Romans — Chapter 6
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1What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
3Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4Therefore 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.
5For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
9Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13Neither 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.
14For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
15What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
16Know 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?
17But 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.
18Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
19I 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.
20For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
21What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
22But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
23For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
1What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2God forbid. We who died to sin, how shall we any longer live therein?
3Or are ye ignorant that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
4We were buried therefore with him through baptism unto death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.
5For if we have become united with [him] in the likeness of his death, we shall be also [in the likeness] of his resurrection;
6knowing this, that our old man was crucified with [him], that the body of sin might be done away, that so we should no longer be in bondage to sin;
7for he that hath died is justified from sin.
8But if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him;
9knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death no more hath dominion over him.
10For the death that he died, he died unto sin once: but the life that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11Even so reckon ye also yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus.
12Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey the lusts thereof:
13neither present your members unto sin [as] instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves unto God, as alive from the dead, and your members [as] instruments of righteousness unto God.
14For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under law, but under grace.
15What then? shall we sin, because we are not under law, but under grace? God forbid.
16Know ye not, that to whom ye present yourselves [as] servants unto obedience, his servants ye are whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
17But thanks be to God, that, whereas ye were servants of sin, ye became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching whereunto ye were delivered;
18and being made free from sin, ye became servants of righteousness.
19I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye presented your members [as] servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity, even so now present your members [as] servants to righteousness unto sanctification.
20For when ye were servants of sin, ye were free in regard of righteousness.
21What fruit then had ye at that time in the things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
22But now being made free from sin and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end eternal life.
23For the wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
1What shall we say then? Are we to remain in sin so that grace may increase?
2Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it?
3Or do you not know that as many as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
4Therefore we have been buried with him through baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may live a new life.
5For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be united in the likeness of his resurrection.
6We know that our old man was crucified with him so that the body of sin would no longer dominate us, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.
7(For someone who has died has been freed from sin.)
8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
9We know that since Christ has been raised from the dead, he is never going to die again; death no longer has mastery over him.
10For the death he died, he died to sin once for all, but the life he lives, he lives to God.
11So you too consider yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires,
13and do not present your members to sin as instruments to be used for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who are alive from the dead and your members to God as instruments to be used for righteousness.
14For sin will have no mastery over you, because you are not under law but under grace.
15What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Absolutely not!
16Do you not know that if you present yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or obedience resulting in righteousness?
17But thanks be to God that though you were slaves to sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching you were entrusted to,
18and having been freed from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness.
19(I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh.) For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.
20For when you were slaves of sin, you were free with regard to righteousness.
21So what benefit did you then reap from those things that you are now ashamed of? For the end of those things is death.
22But now, freed from sin and enslaved to God, you have your benefit leading to sanctification, and the end is eternal life.
23For the payoff of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
1What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2May it never be! We who died to sin, how could we live in it any longer?
3Or don’t you know that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
4We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.
5For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will also be part of his resurrection;
6knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be in bondage to sin.
7For he who has died has been freed from sin.
8But if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him;
9knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no more has dominion over him!
10For the death that he died, he died to sin one time; but the life that he lives, he lives to God.
11Thus consider yourselves also to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
12Therefore don’t let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.
13Also, do not present your members to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God, as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
14For sin will not have dominion over you. For you are not under law, but under grace.
15What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under law, but under grace? May it never be!
16Don’t you know that when you present yourselves as servants and obey someone, you are the servants of whomever you obey; whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness?
17But thanks be to God, that, whereas you were bondservants of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were delivered.
18Being made free from sin, you became bondservants of righteousness.
19I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh, for as you presented your members as servants to uncleanness and to wickedness upon wickedness, even so now present your members as servants to righteousness for sanctification.
20For when you were servants of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.
21What fruit then did you have at that time in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.
22But now, being made free from sin, and having become servants of God, you have your fruit of sanctification, and the result of eternal life.
23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Summary
Shall we sin that grace may abound? God forbid — believers have died with Christ in baptism and are raised to walk in newness of life, freed from sin's dominion because they are no longer under law but under grace.
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
- No specific geographic locations are referenced in this chapter.
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik examines the objection to grace, union with Christ in death and resurrection, the command to reckon, and the two masters.
- Charles Spurgeon: Sermon: "Dead to Sin" on v.11 (MTP Vol. 10, No. 632) "Reckon yourselves dead to sin — not 'try to be dead,' not 'hope to be dead someday' — reckon. Consider it done. It IS done. You died with Christ. The old man was crucified. Now believe it and live accordingly. Sanctification begins with believing what is already true about you." Sermon: "The Wages of Sin" on v.23 (MTP Vol. 22, No. 1365) "The wages of sin is death — sin pays. It always pays. It pays exactly what it promises: death. But the gift of God is eternal life — God gives. He doesn't pay wages; He gives gifts. You're either earning death or receiving life. There is no third option."
Videos
The Bible Project — Romans Overview
Animated overview of the book's literary structure, themes, and theological message. Excellent visual introduction. (Approx. 8 minutes)
Reflection
- 1. "Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?" (v.1). If you truly understand grace, this question is absurd — like asking "Should I keep drinking poison because the hospital is free?" Grace doesn't produce license; it produces gratitude and transformation.
- 2. "Reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin" (v.11). This is a command — believe what is true about you. You DIED with Christ. Sin's authority is broken. Do you live like a free man or like a slave who doesn't know the chains are off?
- 3. "Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness" (v.13). Your hands, eyes, mouth, mind — they are either weapons for sin or weapons for God. Which master are your body parts serving today?
- 4. "The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life" (v.23). Every sin is earning you death. Every moment of faith is receiving life. Which economy are you operating in right now?
- 5. Paul says you "died to sin" (v.2). If that's true, why do you still struggle with it? Because death to sin means freedom from sin's DOMINION, not from sin's PRESENCE. The war continues, but the outcome is decided. How does knowing the outcome is decided change how you fight?
- 6. "Our old man is crucified with him" (v.6). Your old identity — the person you were apart from Christ — is dead. Do you still identify with your old self? Are you living out of your old identity or your new one?
- 7. "Sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace" (v.14). Surprisingly, it is GRACE (not law) that breaks sin's power. How does grace motivate holiness more effectively than rules?
- 8. "To whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are" (v.16). You are always serving someone — sin or God. There is no neutral ground. Who are you serving with your daily choices?
- 9. "What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed?" (v.21). Look back at your life before Christ (or in seasons of sin). What fruit did it produce? Shame, emptiness, death. Now look at life in Christ — holiness, purpose, eternal life. Which fruit do you want?