Lesson 4727

 (Lesson 4727) (01-13-25) Romans 6:1-11 

   “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.” 

 

   In today’s quote, Paul addressed the question of whether believers should continue in sin so that grace may abound. He emphasized that, as those who have died to sin, believers should no longer live in it. Paul explained that through baptism, believers were united with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. However, the baptism Paul referred to was not a water baptism, but rather the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which is described in John 3:5. In that passage, Jesus tells Nicodemus that "unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God," pointing to the spiritual rebirth that occurs through the Holy Spirit, not a physical water baptism. The baptism Paul refers to in Romans 6 symbolizes the believer’s identification with Christ’s death and resurrection through the Holy Spirit’s work in them, signifying their freedom from sin’s power and their new life in Christ. Just as Christ died and was raised, believers are to consider themselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. ~