we have died to sin. Paul uses the illustration of baptism to make this reality tangible. Baptism is not the means of this transformation, but a visible symbol of it. When a believer is immersed in water, it pictures the burial of the old self with Christ; when raised from the water, it signifies resurrection to a new life. This is not a mere change in behavior or a slight course correction, but a total transfer from the domain of sin and death to the domain of Christ and life.

This union with Christ is not just a theological concept, but a present, practical reality. We are united with Christ in his death and resurrection. Our old self—our entire being as it existed in bondage to sin—was crucified with Christ so that the power of sin would be broken. We are no longer slaves to sin; we are free to live in obedience to God. This freedom does not mean we achieve sinless perfection, but it does mean that sin no longer has dominion over us.

In the struggles of daily life—fear, anxiety, sorrow, temptation—we often forget this union. Yet, Christ is not a distant benefactor; he is present with us, in us, and for us. Remembering our union with Christ transforms how we face suffering, temptation, and discouragement. The resurrection of Jesus is not just a future hope, but a present reality: we have already been raised to new life in him. The call, then, is to “consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus”—to let this truth shape our identity, our choices, and our hope.

Key Takeaways

1. The Christian’s relationship to sin is not one of mere dislike or avoidance, but of death. Through union with Christ, there has been a decisive, irreversible break with the old self and its bondage to sin. This is not self-improvement, but a spiritual reality accomplished by God, symbolized in baptism, and experienced in daily life. [08:07]
2. Baptism serves as a vivid, physical illustration of the believer’s union with Christ in his death and resurrection. It is not the means of salvation, but a public testimony that the old self has been buried and a new person has been raised. This newness is not just a change in behavior, but a new identity and direction—walking in “newness of life.” [11:49]
3. Union with Christ is the foundation for Christian living. In moments of fear, anxiety, sorrow, or temptation, the reality that Christ is present with us and in us changes everything. We are not left to face life’s challenges alone; our lives are inseparably bound to his, and his resurrection power is at work in us even now. [28:51]
4. Freedom from sin’s dominion is a present possession for those in Christ. While we do not attain sinless perfection in this life, we are no longer slaves to sin. The power that once held us captive has been broken, and we are empowered by the Spirit to live in obedience and pursue holiness—not as a burden, but as the fruit of our new life. [33:04]
5. The call to “consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” is both a command and an invitation. It is a daily, even moment-by-moment, act of faith to remember and reckon this truth as the defining reality of our lives. As we do, we find strength to resist sin, hope in suffering, and assurance of our eternal security in Christ. [45:38]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:29] - Paul’s Question and Answer Teaching Style
[01:47] - From Adam to Christ: The Transfer
[03:00] - United with Christ: Death and Resurrection
[04:22] - Should We Continue in Sin?
[06:12] - The Christian’s Decisive Break with Sin
[09:17] - Baptism as the Illustration of New Life
[12:28] - Walking in Newness of Life
[15:00] - Identifying with Christ’s Death and Life
[16:49] - Don’t Live by Feelings, Live by Truth
[18:50] - Dying to Sin: Practical Implications
[20:46] - Our Union with Christ: Present and Eternal
[23:53] - Resurrection Life Now and Forever
[28:51] - Remembering Christ’s Presence in Suffering
[33:04] - Freedom from Sin’s Slavery
[34:58] - Salvation: Not a Change of Degrees, but Domains
[36:15] - The Conditional “If”: Have You Died with Christ?
[39:57] - The Resurrection of Jesus: Death Defeated
[44:58] - Consider Yourself Dead to Sin, Alive to God
[46:20] - Two Questions for Application
[48:13] - Closing Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Romans 6:1-11 (ESV) — 1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?
2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.
7 For one who has died has been set free from sin.
8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.
10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.
11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Observation Questions

What question does Paul anticipate and answer at the beginning of Romans 6, and why does he ask it? ([04:22])
According to Paul, what does baptism symbolize for the believer? ([11:10])
What does Paul say has happened to our “old self” if we are in Christ? ([08:07])
In verse 11, what does Paul command believers to do in light of everything he’s just explained? ([45:38])

Interpretation Questions

Why does Paul use the language of “death” to describe the Christian’s relationship to sin, rather than just saying we should avoid or dislike sin? What does this imply about the nature of salvation? ([08:07])
How does understanding baptism as a symbol (rather than the means) of transformation affect the way we view our identity in Christ? ([11:49])
The sermon says that union with Christ is not just a theological idea but a present, practical reality. How might forgetting this union affect the way a Christian faces suffering or temptation? ([28:51])
Paul says, “You are no longer slaves to sin.” What does it mean to be “free” from sin’s dominion, even though Christians still struggle with sin? ([33:04])

Application Questions

The sermon emphasized that the Christian life is not about self-improvement but about a decisive break with the old self. In what areas of your life do you still find yourself trying to “be better” rather than living out of your new identity in Christ? ([08:07])
Baptism is described as a public testimony of dying to the old self and being raised to new life. If you have been baptized, how does remembering your baptism encourage you in your daily walk? If you haven’t, what questions or hesitations do you have about it? ([11:49])
When you face fear, anxiety, sorrow, or temptation, do you tend to forget that Christ is present with you and in you? What practical reminders could you put in place this week to help you remember your union with Christ in those moments? ([28:51])
The sermon said, “Don’t live by your feelings. Live by the truth of God’s word.” Can you think of a recent time when your feelings told you one thing, but God’s word said another? How did you respond, and what could you do differently next time? ([16:49])
Paul calls us to “consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” What would it look like for you to actively “consider” this truth in a specific area of struggle or discouragement this week? ([45:38])
The sermon challenged us to ask: “Have you died with Christ?” If you’re not sure, what steps could you take to explore what it means to trust in Jesus and experience this new life? ([46:20])
The idea of being “free from sin’s dominion” means we are empowered to pursue holiness, not as a burden but as the fruit of new life. Is there a particular sin or habit where you need to claim this freedom and take a new step of obedience? ([33:04])

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