Vivemus cum Christo | Live with him

But if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him – Romans 6:8

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In the Scriptures, Romans chapter 1 to chapter 5, the apostle Paul teaches us that Jesus Christ died for us, being justified by His blood. Now in Romans chapter 6, the apostle Paul writes that we died with Him. 

In today’s passage, the apostle Paul teaches us so many important concepts and principles:  we died to sin (6:2), were “baptized into his death” (6:3), were “buried with him by baptism into death” (6:4), and were “raised up from the dead” with Him (6:4). Our old self was “crucified with him” (6:6); we died with Christ (6:8); Christ was “raised from the dead” (6:9); and “he died unto sin once” (6:10).

Focusing today on Romans 6:8. Just as Christ died and was raised from the dead, so in His death and resurrection, every believer died to sin and arose to a new self, a new life. Our old self was crucified when Christ was crucified. The cross is the end of all that is old, the ending of sin. It is finished. Our Lord Jesus Christ died for our sin, once and for all. We are not bound by what we were. It was finished by our Lord Jesus on the cross. We are new! The old self died with Jesus Christ on the cross. Paul instructs us to put off the old man as something that is dead and not existing any more (Ephesians 4:22 and Colossians 3:9). The old man that Paul refers to means the old sinful nature, before conversion and accepting Jesus Christ. Anyone living in Christ, is a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).

We are alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:11). Let us live as new people, since our old self is dead. The new man not only has life, he has eternal life!

Reflection on Romans 6: 1 - 11 by Hanne

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