Romans 6
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? - Now that we have been reconciled (see ch. 5)... Are we still going to live the way we used to live and just count on God's forgiveness?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? - No way! Why? Because we are dead to sin. To live now in sin would be inconceivable. Let me explain what I mean...
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? - When we are saved we die. We are buried. And we rise again in Christ.
4 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. - Now that this has happened, the outward expression of our lives must begin to match this new inner reality.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: - Because we are now living together with Him, our lives should, more and more, look like Him.
6 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. - Because we know this: that the old man died at the time of salvation - crucified with Christ - the enemy can't make that man sin any more. That man is dead. It's over. That dead man can't be tempted any more. He doesn't think and reason and justify his actions any more. He can't hear and respond to the enemy any more. That guy is gone.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin. - He's done with sin.
8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: - We're not only united with Him in His death but also in His life. We live in union and communion with Him.
9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. Because we know that He's not dying any more and that we live in union and communion with Him, we never need to fear death again.
10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So looky here... Consider yourself to have died, been buried and raised at salvation. Consider yourself to have died to everything having to do with sin.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. - And because you know that you died to sin, don't let it continue to have a place in your life. Let the outward expression of your life be consistent with the new inward reality - the new life united with Christ that you now have.
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
Round 2:
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. - Am I going to continue to sin because the hammer of the law is no longer hanging over my head? Because there is nothing, legally speaking, to make me afraid of the consequences?
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? - Don't you know?... That you're a slave of - attached to - bound to - united with - the one that you obey. Don't forfeit your union and communion with Christ. Heavens no! Stay united with Him. Why rejoin yourself to sin and it's ugliness when you have just been joined to One so beautiful?
17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.