Matthew Henry’s Modern English CommentaryRomans 6

Dead to Sin, Alive to God In this section, Paul addresses a possible misunderstanding about God’s grace. Some people might think that, since God forgives all our sins, it doesn’t matter if we keep sinning. Paul argues strongly against this idea and explains that believers have a new life in Christ. Through faith and baptism, Christians are united with Jesus in his death and resurrection. This means that they should not continue living in sin, but should live for God. v. 1: Paul asks, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” (Romans 6:1 ). He is responding to the idea that if God’s grace covers our sins, maybe we should keep on sinning so there will be even more grace. Paul shows this is completely wrong.

v. 2: He answers, “Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” (Romans 6:2 ). When we become Christians, it is like we have died to our old life of sin. It would not make sense to keep living the way we did before.

v. 3: Paul explains, “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?” (Romans 6:3 ). Baptism is a sign that we have joined Jesus in his death to sin.

v. 4: “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4 ). Baptism shows that our old sinful life is over, and now we should live a new life, just as Jesus was raised from the dead.

v. 5: “For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection” (Romans 6:5 ). If we share in Jesus’ death to sin, we will also share in his new, resurrected life.

v. 6: “Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin” (Romans 6:6 ). Our old sinful self was put to death with Jesus, so we are not controlled by sin anymore.

v. 7: “For he who has died has been freed from sin” (Romans 6:7 ). If we have “died” with Christ, we are set free from the power of sin.

v. 8: “Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him” (Romans 6:8 ). Because we are united with Jesus in his death, we are also united with him in his new life.

v. 9: “Knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him” . Jesus rose from the dead and will never die again. Death has no power over him now.

v. 10: “For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God” (Romans 6:10 ). Jesus died once to break the power of sin, and now he lives forever for God.

v. 11: “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:11 ). Christians should think of themselves as dead to sin but alive to God because they are united with Christ.

v. 12: “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts” (Romans 6:12 ). We should not let sin control us or make us do wrong things.

v. 13: “And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God” (Romans 6:13 ). We should not use our bodies to do evil, but instead, use them to serve God.

v. 14: “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace” (Romans 6:14 ). Sin is not your master anymore, because you are living under God’s grace, not under the old law.