October 26, 2008

In this passage, Paul continues to answer the question raised in Romans 6:1 - "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?" Paul provides further reasons for why this should never be. In verses 5-11 we discover the benefit in being united to Christ - both in His death and resurrection. Because we have been united to Christ in His death (which was a substitute for the punishment our sin required), sin's dominion over us, its former slaves, has been broken. In Christ, the dominion of death is also crushed. For all who place saving faith in Christ, the sting of death has been removed. Instead, we look forward to a day when we will be given glorified bodies in our resurrection from the dead. In that day, it will no longer be possible for us to sin. Yet, for this life, we are called to live as best we can like we will on that day - to live for Christ, in obedience to the commands of God. There is a life yet to come for the Christian, but may we not lose sight of the grace that is ours today to live for God as those in Christ!