Breaking bad
Romans 6.1-14
In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Prepare
Paul’s words ‘the body ruled by sin’ (v 6) don’t mean our bodies are evil, but that sin’s rule over us is clearly seen – in the things we say, eat, touch, look at etc. How is that true for you?
Read
Explore
It seems Paul was often misunderstood as teaching that ‘anything goes’, or that sin is good because it means more grace (v 1). Why is that wrong (vs 2,4)?
Grace is more than forgiveness (the penalty of sin has been paid); it is salvation (breaking the power of sin, so we can live the life God made us to live). Our ‘old self’ (v 6) is our whole self, dead to one master (sin), set free to serve another – God (see vs 7,11). The decisive moment was when Jesus died on the cross and rose to new life. We were not there – but how does Paul say we have ‘died’, are ‘buried’ and ‘live’ with him (vs 8–10)?
This is the pattern of a believer’s daily life: we have already died to sin, but we are not yet free of its influence completely; Jesus has already broken sin’s power, but we are not yet able to resist it completely; we have already begun to live Jesus’ risen life, but we are not yet free of the struggles and pains of this world.
Respond
Where in your life do you need to break the power of sin (v 7)? Perhaps share this with a trusted Christian friend, that they might support you and hold you accountable as you work on it.