Romans 6:5-14 (ESV)
o Paul expands on the idea of union with Christ and the implications of that reality for the Christian life. Being united to Christ in His death and resurrection impacts how and should live.
o Paul uses a curious phrase in v5, “united with him in a death like his,” (or better translated “united with the likeness of his death”). Does this mean that baptism is an image of the death of Christ or is a form of the death of Christ present sacramentally in baptism?
▪ While debatable, the phrase is probably best understood through what we saw in v4. We are united to Christ in His death in a redemptive-historical sense. We are united to that event not physically or in time but by its significance in redemptive history, and we are being continually conformed to the death. This makes the most sense of the verb “we have been united” where the action takes place in the past but has present and future results.
▪ The second half of v5 uses a future tense verb to describe our union with Christ’ resurrection. There is a real, physical resurrection to come where union with Christ will be fully realized. At the same time, that physical reality has implications for Christians today. Our union with Christ’s death points forward to how we live our lives now, and our future resurrection points backwards so that we are living in conformity to Christ’s death (dying to our old selves and sin) and living in the power of the resurrection (victory over our old selves and sin).
▪ That was deeper analysis of 1 verse than usual, but I trust we can walk away with two things:
• As Christians, your union with Christ gifts you with the identity (in Him) and power (His death and resurrection) to fight sin and overcome it.
• Doctrines, such as union with Christ, are not just theological jargon that gets thrown around and discussed for the sake of intellectual growth or mental stimulation. The doctrines of the Bible from union with Christ to the Trinity to baptism are meant to be delighted in and provide a foundation for loving God, loving others, and seeking holiness.
o Paul’s language throughout these verses is not physical but positional. The “old self” in v6 was not physically crucified, but positionally we are moved from the realm of sin to the realm of righteousness.
o What is meant by the old self? What is the nature of the relationship between old and new self? Was it that the new self was added to the old self at the cross, or was the old self replaced by the new self?
o The phrase “so that” in v6 can be understood as either purpose or result. It is difficult to determine Paul’s usage here, but contextually is seems to make sense that it is a purpose. God’s intention in having our old selves crucified with Christ is that we are no longer slaves to sin. The gospel has purpose and intention in every aspect and was not some arbitrary thing God put together with no meaning behind His decisions.
o Vs 7-11 can be summarized as: life is now the reality for those who are united to Christ because Christ in His death and resurrection has defeated sin and death. So, just as Christ lives to God, so too we should live in the reality of being dead to sin and alive to God.
▪ What does it mean that Jesus “died to sin”? Since He is sinless, did sin have any power over Him? Consider these questions from a salvation-history perspective and what we saw about a change in status from one realm to another.
o Paul moves to imperatives in vs12-14 which are grounded in the reiteration of the truth statement in v14 that sin no longer has dominion over those who are in Christ.
o The “mortal body” in v12 may be referring to the physical body but most likely refers to the entire being of a person and represents the existence each believer has in this world and in this age.

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ECC Mission
Multiply passionate love for Jesus Christ and those made in his image

ECC Core Commitments
- Making disciple-making disciples
- Unifying peoples
- Training and challenging men to lead sacrificially
- Planting church-planting churches
- Equipping women for ministry

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To help make the gospel central to all of life