Romans 6
20 Mar 2026 - Theology
Romans 6
Dead to Sin (1-14)
Romans 6:1 - “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?”
The word used for “sin” here is the noun form, signifying not the personal actions of sinning but the state or domain of sin.
Paul is essentially asking, “Are we to persist in our status as subjects of Sin’s kingdom, for the express purpose of triggering a greater display of God’s grace?”
You can’t trigger a “result” by staying in a state that you have technically died to. While we will still sin as humans, we must never agree that we still belong to the state of sin (noun).
Romans 6:3-4 - “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.”
‘baptized’ and ‘baptism’ - Strong’s Concordance [907] [908]
- to be identified with
- Baptism in those days was a public declaration that the Christian thus giving his testimony for Christ was willing to die for Christ following those who indeed became victims of persecution unto death
Romans 6:7 - “For he that [apt] is dead is freed from sin.”
[apt] = simple, one time action
‘freed’ -> Gr. justified [1344]
‘dead’ - Strong’s Concordance [599]
- To be dead to the law. That is, to have no more dependence upon mere legal righteousness for justice and salvation than a dead man would have
- As being one self-crucified and dead together with Christ
Again, this verse is not talking about sin the verb, but rather sin the noun, the state or domain of sin. He who has died is justified from the state of sin.
This is not talking about the future physical death of the body, or continuous spiritual death in the present, as further evidenced by Romans 6:10.
Romans 6:10 - “For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.”
Paul is writing to make a point that those in Christ are dead to this state of sin, and dead to the law that only serves to make us legally righteous, not morally righteous.
Romans 6:11 - “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but [ppt] alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
[ppt] alive = The present participle expresses continuous or repeated action
Instead, we should consider ourselves alive unto God, as ones who have been called into a state of righteous by the death of Jesus Christ our Lord.
This verse is confirming that believers should not just hope for physical death and a future justification (eternal life in Heaven), but that believers are justified now in the present and are called to reign in life!
Therefore, we should no longer let sin (noun) reign in our mortal body, or yield our members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin (noun). Instead, we should yield ourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God (12-13).
Romans 6:14 - “For sin [noun] shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”
Servants to God (15-23)
Romans 6:15 - “What then? shall we sin [verb], because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.”
This is the first use in this chapter of the word sin in the verb form, applying to the personal action of committing sin.
Paul says in verse 16 that we are all servants to whom we obey, whether of sin (noun) unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness (sanctification). You are the slave of the one you actually obey, not just the one you claim to serve with your lips. This is Paul’s way of saying that a real internal change in the heart must show in your actions.
Verse 17 shifts from the general rule to the specific experience of the people.
Romans 6:17 - “But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye [ao] have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.”
[ao] - aorist tense, a simple one time action
Paul is essentially saying, “Now, applying that rule to you: you used to be slaves of sin, but at one specific point (your conversion/salvation), you decisively ‘obeyed from the heart’ the Gospel”.
Because you made that one-time choice (17), you should now live out that reality by daily “presenting your members” to your new Master (16,19).
We can choose to obey sin, which leads to death, or we can choose to obey God which leads to righteousness (sanctification), a fruitful life of holiness, and everlasting life (16,21).
Romans 6:23 - “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
References
- The Hebrew - Greek Key Study Bible (KJV Version)
- Romans 5 - Greek Interlinear