Romans 6:6: 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.
When Paul says your “old man” is crucified with Him, he means your old nature is crucified with Him. “That the body of sin might be destroyed”—the word destroyed means “to make of none effect, to be paralyzed or canceled or nullified”—“that henceforth we should not serve sin.” Paul is not saying that the old nature is eradicated. He is saying that since the old man was crucified, the body of sin has been put out of business, so that from now on we should not be in bondage to sin. 1
Sin is a terrible master, and it finds a willing servant in the human body. The body is not sinful; the body is neutral. It can be controlled either by sin or by God. But man’s fallen nature, which is not changed at conversion, gives sin a beachhead from which it can attack and then control. 2
Application
- Why is it so hard for you to “know” and receive this fact–that your old man was crucified with Christ?
- One way to nullify the flesh when tempted is to pray for the Word of God to come alive in your mind. Then, ask God immediately for the filling of His Holy Spirit.
Prayer
Lord, help me. I only want to be known as a slave of Jesus Christ, and not a slave to sin.
1. McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Epistles (Romans 1-8) (electronic ed., Vol. 42). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
2. Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
