Our scripture this morning is Romans 6:5-8.
Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him.
Paul was trained as a Pharisee and while He left that life behind by giving it to Jesus, he still writes and argues in that manner, only now as an advocate of Christ. This is why even in modern translations it seems Paul is presenting a court case. Here he lays out a logical explanation of how the crucifixion and resurrection break the power of sin in our lives.
He states that those who have given their lives to Christ “have been united with Him in His death” and “will also be raised to life as He was.” The truth here is that those who have died can no longer be affected by sin. Evil believes it has won if we die in sin.
Christ’s sacrifice for us was to die an innocent death having never sinned. He was raised from the dead and if we place our faith and our lives in His care, we too can be “raised incorruptible” as Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:52. This is how we can all be saved, by dying to sin and living for Jesus.
Gracious God, You loved us so much You were willing to give up part of Yourself to redeem us from evil and bring us to eternal life. Bless us to go in Your name to tell the world of Your gift. Amen.
