Resources

• Romans overview (video): Part 1, Part 2
• Romans is structured as follows:
  • Books 1-4: Revealing God’s Righteousness
  • Books 5-8: Creating a New Humanity
  • Books 9-11: Fulfilling God’s Promise to Israel
  • Books 12-16: Unifying the Church

Romans 6: Creating a New Humanity

• Romans 6 Reading Guide
• Romans 6 Teaching Notes (PDF)
• Romans 6 Video

Context

• Romans 6:11 is the theme of this chapter (emphasis mine):
  • So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.
• Sin has no power over us – it only has the power we give it.
• Paul asks if Christians should continue in sin once they have been saved.
  • He gives several reasons why we must not:
    • we died to sin’s power over us
    • we are now servants to righteousness
    • what good did sin ever bring to you, anyway?
• Paul will transition to Romans 7 and discuss what it means to be released from the law of Moses.

Notes

• Romans 1: What shall we say then?
  • Refers back to 5:20 – if sin increases grace abounds even more.
  •  If grace abounds when we sin we shouldn’t actively sin to get more grace. This is like saying “”I’m gonna shovel my sidewalk so it snows again”.  We don’t need an abundance of sin.
• v2: We’re not trying to live in in to get more grace – we should die to sin so that we sin no more.
• v3: have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death?
  • There are people who know the gospel but choose to ignore it because they don’t fully understand that God’s grace is enough to cover every sin and transgression.
  • You ignore the fact that our sins are an expressway to death
  • All you have to do to change this ignoreance is to ask the Lord to believe in His plan for you – this will lead to eternal life.
  •  Stop ignoring this  gift – deal with it now before it’s too late.
• v4:  For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.
  • • The glory of God gives us the glory to die to sin and walk in a new life.
    • In John 11:40 Jesus said “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?”
    • When we witness someone dying to sin and embracing a new life

• v5: Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was.
  •  We are united with Jesus in a new life when we die to our sins.
  • Jesus came to us so we couold have an abundant life
• V6: We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin.
  • We are no longer slaves to sin. The addiction to sin no longer applies to us.
  • Ephesians 4:20-22 tells us we’re not alone when we die to our sins.
    • ²⁰ But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. ²¹ Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, ²² throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.
• v7: For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.
  • Jesus paid the price so we can be free from our sin
• v13: Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.
  • Do not let the things in this world distract you from bring aware of what God has in store for you.
• v16: Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.
  • Who do you serve? Death or righteousness?
• v19:  Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy.
  • If you are a slave to sin you are free from righteousness.
• v22-23: ²² But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. ²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
  • Sin leads to death.
  • Do not ignore that you should be dead to sin.
  • Yield to Christ – how are you persuing Him to ensure you are dead to sin?

Summary

• The freedom Paul talks about in Christ refers to liberation from sin and its consequences, allowing us to live according to God’s design.
  • Freedom From Sin’s Dominion:
    • Romans 6:6-7 emphasizes that Christians are “dead to sin” because we are united with Christ in His death (v. 6).
    • This doesn’t mean sin no longer exists, but that its control over us is broken (v. 7). We are no longer slaves to sin (v. 18).
  • Freedom to Live According to God’s Will:
    • This freedom isn’t about unrestrained behavior, but about the ability to choose what pleases God (Romans 6:16).
    • We are free from the Law’s condemnation (Romans 8:1) and empowered by the Holy Spirit to live righteously (Romans 8:4).
  • Living as God’s Creation:
    • God created us with a purpose and desires us to live according to His good design (Ephesians 2:10).
    • Freedom in Christ allows us to fulfill this purpose and experience the joy of living in alignment with God’s will.