We are transformed by our union to Christ in His death and resurrection, as we know this union, consider it, and act on it.

Transformed By A New Union

Romans 6:1-14

How many of you would like to be free from sin?  How many would like the power of sin to be broken in your life?  Well, listen carefully this morning, for that is exactly what Romans 6 promises us!  Listen to verses 6-7, “knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin”!!

Let’s suppose that Congress came out with a new law banning any person in the U.S. From drinking alcohol of any kind. What would they have to do to enforce that law?  Well, first of all, they might immediately take any alcohol out of the liquor and grocery stores. Next, they might go into private homes and confiscate any liquor they found on the premises.  Now, supposing they were able to find all the liquor in the U.S., confiscate it, and destroy it, would their job be done?  Not at all! There would still be manufacturing plants around the country still producing alcohol. Not only would they need to get rid of the existing alcohol, but they would have to close down all the plants around the country that are producing more of it. It wouldn’t do any good at all to get rid of the existing alcohol, if more were to be produced in the future! Through faith in Christ, God has removed our sins. But that’s not all He’s done. He’s also dealt a death blow to the manufacturing plant within us that produces those acts of sin. Our “old self” – the person we were born as a child of Adam – was the person that turned on the power of the switch of the manufacturing plant that produces sin. But not only has God purchased forgiveness for me by bearing my sins on the cross. He has also purchased my freedom from a life of sin by bearing me on the cross.

This morning we come to the 2^nd way God transforms us by the gospel. Last week we saw that God transforms us by a New Joy. Today, we are going to see that God transforms us by a New Union.

Romans 5:12-21 is the great transition text in the book of Romans. Romans 1-5 is about Justification.  Romans 6-8 is about Sanctification. Well, in Romans 5:12-21 Paul shows how that in our union to Christ as our Representative, we are justified. In chapter 6 Paul will show how that in our union to Christ we are also sanctified.  Not only in Romans 5, but also in Romans 6 we read over and over of the believer being united to Jesus Christ.

6:3  baptized into Christ Jesus

6:4  buried with Him through baptism

6:5  united with Him

6:6  our old self was crucified with Him

6:8  if we have died with Christ

6:11  consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus

All of these expressions, “into Christ”, “with Him”, “with Christ” and “in Christ” speak of our union with Christ. God has indissolubly and eternally joined believers to Christ.  When we were united to Christ, we inherited His history. What history is that? His life, death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and enthronement. The Bible tells us that when Christ lived, died, was buried, was raised, ascended, and sat down at the right hand of God, that we did all of those things! However, Romans 6:1-14 focuses specifically on 2 aspects of Christ’s history – His death and resurrection.  Let’s examine them together.

1.  We Are United To Christ In His Death (6:1-7)

What Argument Could Someone Make from 3:21-5:21?  Paul asks the question in 6:1, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase?” In 3:21-5:21 Paul had taught that our justification had absolutely nothing to do with our works, but was received solely on the basis of faith. In fact in 5:12-21 Paul taught that our justification and eternal life depended solely on whether we are “in Christ” or not. If we are “in Christ”, we are justified, regardless of how many or how few good works we have wrought. Then in 5:20 Paul said that where sin increased, grace abounded all the more. Now Paul imagines an objector saying, “If God gives His grace apart from our works, then let’s just live it up! Let’s just continue on sinning. God and I, we make a great team. He loves to be gracious and I love to sin!”

What Is Paul’s Answer?  6:2. He doesn’t say that we shouldn’t continue in sin, or that we should try real hard not to continue in sin, or that God will be angry if we continue in sin, or that we might lose our salvation if we continue in sin. Rather, he says, “how shall we who died to sin still live in it?” If we have died to sin, it’s not possible for us to go on living in it. Paul is not saying it’s not possible for us to sin. He’s saying it’s not possible for us to go on living in sin. Notice that Paul is not saying that sin has died. Rather, he is saying that we have died to sin. Sin is very much alive, but we are dead to it.

How did we die to sin? 6:3-5.  What caused this death to sin to take place?  Paul’s answer is that we have been baptized into Christ Jesus. He uses the word “baptized” and “baptism” in verses 3 and 4. What does he mean by this? Well, he can’t mean water baptism, because that would indicate that a person can be born again by getting baptized in water. The Scripture indicates that the new birth is something that God causes, not something that we cause (1Pet.1:3). I believe Paul is speaking of Spirit baptism. In 1 Cor.12:3 Paul says, “for by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.” To be baptized is to be immersed. When we were born again the Holy Spirit immersed us into Jesus and His body. We were united to Christ. That is really what Paul is talking about. Notice verse 5. Here Paul substitutes the word “baptism” for the word “united.” To be baptized into Christ is the same thing as to be united with Christ.

Notice that in verse 10 Paul says that Jesus died to sin. Because Jesus died to sin, and you are united to Jesus, you died to sin. Paul’s whole point is that Christ’s death is our death. When Jesus died, we died. When Jesus was buried, we were buried. When Jesus rose, we rose. You say, “But that’s impossible! Jesus died 2,000 years before I was even born. How could I have died with Him?” Well, remember that you sinned in Adam at least 6,000 years before you were born! From God’s perspective, every member of the human race is either “in Adam” or “in Christ.” If you are “in Adam”, you sinned when He sinned, and as a result you will die. If you are “in Christ”, you obeyed when He obeyed, and as a result you will receive eternal life.

Verse 6 tells us that our old self was crucified with Him. Now, who is our “old self.” He is the old you. The former you. The person you were in Adam. God didn’t cut a part out of me when I was saved. Rather, He crucified all of who I was in Adam. My “old self” is not my old nature; it is my old life, my pre-conversion life. Romans 5:19 tells us that our fundamental problem is not what we do, but who we are. “For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.” Who were we in Adam?  Sinners.  Who are we in Christ? Righteous. Our trouble is not so much in our behavior as it is in our heredity. Unless we can change our parentage there is no deliverance from sin for us. The problem is that we were born in Adam. How can we get out of Adam?  There’s only one way. Since we came in by birth, we must go out by death. Our bondage to sin came by birth. Our freedom from sin comes through death. This is exactly what God has done for us in Christ!

God’s way of deliverance is not to remove the principle of sin from within us, but to remove the sinner. Man’s way of dealing with sin is to try to suppress sin. God’s way is to remove the sinner. That’s what God did at the cross. We were included in Christ when He died, so that our “old self” – the sinner you were born as – was crucified at Calvary. He’s gone forever. He’s dead, buried, and extinct!

Through a vital union, we inherit the history of the one we are united to. Let’s say you are a branch on a wild apple tree, and someone comes along and snips you off that true, and then grafts you into a different apple tree. Although your engrafting was a bit painful, everything is going great now, and you are enjoy hanging out in your new tree. And then, one day, somebody notices something on the trunk of your tree. “George loves Martha.” Lo and behold, George Washington carved that love note into your tree! Now your tree has become a national monument, and thousands of people stream by every year to look at you. But wait a minute. You weren’t even on that tree when George Washington carved that note into the trunk of the tree. That’s true, but it is irrelevant. Since you have been united to the tree, you inherit its history. You are no longer a wild apple tree branch. The “old self” has died and is gone forever. Now, you are a George Washington apple tree branch.

Or, let’s change the situation a little. You look down from your position on the tree and notice a big red X, indicating that a surveyor has come by and marked your tree to be chopped down. Even though the red X was placed on your tree before you were grafted into the tree, you are chopped down along with the rest of the tree. Why? Because, having been united with the tree, you share the history of the tree. Whatever happens to the tree, happens to you.

Let’s try this from another angle. Let’s say you you lost your right thumb in a freak accident, but fortunately for you, the doctors have been able to find another thumb that they can sew on your hand. Now, you have already had the chicken pox, but the fellow that donated that thumb never had the chicken pox. Does that new thumb have to worry about getting the chicken pox? No! Why not? Because you have already had the chicken pox, and that new member which is united to your body shares in your history.  You and I share in Christ’s history when we have been united to Him. Because He died, we died.

What Does This Text Not Say?

• It doesn’t say that sin has died. It says that we have died.

• It doesn’t say we are becoming dead to sin. The word “died” is in the aorist tense. It is a once for all, past completed event.

• It also doesn’t say we are crucifying ourselves. In fact, it’s not even possible for a person to physically crucify themselves. Maybe you could nail your feet to a cross, but you couldn’t nail your hand to it – you would need another hand to hold the nail. Likewise, you can’t crucify yourself. God doesn’t ask you to. He has already done it in Christ.

• Nor does it say that our old self is being crucified. He’s not. He was crucified with Jesus on the cross.

• Doesn’t say we should pray for God to crucify our old self. We might figure that if we can’t crucify our old self, we should pray that God would crucify him. But that’s absurd. God has already crucified him! That’s like this chair to pray that God would make it a chair.

What is the result of our dying with Christ?  Notice the word “that” in verse 6. It has the meaning of “in order that.” Paul is going to tell us the intended result of our union with Christ in His death – “our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.”  The phrase “might be done away with” means to be rendered inoperative, or made powerless. This doesn’t mean that your body of sin has been annihilated. It means that your body which is the vehicle for sin has been rendered inactive. Let’s say that an 18 year old kid has a brand new Ferrari. He loved the thrill of taking his car at high speeds. One day he was doing 150 miles per hour on the freeway when he lost control, was thrown from the car and died. Now the Ferrari is parked in the garage. It has been rendered powerless – not because someone took the engine out, but because the driver is dead. With no driver, there is no way for the car to exert its power. That’s what took place when you were united with Christ. Your body of sin didn’t die – you died.

The old person that you were “in Adam” who was under the dominion of sin has died. He’s gone forever. In his place there is a new person. He is the man “in Christ” who is under the dominion of grace. This new man is not under the dominion of sin. Let’s say that you are a private in the U.S. Army. You have a mean-spirited drill sergeant that makes your life miserable. Every day when he goes by you have to salute him, even though inwardly you hate it. Then one day you are finally released from the Army. You are out with your family eating in a restaurant, and you see that old mean sergeant dressed in his uniform. Out of habit, you begin to salute him. But then you remember that you aren’t in the Army any more, and that sergeant has absolutely no dominion over you. So, instead of saluting him, you snub him, and there’s not a thing he can do about it! We might sin out of habit, but we no longer have to sin. Our relationship with sin has been forever changed because I died to it. I have passed out of its realm of dominion and jurisdiction.  Now we are free not to sin.  We were born as slaves to sin. However, when we were born again we are no longer slaves to sin. We are freed from sin!

2.  We Are United To Christ In His Resurrection (6:8-10)

How Does Christ’s Resurrection Affect Us?  6:4 says that “we walk in newness of life.” 6:8 says that “we shall also live with Him.” Now, when will we live with Him. Is this talking only about eternal life in heaven? No! When do we start walking in newness of life? The moment we are born again. Just as our “old self” was crucified at Calvary, so too our “new self” was raised up with Christ in His resurrection. The same mighty power that raised up Jesus Christ is at work in our life today! Just as a branch that is grafted into a tree shares the very life of the tree, so we share the very resurrection life of God!  Not only is Jesus’ death our death, but His life is our life. Not only did we die with Him, but we also were raised with Him.

Why Is Death No Longer Master Over Christ? 6:10 tells us it is because He died to since once for all. He is never to die again. He forever exited the realm where sin reigns in death. Jesus came into this world to identify with sinners. He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. He was continually troubled by sin. At the cross Jesus submitted to sin’s power in death, but through that death He died to its power. He exited this realm where sin is King.

Who Does Jesus Live To?  6:10 says that “the life that He lives, He lives to God.”  Jesus always lived to God, but while He was on earth He was continually hampered and troubled by the sin and sorrow of this world. Now that He has exited this world, He lives in unbroken fellowship, and undistracted communion with His Father. He lives in a sphere where sin can never enter.

Application

What must we do to find freedom from sin?

1.  Know our Union to Christ:  Paul speaks of us knowing of this union three times in 6:3,6,9. Evidently, it is important for us to understand this great truth. That’s where it all starts. If we don’t know of our union with Christ we won’t consider it and act on it. Hopefully, you now understand your union with Christ, if you didn’t understand it when you came in this morning. Two boys were walking by a pond one day when they found a turtle without a head running around. They couldn’t decide if it was alive or dead. Finally the third boy said, “It’s dead, but it don’t know it!” That’s exactly the way some Christians are. They’re dead to sin, but they don’t know it. Well, I want you to know it very well this morning.

2.  Consider our Union to Christ:  Paul writes in 6:11, “Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”  This is the first time in the entire book of Romans that we have been told to do anything! This word “consider” is an interesting word. The KJV uses the word “reckon”, and the NIV uses the word “count.” It means “to regard, to impute, or to put to one’s account.” It means to believe that what God says in His Word is really true in your life. Not only are we to know about our union with Christ, we are to reckon, regard, or consider that truth.   Now it’s important that you understand that when we consider ourselves to be dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus, it isn’t pretending or make believe that what is not true is true. We aren’t advocating the power of positive thinking. The word “reckon” is an accounting or bookkeeping term. If I deposit $5 in my checkbook, I can’t write a check for $5,000. Likewise, if my “old self” is not dead, I can’t consider that it is. God wouldn’t tell me to put down in my account book what is not true. When I “consider” I’m not writing $5,000 in the deposit column of my checkbook, hoping that $5,000 will magically appear in my bank account! If I only have $5 in my checkbook, but reckon to myself “I have $5,000 in my bank account” over and over, nothing is going to change. I can only reckon what I have. God tells us to consider that we are dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus, not because by that process I will become dead, but because I am already dead.  Many people know the truth that they are united to Christ, but it doesn’t do them any good if they don’t “consider” that truth in the time of temptation. If you have been born again this is true of you. It will always be true of you. If you are falling to temptation it is true of you. If you are living in victory it is true of you. If you don’t believe these truths, they are still true of you, but you won’t receive any benefit from them. I am Brian Anderson. I will always be Brian Anderson. Even if I get amnesia and forget who I am, I will still be Brian Anderson. So too, you are united to Christ, and will always be united to Christ whether you consider it or not. But you must know and consider it for it to have benefit in your life.

3.  Act on our Union to Christ:  Paul says in 6:12-14, “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law, but under grace.”  The third word we need to pay attention to in this passage is the word “present.” Look at it in verses 12-14.  We are told in verse 12 that we must not let sin reign in our mortal body that we should obey its lusts. That implies that we have power to either allow sin to reign or to forbid sin to reign. Now, how do we forbid sin to reign in our mortal bodies? Verse 13 tells us that it is by not presenting the members of our body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but by presenting ourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and our members as instruments of righteousness to God.  Before we were saved we presented our members to sin as instruments of unrighteousness. We used our eyes to lust and look at porn. We used our ears to listen to filth and gossip. We used our hands to steal, and hurt others. We used our feet to take us to dens of iniquity. We used our lips to speak profanity and curse God. Now, because the dominion of sin has been broken, we must present those same members to God for His service. Now I present my eyes to read the Bible, and see people with compassion. I present my ears to hear the Word of God preached and listen to the troubles of my brothers. I present my lips to pray, sing, and witness. I present my hands to serve others and work for Christ. I present my feet to take me where God wants me to go.

What this all boils down to is that now that we have been born again, if we sin, we choose to. We don’t have to any more. We must stop making excuses for ourself! When we are tempted to look lustfully at that magazine, or not tell the grocery clerk when she gives us too much change, or to take something from work, or to drink too much to the point where we are under the influence, or to boast in our intelligence or beauty, we need to consider that we are dead to sin and alive to God. We need to remind ourselves that we are united to Christ. We are spiritually alive to God, His will and His glory. Know your union with Christ, consider your union with Christ, and act on your union with Christ, and you will find greater and greater freedom from sin!

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