Romans 6: “Dead to Sin and Alive in Christ”
1. “What Shall We Say Then?”
“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means!” (Rom 6:1–2)
Paul refutes the false conclusion that grace encourages sin.
The Cross does not excuse evil; it kills it.
If grace abounds over sin, then sin must no longer reign.
St John Chrysostom writes:
“Where sin abounded, grace abounded more; but not that sin might live, rather that it might die.”
(Homilies on Romans XI)
The logic of grace is holiness.
The more mercy we receive, the more the heart is transformed.
St Augustine:
“He who says, ‘Let us sin because grace abounds,’ does not understand grace; for grace makes the heart hate sin.”
(On Nature and Grace 67)
2. “We Died to Sin”
“How can we who died to sin still live in it?” (v. 2)
To “die to sin” means more than moral decision; it means sacramental death — a definitive break made in baptism.
Sin remains possible, but it no longer defines the believer.
St Bede the Venerable explains:
“To die to sin is to be freed from its dominion; its voice may tempt, but it cannot command.”
(Homilies on the Gospels, I.34)
3. “All of Us Who Have Been Baptised into Christ”
“Do you not know that all of us who have been baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into His death?” (v. 3)
Here Paul reveals the mystery of baptism: participation in Christ’s death.
It is not a symbol but a sacrament — a real incorporation into His saving act.
St Ambrose declares:
“You were asked, ‘Do you believe in Christ?’ and you answered, ‘I believe,’ then you were plunged — that is, buried with Christ — that you might rise with Him.”
(On the Mysteries III.14)
Baptism unites us to the whole Paschal Mystery.
4. “Buried with Him by Baptism into Death”
“We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” (v. 4)
This is the core of Christian identity.
The believer’s old self is not repaired but crucified; the new life is resurrectional.
St Augustine writes:
“As Christ died once to sin, so we must die once to sin through baptism; as He rose once, so we must rise daily in holiness.”
(Sermon 229)
St Bede:
“Baptism is both tomb and womb: we die in water, we are born in Spirit.”
(Homilies on the Gospels, I.34)
5. “United with Him in a Death like His”
“If we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His.” (v. 5)
Union with Christ is total — death and resurrection, humiliation and glory.
Grace makes us sharers in His life.
St John Chrysostom comments:
“He does not say, ‘We shall perhaps be,’ but ‘We shall certainly be’; for the root of resurrection is already planted in us.”
(Homilies on Romans XI)
Baptism is the seed of immortality, destined to blossom in glory.
6. “Our Old Self Was Crucified with Him”
“We know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the sinful body might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin.” (v. 6)
The “old self” (palaios anthrōpos) means the fallen nature dominated by sin.
In Christ it is crucified — not merely restrained but executed.
St Augustine:
“The cross of Christ must be planted in the soul, that the old man may hang there till he dies.”
(Sermon 155)
Freedom from sin is not self-reformation but death and rebirth through grace.
7. “He Who Has Died Is Freed from Sin”
“For he who has died is freed from sin.” (v. 7)
Death cancels all claims.
The believer who dies with Christ is released from sin’s jurisdiction.
St Ambrose explains:
“Sin cannot accuse the dead; if you have died with Christ, your accuser has lost his case.”
(On the Death of Satyrus II.14)
This verse also foreshadows physical death: the final liberation from all corruption.
8. “If We Have Died with Christ, We Believe We Shall Also Live with Him”
“We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over Him.” (vv. 8–9)
The resurrection of Christ is not reversal but triumph.
He dies once; He lives eternally.
We share that indestructible life.
St Bede:
“Death ruled till Christ rose; now death dies daily in the saints.”
(Homilies on the Gospels, I.34)
9. “Consider Yourselves Dead to Sin and Alive to God”
“So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (v. 11)
Paul calls for continual mindfulness — a daily renewal of baptismal identity.
The verb consider (logizesthe) means “reckon” or “count”: live by the truth of what God has done.
St Augustine:
“You are not what you were; believe what you are. In believing, you become.”
(Sermon 272)
10. “Let Not Sin Reign in Your Mortal Bodies”
“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions.” (v. 12)
The reign of grace demands vigilance.
Though sin’s rule is broken, rebellion still stirs.
The believer must now serve a new King.
St John Chrysostom writes:
“He does not say, ‘Let not the body exist,’ but ‘let it not reign’; for the body is not the enemy, but sin reigning in the body.”
(Homilies on Romans XII)
11. “Present Yourselves to God”
“Do not yield your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but yield yourselves to God as men who have been brought from death to life.” (v. 13)
The Christian life is consecration — presenting every faculty to God.
Grace transforms our bodies into instruments of righteousness.
St Ambrose:
“Let the hand serve charity, the tongue truth, the heart faith; thus the whole man becomes an offering.”
(On the Duties of the Clergy I.18)
12. “Sin Shall Not Have Dominion over You”
“For sin shall not have dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.” (v. 14)
The Law could command but not empower; grace both commands and enables.
To be “under grace” means to be governed by love, not fear.
St Bede:
“Law binds, grace unbinds; law threatens, grace persuades.”
(Homilies on the Gospels, I.34)
This verse summarises Christian liberty: freedom for righteousness, not from it.
13. “Shall We Sin Because We Are Not under Law?”
“What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!” (v. 15)
Paul repeats his warning.
Grace is not permission to sin but power to resist it.
St Augustine:
“The grace that forgives sin is the grace that forbids it.”
(On Grace and Free Will 23)
14. “You Are Slaves of the One You Obey”
“Do you not know that if you yield yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?” (v. 16)
There is no neutral ground.
Freedom always implies belonging — either to sin or to God.
Christian liberty is a new kind of servitude: loving service under grace.
St John Chrysostom:
“He who boasts of freedom while serving sin is more a slave than those in chains.”
(Homilies on Romans XII)
15. “Thanks Be to God”
“Thanks be to God that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed.” (v. 17)
Conversion is obedience “from the heart” — not external conformity but interior renewal.
The “standard of teaching” (typos didachēs) refers to the apostolic faith, the Church’s creed and doctrine.
St Bede:
“They were handed over to teaching as metal to a mould, to receive the form of Christ.”
(Homilies on the Gospels, I.34)
16. “Having Been Set Free from Sin”
“Having been set free from sin, you have become slaves of righteousness.” (v. 18)
Freedom finds fulfilment in service.
To be bound to righteousness is true liberty.
St Augustine:
“To serve God is to reign; for His service frees from every passion.”
(Confessions X.3)
17. “You Presented Your Members as Slaves to Impurity”
“Just as you once yielded your members to impurity and greater lawlessness, so now yield them to righteousness for sanctification.” (v. 19)
Holiness demands the same zeal we once gave to sin.
Grace redirects the will’s energy from vice to virtue.
St Ambrose exhorts:
“Let the fervour of repentance match the fervour of sin; he who served lust with both hands should serve God with all his strength.”
(On Repentance II.12)
18. “When You Were Slaves of Sin, You Were Free in Regard to Righteousness”
“But what fruit did you get from the things of which you are now ashamed? The end of those things is death.” (vv. 20–21)
Sin promises freedom but delivers death.
Its “fruit” is shame — the bitter harvest of separation from God.
St Bede:
“Sin’s sweetness is the bait; death is the hook.”
(Homilies on the Gospels, I.34)
19. “Now You Have Been Set Free from Sin”
“But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the return you get is sanctification and its end, eternal life.” (v. 22)
The outcome of grace is holiness; the final fruit is eternal life.
Sanctification is both process and pledge — the beginning of glory now.
St Augustine:
“Sanctification is the seed of immortality; what begins in obedience will blossom in vision.”
(Sermon 169)
20. “The Wages of Sin Is Death”
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (v. 23)
This majestic verse summarises the Gospel:
sin pays wages, grace gives gifts.
Death is earned; life is bestowed.
The one who serves sin works for his own destruction; the one who serves Christ receives undeserved glory.
St Ambrose writes:
“The sinner is paid what he is owed; the righteous receives what he could never earn.”
(On the Faith III.5)
St Augustine concludes:
“The just God renders to the sinner what is due; the merciful God gives to the believer what is not due.”
(On Grace and Free Will 29)
21. Theological Summary
| Theme | Revelation |
| Baptism | Participation in Christ’s death and resurrection |
| Death to sin | Liberation from its power through grace |
| New life | Walking in holiness by the Spirit |
| Freedom and service | True liberty found in obedience to God |
| Sanctification | Growth in grace leading to eternal life |
| Grace vs. wages | Death earned, life freely given |
St Augustine summarises beautifully:
“To die to sin is the first resurrection; to live to God is the second. Both are the work of grace.”
(Sermon 229)
22. Moral and Spiritual Application
Remember your baptism. Live daily as one buried with Christ and risen to new life.
Renounce sin’s dominion. Refuse to serve old masters of pride, lust, or greed.
Offer your members to God. Every thought, word, and action can be consecrated.
Serve in joy. Obedience is not bondage but belonging.
Live in gratitude. Eternal life is a gift, not a wage; live as one who has received mercy.
23. Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ,
who by baptism joined us to Your death and resurrection,
free us from the power of sin and fill us with the life of Your grace.
Make us instruments of righteousness,
faithful in service, joyful in obedience,
and alive to God our Father through the Holy Spirit.
Grant that, dying to self each day,
we may live in the freedom of Your love
until the day we share in the glory of eternal life.
You who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. Amen.
St. Mary's, St. John Bosco and St. Edward's 