Freedom!

Romans 6:1-7

Observe:
Paul uses a word picture of death and burial. He actually identifies believers in Jesus as being united in Christ's death, burial and resurrection. Those are key words in this passage. Sin is also a key word (and one that is repeated through the paragraph). The section starts off with some rhetorical questions, which seems to be a common device that Paul uses. Paul also uses another word picture of the slave market.

Interpret:
Paul is following through on his thought in the previous chapter: the law "increased" the trespass and grace "increased all the more." Paul anticipates the question: then shouldn't we sin so that grace could keep increasing? The obvious answer: No! Paul argues that, through faith in Christ, we have died to sin. We don't just live, continuing on in our old ways (because that was death). We have died to that way of living and been given a new life. Paul says that we are no longer slaves to sin, not just because we have been redeemed but because we are actually dead. A dead slave cannot be made to obey and therefore is no longer a slave.

Apply:
I don't have to sin - sin cannot control me because I am dead, no longer its slave. When I sin, it is because I prefer sin and choose sin over the glory of God. This is somewhat simplistic (and even Paul seems to acknowledge that later on) but it is also mysteriously true. What is also true is that, like a man released from years of imprisonment, it is taking me a long time to learn this new way of living. I need to remember that it is by faith in Christ that I live - not by my own efforts to defeat sin but by identification and unification with Christ in his death and resurrection.