Romans 6:1-11 (a)

When the sinner is justified by faith he comes to be at peace with God (Rom. 5:1-11).  The believer, once born into a kingdom where death ruled because of sin, now has been transferred into the kingdom where grace rules because of the righteousness of Christ (5:12-21).

Perhaps the following questions have been raised in our minds.

·        How is the believer made righteous through the righteousness of Christ?  In what way does this happen?

·        Does this transfer into the kingdom of grace and life and righteousness have a bearing on my life now?  Is this merely positional truth?  Is it something that merely determines my eternal life with Christ?

These questions are answered in today’s passage.  In vs. 1-2 we learn that sin, which reigned in the former kingdom, is not to continue.  Literally Paul says, may it never be.  You may remember back in Rom. 3:7-8 that this was the false charge leveled against Paul: that his teaching encouraged people to sin so that good might come out of it.  He says here: the thought that we should keep sinning so that the abundant grace of 5:20 might increase is absurd.  It doesn’t make sense with the transference from the old kingdom to the new

What Paul actually says is that the believer died to sin.  In this statement we begin to answer the first question above.  The transfer takes place by a process of death, burial and resurrection.  This process involves a spiritual baptism that is wonderfully pictured in water baptism.  Any believer who continues in sin is ignorant of the process (v3a).

We have been called to faith in Christ who redeemed us (Rom. 3:23-25).  By His blood He has satisfied God’s righteous wrath.  The believer turns to the Redeemer and casts his lot with the One who dies for him.  In Rom. 6:3 Paul speaks of this by saying we were baptized into His death.  Baptism literally means immersed.  The believer is immersed in the death of Christ.  By faith he dies with Christ.

Remember as well we are not only reconciled by His death; we are saved by His life (5:10).  He was delivered up because of our sins and raised up for our justification (4:25).  Thus the faith that unites the believer with Christ in His death also unites him with Christ in His resurrection (6:4).  The believer has been raised with Christ to a new life for God’s glory!

This passage helps us to understand why being baptized in water is the first step of obedience for new believers, before they learn all His other commands (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 2:41, etc.).  In this way the believer publicly declares his faith in Christ and the reality of being united with Him to live a new life.

Are you a believer in Christ?  If so you have been identified with Him in His death, burial and resurrection.  Have you publicly expressed this in the waters of baptism?