ONLY CHRIST'S DEATH ATONES FOR SINS!

Freedom From Sin Through Union With Christ

The Nature Of The Death Mentioned In Romans 6

(1) Romans 6:3-4—"Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized 
into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore 
with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised 
from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness 
of life." (Romans 6:3-4 ESV)

This death is a baptism "into Christ Jesus." It is not the natural end 
of physical life that every man experiences, but a specific spiritual 
union. The result of this death is "newness of life," which is a present 
spiritual reality for the believer, not a post-mortem state for the 
unbeliever.

Bible: "baptized into Christ"
Lie: "physical expiration"

(2) Romans 6:5—"For if we have been united with him in a death like his, 
we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his." 
(Romans 6:5 ESV)

This death is described as being "united with him." It is a shared 
experience with Christ. Those who claim physical death alone frees a man 
from sin's penalty ignore that this passage requires a union with the 
person of Jesus Christ.

Bible: "united with him"
Lie: "united with the grave"

(3) Romans 6:6—"We know that our old self was crucified with him in 
order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would 
no longer be enslaved to sin." (Romans 6:6 ESV)

The "death" here is defined as the "old self" being "crucified with 
him." The purpose is the cessation of slavery to sin in the present 
life. Physical death does not "crucify the old self" with Christ; faith 
in the gospel does.

Bible: "crucified with him"
Lie: "died in a hospital or bed"

(4) Romans 6:7-8—"For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now 
if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with 
him." (Romans 6:7-8 ESV)

While verse 7 states a general principle that death ends legal 
obligations, verse 8 immediately qualifies this for the Christian 
context: "if we have died with Christ." The freedom from sin described 
in this chapter is predicated entirely upon being "with Christ."

Bible: "died with Christ"
Lie: "died alone in sin"

(5) Romans 6:11—"So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and 
alive to God in Christ Jesus." (Romans 6:11 ESV)

We are commanded to "consider" or reckon ourselves dead to sin. A man 
who has died physically cannot "consider" himself anything; this is an 
act of the mind and heart of a living person who has placed their faith 
in Jesus.

Bible: "consider yourselves dead to sin"
Lie: "be corpses in the ground"

The Purpose Of This Death Is Deliverance From Sin's Power

(1) Romans 6:12-13—"Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies, 
to make you obey their passions. Do not present your members to sin as 
instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those 
who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as 
instruments for righteousness." (Romans 6:12-13 ESV)

This death results in a choice of the will regarding "mortal bodies." If 
the death mentioned were physical death, there would be no "mortal body" 
left in which to resist sin. The passage is clearly speaking to living 
people who have died to sin's authority through Christ.

Bible: "brought from death to life"
Lie: "staying dead to pay a debt"

(2) Romans 6:22-23—"But now that you have been set free from sin and 
have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and 
its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift 
of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:22-23 ESV)

The "wages of sin" is death—the very thing the legalist claims pays the 
debt. But the Bible contrasts this "wages" (what we earn) with the "free 
gift" (what Christ gives). If physical death paid the debt of sin, 
eternal life would be a receipt for payment, not a "free gift."

Bible: "free gift of God"
Lie: "payment through physical death"

Proposition: The death described in Romans 6 is not the physical death 
of the body which all men suffer, but the spiritual crucifixion of the 
old nature through union with Jesus Christ by faith. It is this union 
alone that sets a person free from the slavery and penalty of sin.

-- 
Good News †

Jesus fully satisfied our sin debt to God through His crucifixion 
(Colossians 2:14), a truth confirmed by His resurrection (Romans 1:4). 
Consequently, God maintains His perfect justice while pardoning 
believers (Romans 3:26) and rescuing them from imminent judgment (1 
Thessalonians 1:10). This salvation is an unearned gift received through 
faith (Romans 6:23). Trust in Christ and call upon Him for your 
salvation (Romans 10:9-13):

How to be saved: christrose.news/salvation