Romans6

Romans 6 emphatically refutes the idea of continuing in sin for grace to abound, stating that believers are dead to sin through their identification with Christ's death and resurrection. Through baptism, they are united with Christ to walk in newness of life, having crucified the old sinful self. Therefore, believers are exhorted to reckon themselves dead to sin but alive to God, yielding their members as instruments of righteousness rather than unrighteousness.

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Dead to Sin, Alive to God

¶ What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

For he that is dead is freed from sin.

Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Yielding Our Members to God

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Slavery to Righteousness

What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.

What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Study Notes for Romans 6

Verse 1

Paul anticipates the logical, but erroneous, conclusion that his teaching on abundant grace (from Rom 5) leads to moral license (antinomianism). This chapter answers that charge emphatically.

Verse 2

God forbid (KJV: Mē genoito) is Paul’s strongest expression of denial, meaning “May it never be!” The believer has undergone a fundamental transformation, rendering continued life in sin impossible.

Verse 3

Baptism is here understood as the symbolic identification with Christ's death. It signifies the believer's spiritual participation in the death and burial of the 'old self,' breaking the power of sin.

Verse 4

Just as Christ’s resurrection guarantees eternal life, the believer’s death to sin signifies an immediate call to live a radically transformed life now—walking in newness of life.

Verse 6

The 'old man' refers to the unredeemed self, controlled by sin. This former self was executed legally and spiritually with Christ, so that the 'body of sin' (the power structure of sin) is rendered ineffective.

Verse 7

This is a legal concept: just as a slave is freed from his master upon death, the justified believer is legally released from the obligation and mastery of Sin.

Verse 11

Reckon (logizomai) is an accounting term, meaning 'to calculate' or 'consider as fact.' Believers are commanded to consciously accept and act upon the reality of their spiritual death to sin and life in Christ.

Verse 12

The theological reality (Vv. 1-11) requires a moral response. Since sin's power is broken, believers must actively refuse to allow sin to rule their physical bodies, which are the instruments of action.

Verse 13

The body members (hands, eyes, mind, etc.) must be intentionally presented (paristēmi) to God as tools for righteousness, rather than being surrendered as weapons for unrighteousness.

Verse 14

This promise provides assurance that the believer will not ultimately be mastered by sin, because their relationship is based on grace (God's empowering favor), not the restrictive external demands of the Law.

Verse 15

Paul addresses a second objection: Can we exploit grace as an excuse for individual acts of sin? The answer is an immediate and strong denial (God forbid).

Verse 16

Paul uses the analogy of slavery to emphasize that everyone serves a master. Obedience reveals the true master: sin, which leads to death, or righteousness, which leads to life.

Verse 19

I speak after the manner of men: Paul acknowledges that the analogy of human slavery may be crude, but he uses it because it clearly illustrates the nature of submission and servitude required in the spiritual life.

Verse 22

The fruit of servitude to God is holiness (sanctification), which leads to the final destination of everlasting life.

Verse 23

This famous summary contrasts wages (something earned, referring to death) with gift (something freely given, referring to eternal life). Death is deserved; life is a gift of God's grace through Christ.

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Romans6

Dead to Sin, Alive to God

Yielding Our Members to God

Slavery to Righteousness

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