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• LESSON 11 (June 22) • Romans 6:1-23 *** Dead to Sin and Alive to God in Christ *** Romans 5 brought us to one of the great climactic points of Paul’s letter. Sin came into the world through Adam, and death through sin. Death not only spread to all men, it reigned over all men, because all sin and fall short of the glory of God. Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (5:18-21) This leads Paul to a pivotal question and an explanatory reminder. First, the pivotal question: What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound ? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? (6:1-2) Next, the explanatory reminder: Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. (6:3-4) “Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?” Why would anyone even ask such a question? What will it look like, practically speaking, if I answer that question with, “By all means”?