Romans Chapter 6: Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ

Summary

Romans 6 addresses the believer’s freedom from sin’s dominion through union with Christ, countering the misconception that grace encourages sin. Paul emphasizes that believers, united with Christ in His death and resurrection, are called to live righteously. The chapter unfolds in several key sections:

Grace Does Not Encourage Sin (6:1–2): Paul refutes the idea that continuing in sin increases grace, declaring that believers, having died to sin, cannot live in it.

United with Christ in Death and Life (6:3–11): Baptism signifies union with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Believers die to sin and live to God, no longer enslaved to sin but freed to walk in newness of life.

Slaves to Righteousness, Not Sin (6:12–19): Paul urges believers not to let sin reign in their bodies but to offer themselves to God as instruments of righteousness. Once slaves to sin, they are now slaves to righteousness, leading to sanctification.

Wages of Sin vs. Gift of Life (6:20–23): Slavery to sin produces shame and death, but slavery to God yields holiness and eternal life. The wages of sin is death, but God’s gift is eternal life in Christ.

Cross-References

Dead to Sin:

Union with Christ:

Slaves to Righteousness:

Wages and Gift:

General Theme:

Theological Meaning

Romans 6 is rich with theological themes that define the believer’s new life in Christ:

Union with Christ: Through baptism, believers share in Christ’s death and resurrection, breaking sin’s power and enabling righteous living (6:4–5; Colossians 3:1–3).

Freedom from Sin’s Dominion: Believers are no longer slaves to sin but freed to serve God, empowered by grace (6:6–7; John 8:36).

Sanctification’s Process: Slavery to righteousness leads to holiness, a lifelong pursuit of godliness (6:19; 1 Thessalonians 4:3–4).

Grace’s Purpose: Grace does not license sin but empowers obedience, transforming believers to live for God (6:1–2; Titus 2:11–12).

Eternal Life as Gift: Salvation is God’s free gift, contrasting with sin’s earned penalty of death, secured through Christ (6:23; Ephesians 2:8).

Moral Responsibility: Believers must actively reject sin and offer themselves to God, living out their new identity (6:12–13; 1 Peter 1:14–15).

Questions and Answers

Why can’t believers continue in sin (6:1–2)?
Having died to sin through Christ, believers are freed from its dominion and called to live for God, not to abuse grace (6:2; Romans 3:8; Jude 1:4).

What does baptism signify (6:3–4)?
Baptism symbolizes union with Christ’s death and resurrection, marking the believer’s death to sin and new life in God (6:4; Colossians 2:12; Acts 2:38).

How are we “dead to sin” (6:6–7)?
Our “old self” was crucified with Christ, breaking sin’s power, so we are no longer enslaved but freed to live righteously (6:6; Galatians 5:24).

What is “newness of life” (6:4)?
It’s a transformed life, empowered by the Spirit, reflecting Christ’s resurrection and lived for God’s glory (6:4; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 4:24).

Why offer ourselves to righteousness (6:13)?
As those alive in Christ, believers present themselves to God as instruments of His will, not sin, to produce righteous fruit (6:13; Romans 12:1).

What does “slaves to righteousness” mean (6:18)?
Freed from sin, believers voluntarily serve God, pursuing holiness and aligning with His purpose (6:18; John 8:34–36; 1 Corinthians 7:22).

What are the “wages of sin” and “gift of God” (6:23)?
Sin earns death (spiritual and eternal separation from God), while God freely gives eternal life through Christ (6:23; Romans 5:12; John 3:16).

How does this apply today?
Believers should reject sin, live out their new identity in Christ, and rely on grace for holiness, knowing eternal life is God’s gift (6:11; Ephesians 4:1; 1 John 3:3).

Additional Notes for Readers

Historical Context: Written around AD 57 from Corinth, Romans 6 addresses a Roman church of Jewish and Gentile believers navigating their freedom in Christ (Romans 7:1; Acts 18:2). Paul counters misunderstandings that grace permits sin, common among Gentiles (Romans 3:8; Acts 15:1–2). Baptism (6:3) was a public act of faith in early Christianity (Acts 2:41). Slavery imagery (6:16) resonated in Rome, where slavery was prevalent (Philemon 1:16). The contrast of death and life (6:23) reflects Jewish views of sin’s consequences (Deuteronomy 30:15).

Cultural Questions: Readers may ask about “died to sin” (6:2). It means liberation from sin’s control, not sinlessness (1 John 1:8). Baptism (6:4) was immersion, symbolizing burial and resurrection (Acts 8:38–39). “Slavery” (6:18) reflects Roman legal status, but Paul redefines it as willing service to God (1 Corinthians 6:20). “Wages” (6:23) uses military pay imagery, familiar to Romans (Luke 3:14). The call to holiness (6:19) countered Rome’s moral laxity (Ephesians 4:17–19).

Application: Romans 6 calls believers to embrace their freedom from sin, live as united with Christ, and pursue holiness through the Spirit. It encourages gratitude for God’s gift of eternal life and active resistance to sin’s pull (Galatians 2:20; 1 Peter 2:11).