Did I Really Die – Discovery Church

Romans 6:1–14

6 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 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.

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. 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. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.13 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. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

Romans 1-5: What God accomplished through the gospel — all are sinners, Christ died for us, salvation through faith.
Romans 6-8: How we experience the gospel.
Paul – once a persecutor, now passionate about the truth and grace of Jesus.

United with Christ

Baptism = outward sign of inward transformation.
Links to Israel’s freedom from slavery as they passed through the red sea.
Through union with Christ, sin’s power is broken.
Freedom from slavery to sin into new life.

Baptism is a declaration of our inclusion in Christ’s story death to sin, resurrection to life.

Dead to Sin, Alive to God

“How can we who died to sin still live in it?” – death and life cannot coexist.
“Considering ourselves” is recognising our true identity and position in Christ.
Before Christ: realm of sin and death. Now: realm of newness of life & sin no longer reigns.
Sin no longer controls us; we are free.
When believers sin, it’s not as slaves but as free people who forget their true identity.

Sin is not your lifestyle – it’s a lapse in identity.

Grace Is Not Permission to Sin

“6 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means!”
God’s grace gives freedom to live new life, not license to sin.
Paul’s life demonstrates the transforming power of grace (from persecutor to preacher).
We are invited to “walk in the newness of life.”

Freedom from sin is not permission to sin – it’s empowerment to live righteously.

Application:

Do I really believe that I have died with Christ and am united with Him in his resurrection? Do I believe I am alive in God and sin is dead? That is my position, my place, my identity because of Christ’s death and resurrection?

And secondly, ask the Lord to reveal to you times you still sin? Lord, where is there sin in my life? Remember his grace for you, and his invitation to walk in the newness of life.

If you believe in Jesus and haven’t been baptised, take that step.

In Christ, sin is dead and you are alive. We get to walk in that freedom, this is the good news!