We are taught here the means of our deliverance from our connection with the first Adam, with sin, death and condemnation attached to that connection! It had been said, “Where sin abounded, (that is, before law came in, or after law came in) grace did much more abound.” A man might then say, “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” Let it not be thought so for one moment! How can we that have died to sin live any longer therein? It is a question of living under the power of sin or not. But if we have died to sin by the act of Christ’s death being applied to us, How can we live any longer in that life over which sin had dominion, and to which it attached itself? Now the apostle brings in two ways and means by which we have been delivered. Externally by baptism, really by faith. Romans 6:3-4 show the former way, Romans 6:7 and following verses the latter. “Know ye not,” says the apostle, “That as many as have been baptized unto Jesus Christ, have been baptized unto His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him by baptism unto death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, we ought also to walk in newness of life Here clearly baptism is the external means of our connection with Christ in death. The baptized person is put into the water, which is the figure of Christ’s death. He is buried under the water, the figure of being buried with Christ. Now as Christ was raised by the honor the Father put upon Him, the baptized person ought to walk in newness of life. Mark, my reader, this is his responsibility. There is nothing said about his having life or not, but he ought to walk in newness of life. Unless he has faith besides baptism, this he will not do. But if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man has been crucified with Him, that is, I take it by imputation when He was crucified, that the body of sin might be annulled, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that has died has been justified from sin.
But this introduces a second means of connection with Christ in death. It is by faith (comp. Rom. 5:1), not only by baptism. Baptism gives me externally a place with Christ in death, and so I am placed on Christian ground, where I ought to walk in newness of life; but as I said before, if faith is not added to baptism, there is no living connection with Christ. Baptism is not unto life, but unto death; but if I believe, I am justified from sin; and I have really as well as externally, a part with Christ in His death. He that is dead is justified from sin, that is from the very root and principle of it, not only from its acts. But if we be dead with Christ, we believe 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 have died indeed unto sin, and alive unto God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Thus God accounts to us all the value of His Son’s death and resurrection so that we, believing, reckon ourselves as having died to sin with Him, and to be alive unto God in Him. This is the reckoning of faith, as water baptism gives us that place externally, short of living unto God. This truth is now applied to our walk from Romans 16:18-28. Let not sin reign in your mortal bodies; ye are dead. Yield yourselves unto God as those who are alive from the dead, for sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Thus the law is looked at as the strength of sin, and applies to the condition of the first Adam, over which sin has dominion.
But then, Shall we take advantage and sin because we are not under law, but under grace? God forbid. Sin is looked at all through these verses as a master; if I yield myself a slave to that master, I am a slave to that master, whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness. But thanks be to God, that we are not the servants of sin, but we have obeyed the form of doctrine delivered unto us, that is, of Christ’s death and resurrection; and we are set free. But then, having been set free by faith in Him dead and risen, we have become servants unto righteousness.
Wherefore yield up yourselves to this new master, to righteousness unto holiness.
Did you gather any fruit from the things whereof you are now ashamed, for the end of those things is death? But now being made free from sin, and having become servants of God, we have our fruit unto holiness, and the end eternal life; for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Sin is always looked at in these chapters as a master reigning over man, and to whom he is a slave. It is not the responsible man, either unconverted, quickened, or delivered; but it reigns over the unconverted Adam man, and even over him converted, as we see in. Romans 7, till delivered and in full salvation. Adam was first created upright, spirit, soul and body. Sin entered at the fall. The old serpent then put poison into man’s nature, and from that time it has been transmitted to all Adam’s descendants as we have seen. It entered the world by Adam (Rom. 5:12). It hath reigned since in the power of death (Rom. 5:21). It exercises dominion over (Rom. 6:14) and pays wages to its slaves (Rom. 6:21). Death alone can close its reign. Thus what the awakened soul looks for is deliverance from its power and empire, as indeed the bitten Israelite looked for from the bite of the fiery serpent! That deliverance is effected by the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, and is identified in this chapter with our full justification (Rom. 6:6), not only from sins, but from the principle of sin, the character of which is lawlessness (see 1 John 3:4).
This brings in the principle of association with Christ. Externally by baptism, but really and virtually by faith, and as to the new state (Rom. 8:9), by the Holy Spirit. We are dead with Christ, buried with Christ, risen with Christ, only Romans does not mention this latter, which we have in Colossians and Ephesians; but we are alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord! The gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom. 6:23).
Thus we see how Christ is our life, as well as our righteousness. And it is not only that He is given to us by a God of love from the other side of the cross to die for us, thus meeting our state as ungodly sinners, but He is given to us here, as a present gift from the glory side of the cross. This gift received puts the receiver in Him who has died to sin and lives to God. We therefore, are to reckon ourselves to have died indeed unto: sin, but alive unto God in Jesus Christ our Lord. In Romans 8:2-11 this connects itself with the: communication of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, that sets us free from the law of sin and death, and in final result leads on to the quickening of: the mortal body at the return of the Lord from heaven. But in Romans 6, it is the life of faith which reckons itself dead to sin, and alive to God in Christ, yields itself practically up to God, and as the result obeys; and these are the two great principles of the Christian life, faith and obedience.