Meaning of Romans 6:6

This verse from Romans 6:6 encapsulates a pivotal aspect of Christian theology: the believer's identification with Christ's death and resurrection, leading to liberation from the dominion of sin. Paul asserts that the "old self," representing the unregenerate state characterized by enslavement to sin, has been "crucified with him" (Christ). This crucifixion is not merely a historical event but a spiritual reality experienced by believers through their union with Christ. The consequence of this crucifixion is the "doing away with" of the "body ruled by sin," meaning the cessation of sin's sovereign authority over the believer's life. Consequently, believers are no longer compelled to be "slaves to sin," opening the door to a new life of freedom and obedience to God.

Context and Background

Romans 6 is a crucial chapter where Paul addresses potential misunderstandings of God's grace. Some might wrongly infer that if God's grace abounds, then believers are free to continue in sin to make that grace more evident. Paul vehemently rejects this notion, arguing that the very nature of salvation through Christ precludes such a lifestyle. He uses the analogy of baptism in Romans 6:3-4 to illustrate this point, explaining that believers are baptized into Christ's death and burial, and thus symbolically participate in His redemptive work. Romans 6:6 directly follows this explanation, detailing the implications of this spiritual union for the believer's former life dominated by sin.

Key Themes and Messages

• Identification with Christ: The core message is the believer's profound spiritual union with Jesus Christ, particularly in His death. This union means that what happened to Christ in His crucifixion is, in a spiritual sense, applied to the believer.
• Liberation from Sin's Dominion: The crucifixion of the "old self" signifies the dethroning of sin's power. Sin no longer holds absolute authority; its reign is broken.
• The End of Slavery: The verse explicitly states that believers are no longer "slaves to sin." This highlights a profound shift from involuntary servitude to a state of freedom.
• Spiritual Transformation: This verse points to a radical transformation that occurs at conversion, where the believer's identity and allegiance are fundamentally changed.

Spiritual Significance and Application

The spiritual significance lies in the believer's ability to reckon themselves dead to sin and alive to God (Romans 6:11). Understanding that their old self was crucified with Christ empowers them to resist sin's temptations and to live a life that reflects their new identity. This is not a passive state but an active participation in the victory Christ achieved. The application is practical: believers are called to actively choose obedience to God, recognizing that they are no longer bound by the desires and compulsions of their former sinful nature. This freedom is the foundation for living a life of righteousness and holiness.

Relation to the Broader Biblical Narrative

Romans 6:6 is a cornerstone in the biblical narrative of redemption. It speaks to the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies concerning a new covenant where sins would be forgiven and a new spirit would be given (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 36:26-27). The death of Christ is the atoning sacrifice that makes this liberation possible, a theme woven throughout the sacrificial system of the Old Testament. The New Testament consistently emphasizes this theme of freedom from sin through Christ's redemptive work, as seen in passages like Galatians 5:1 and John 8:36.

Analogies

1. A Prisoner's Release: Imagine a prisoner who has served their full sentence and is released. While the memory of imprisonment might linger, they are no longer under the authority of the prison warden and are free to live outside its walls. Similarly, sin is the warden, and through Christ's death, believers have been released from its jurisdiction.
2. A Broken Chain: Think of a slave whose chains have been broken. The physical chains are gone, and they are no longer bound to their master. The "body ruled by sin" is like those chains, and Christ's crucifixion has broken them, freeing the believer.
3. A Defeated Army: Sin can be seen as an invading army that once conquered a city. Christ's death is the decisive battle where the army is defeated, and its power over the city is broken. Believers are citizens of a liberated city.

Relation to Other Verses

• Galatians 2:20: "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." This verse directly echoes the concept of being crucified with Christ and the subsequent indwelling of Christ, which empowers believers to live a new life.
• Colossians 2:11-12: "In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made by hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead." This passage further elaborates on the spiritual circumcision and burial with Christ, emphasizing the totality of the believer's union with Him in His death and resurrection.
• 1 Peter 4:1-2: "So, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same attitude, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live no longer by human desires, but by the will of God." This highlights the practical outworking of having "suffered in the flesh" with Christ, leading to a cessation from sin and a life lived according to God's will.
• John 8:36: "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." This promise of freedom found in Jesus directly correlates with the liberation from sin's slavery described in Romans 6:6.