Romans 6:9–10: Knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
Sin and death have no dominion over Christ. We are “in Christ”; therefore, sin and death have no dominion over us. Jesus Christ not only died “for sin,” but He also died “unto sin.” That is, He not only paid the penalty for sin, but He broke the power of sin. This idea of dominion takes us back to Romans 5:12–21 where Paul dealt with the “reigns” of sin, death, and grace. Through Christ we “reign in life” (Rom. 5:17) so that sin no longer controls our lives. 1
When we have experienced solidarity with Christ, our lifestyle is affected, just as it was by our solidarity with Adam. If one’s life has not changed and if there is no impulse for further change toward Christ, he or she is very probably not a Christian. 2
Application
- If I live my life under the bondage of sin, it implies that I must not really believe that Christ died once and for all for my complete deliverance from the power of sin.
- No matter what I may profess to be spiritually, in my life, I will either live to serve God or to serve myself. I must reckon my profession with my practice.
Prayer
Lord, teach me how to live “the resurrected life” in my strengths and in my weaknesses.
1. Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
2. Hughes, R. K. (1991). Romans: righteousness from heaven. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
