Read & explore together
Dead to Sin, Alive to God
Romans 6:1-14 answers a serious misunderstanding about grace. Paul asks whether grace gives permission to keep sinning, then shows that believers are joined to Christ in his death and life, so their lives now have a different direction.
Understanding the passage
The setting of these words
This part of Romans is written as teaching in a letter. Paul frames the passage with questions, explanations and commands. He speaks about baptism into Christ Jesus, Christ being raised from the dead, and the believer’s new way of living under grace rather than under sin’s rule.
Romans 6:1–14Main takeaway
Because believers are united with Christ in his death and life, they are to reckon themselves dead to sin, alive to God, and to present themselves for righteousness.
Follow the letter’s teaching
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01Grace is not a reason to keep sinningPaul begins with a question: should people continue in sin so that grace may increase? He answers strongly, “May it never be!”
Explanation
Paul begins with a question: should people continue in sin so that grace may increase? He answers strongly, “May it never be!” Then he gives the reason. Those who died to sin cannot treat sin as the place where they still belong and live. The passage starts with a changed identity, not a loophole.
02Baptism points to death and new life with ChristPaul says believers were baptised into Christ Jesus and into his death. He adds that they were buried with him through baptism into death, with a purpose: just as Christ was raised from the dead through the Father’s glory, believers also might walk in newness of life.
Explanation
Paul says believers were baptised into Christ Jesus and into his death. He adds that they were buried with him through baptism into death, with a purpose: just as Christ was raised from the dead through the Father’s glory, believers also might walk in newness of life. Baptism here is tied to belonging to Christ and a new way of life.
03The old self’s slavery to sin is brokenPaul explains this union further. If people have been united with Christ in the likeness of his death, they will also share in his resurrection.
Explanation
Paul explains this union further. If people have been united with Christ in the likeness of his death, they will also share in his resurrection. He says the “old man” was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with and bondage to sin might end. Death brings freedom from sin’s claim.
04Christ’s risen life shapes how believers thinkPaul turns attention to Christ himself. If believers died with Christ, they believe they will also live with him.
Explanation
Paul turns attention to Christ himself. If believers died with Christ, they believe they will also live with him. Christ has been raised from the dead and dies no more, so death no longer rules him. He died to sin one time, and now he lives to God. Therefore believers are to consider themselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
05Present yourself to God, not to sinThe passage ends with commands flowing from the earlier teaching. Sin must not reign in the mortal body, and believers must not offer their members as instruments of unrighteousness.
Explanation
The passage ends with commands flowing from the earlier teaching. Sin must not reign in the mortal body, and believers must not offer their members as instruments of unrighteousness. Instead, they are to present themselves to God as alive from the dead and their members as instruments of righteousness. Paul closes by saying sin will not rule them, because they are under grace.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01How does Paul answer the idea that grace means a person can keep sinning?
Look at his direct reply and the reason he gives about having died to sin.
02What does Paul connect baptism with in verses 3 and 4?
Notice the repeated ideas of Christ’s death, burial, and the purpose of walking in newness of life.
03What are believers told to do with their bodies and lives at the end of the passage?
Compare the two ways of presenting yourself: to sin for unrighteousness, or to God for righteousness.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Romans 6:1–14
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 of us 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 longer 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.