“1 What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? 2 Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life.”
In our previous devotional, Paul ended chapter 5 by discussing that where sin is multiplied, grace is multiplied even more.
“The law came along to multiply the trespass. But where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more…” — Romans 5:20
Thus, Paul sees the need to clarify this statement with some cautionary words about the dangers of license. What is license? Paul is concerned that the readers of his letter may be tempted to take grace for granted. It would be easy to adopt a lesser view of sin, thinking it to be less serious than it is. If God’s grace will be multiplied even more, even in our sin, then sin must not be a big deal, right? Of course, Christians would not say this out loud, but it is a danger that can work its way into our hearts, perhaps undetected. So Paul poses the question, “Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply?” (v. 1b) Absolutely not! If we truly confess Christ as our Savior, we must understand that we are dead to sin. How can we even think to return to something which, in Christ, has been made dead to us?
“So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” — Colossians 3:1-4
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree; so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” — 1 Peter 2:24
How did we die to sin? Baptism is the perfect illustration of what happens to us when we are saved in Christ. Paul says that when we are baptized, this is a symbol that ties us to Christ’s death. We died to sin because Christ died for sin. And likewise, just as we share in the death of Christ, we also share in the glory of His resurrection. We now “walk in newness of life”. (v. 4b) We are new people, a new creature even. A creature that had fallen, but is now redeemed.
“For those of you who were baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ.” — Galatians 3:27
“You were also circumcised in him with a circumcision not done with hands, by putting off the body of flesh, in the circumcision of Christ, when you were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. And when you were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made you alive with him and forgave us all our trespasses. He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross.” — Colossians 2:11-14
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!” — 2 Corinthians 5:17
Paul has made clear in the opening verses of Chapter 6 that there is no reason any person should ever continue in their sin. There is no excuse, there is no benefit. Those who continue in their sin will be condemned. Beyond that, one must ask themselves, what does it mean to be a follower of Christ Jesus? What exactly does a Christian do? Afterall, our salvation is dependent on Jesus alone. We’ve already learned that there is nothing we can do to save ourselves. Paul will begin to address this in detail in the chapters to come. For now, we can know one thing is certain: Christians died to sin when they were chosen by God and when they placed their faith in Him. Rather than wallowing in our sin, every Christian now is called to “walk in newness of life.” (v. 4b)