There is an old story of a rabbi in a Russian city. Disappointed by a lack of direction and purpose, he wandered out into a chilly evening. With his hands thrust deep into his pockets, he aimlessly walked through the empty streets questioning his faith in God, the Scriptures, and his calling to ministry. The only thing colder than the Russian winter air was the chill within his soul. He was so enshrouded by his own despair that he mistakenly wandered into a Russian compound, off limits to any civilian.

Just then the silence of the evening chill was shattered by the bark of a Russian soldier. “Who are you?” and “What are you doing here?” he yelled. “Excuse me?” replied the rabbi. I said, “Who are you and what are you doing here?” After a brief moment, the rabbi, in a gracious tone so as to not evoke any anger from the soldier, said, “How much do you get paid every day?” “What does that have to do with you?” the soldier retorted. The rabbi replied with a tone of discovery, “I will pay the equal sum if you will ask me those same two questions every day: “Who are you and what are you doing here?”

Let me be that Russian soldier for you as I ask you those same two questions: “Who are you?” and “What are you doing here?” The correct answers to these two questions is found in Romans 6:1-14. These 14 verses primarily focus on why we should obey Christ. If this passage is applied it has the potential to transform our lives as we discover new confidence, purpose, and power.

[Let's begin by looking at 6:1-10 to answer the question...]

1. Who Are You? (6:1-10) Paul begins in 6:1-2 by saying, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?” These first two verses serve as an introduction to chapter six. In these two verses, Paul uses three questions to drill his readers between the eyes. The first question, “What shall we say then?” (6:1a) takes us back to Paul’s previous comments in 5:20-21. These two verses stress the abounding, amazing grace of God. Yet they also bring rise to the inevitable accusatory question, “Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?” (6:1b). Paul strongly responds to this question in 6:2 with the phrase, “May it never be!” or “God forbid!” “Away with the notion!” “Perish the thought!” The answer is as obvious as whether or not one should kick a sleeping baby.(1) Of course not! This was absolutely unimaginable to Paul and should be to us as well. In each of Paul’s 13 epistles, we are commanded to live a radically godly life because this is the only appropriate response to the Gospel.

In the second half of 6:2, Paul asks, “How shall we who died to sin still live in it?” Here Paul uses the past tense form of the word “died.” In Romans Paul often uses the past tense “died” when talking about Jesus’ death. The point he is making is-what happened to Jesus happened to us! Who are you? You are a man or woman who has died to sin! The moment we believed in Christ, we died to sin. But please notice, Paul does not say that sin is dead to the Christian; he says only that we died to sin.

In 6:3-5, Paul explains what specifically happened to us when we believed in Christ. Paul writes: “Or do

you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection.” In these three verses, Paul begins to answer the question, how did our death to sin take place? Verse 3 says it happened because “all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death.” Here, Paul is referring to water baptism. The moment we believe in Christ we are identified with Christ’s death.

In 6:4, Paul also states that we have been buried and resurrected with Christ. The purpose of our identification with Christ is “so we too might walk in newness of life.” The word translated “newness” means “extraordinary, astonishing, that which is supernatural.” Paul is saying that we were saved to live out the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ in a supernatural way. As we do so, our lives should be extraordinary and astonishing. When people observe you at home, at school, at work, or at church, do they say, “Wow, now there’s an incredible man or woman?” Is there anything in your life that would indicate that you are living a supernatural life? If not, why not? Paul says, “Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” We were created and called to “walk in newness of life.”

We know what it means to walk in the physical realm. It is to put one foot in front of the other and progress by taking steps. Walking is used in the New Testament to picture the very same thing. We must go through life step by step by taking regular and persistent steps. What provides the necessary endurance? The “glory of the Father.” The greatest display of power the universe has ever seen is the “glory of the Father” that raised Christ from the dead. But this glorious power also raised me up and made me a new man. I now have the supernatural power within me to live a life of godliness, purity, dedication, obedience, graciousness, endurance, and love. I am able to be a new person, to believe where I used to doubt, to rejoice where I used to complain, to act with energy where I used to be idle, to trust in Jesus’ blood where I used to trust in myself, to obey the Spirit where I used to resist the Spirit, to think as the Spirit thinks. I can now do what He says I am to do, to go where He says I am to go, to give when He says I am to give, to pray when He says pray. All of this is at our disposal because of who we are in Christ!

Paul continues his argument in 6:5. Since we have been “united” with Christ in His death, Paul insists that we shall be like Him in His resurrection. This is the only place in the New Testament where this word “united” is used. It is a word that means, “to grow together.” The Christian is “grown or fused together” with the likeness of Jesus’ death and resurrection. This means that the very second we believed in Jesus, God put us in Christ. When Christ died, I died. When He rose, I rose. Right here and now, I am united with Christ. I no longer have to sin-I have died!

Paul now expands 6:3-5 by addressing the negative side of having died with Christ. In 6:6-7, Paul writes, “knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.” In the first part of 6:6, Paul tells us that we must “know” something very important. We must “know that our old self was crucified with Christ.” In his 13 letters, Paul uses three terms that explain our sinful status. First, there is the term the “old self” which refers to everything that I was in Adam. The “old self” has been completely done away with. Second, there is the “body of sin” which is the physical, unredeemed body. Third, there is the “flesh” which is the sinful residue of the “old self.” Paul uses the terms “body of sin” and “flesh” interchangeably. So, although we have died to sin and have been given a new nature, we still live with a trace of who we once were in Adam that we will battle until the day we die.

Like some of you, Lori and I recycle. I don’t like to recycle but I know it’s the right thing to do, so I do it. Our family likes milk so we go through one-gallon milk jugs regularly. I am usually responsible to rinse these milk jugs out. Yet, regardless of how well I attempt to rinse them, they still stink a bit. Even when I think I have gotten rid of the stench, I can still smell the old milk! We are like this. Even though our “old self” has been emptied (”crucified”) and we have been made clean through the work of Christ, we still have a sinful residue (“the body of sin” or “flesh”) that will not leave us until we receive a glorified body.

In 6:6, Paul is saying because we were crucified with Christ we no longer have a sinful nature. We are now “saints” who possess a new nature. The second half of verse 6 and 7 provide two purpose statements: “in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.” As I mentioned, the “body of sin” refers to the literal body. It is not the “old self” mentioned in the previous phrase. For it would not make sense to say, “our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with.” It would be saying the same thing twice. In 6:4, Paul said I can “walk in newness of life.” Now in 6:6 he says, the “body of sin” is made powerless and I am able to break free from the habits of sin and no longer serve them.

But maybe you are saying, “I don’t know what Paul is talking about; my body of sin is far from powerless. If my old self was nailed to the cross, how come it seems he is still alive and kicking?” The reason is that your old man was so contaminated by sin that it still pervades your body so that it reacts almost like a reflex. Even though your old self has been crucified, he still reacts to sin as though he is alive.

Any mortician will tell you that cadavers can do very interesting things. For example, a dead person’s hair and nails continue to grow for a period of time. Cadavers can also quiver on the table. There have even been accounts of cadavers catapulting off the table due to a muscular nerve reaction. These occasions never bother morticians because they realize that even when the cadaver acts alive, it is dead!

So how can sin be “done away with” or better translated “rendered powerless”? Consider the effect of gravity on a book. Gravity would cause an unsupported book to fall, but gravity can be rendered powerless against the book by simply placing a table under it. As long as the table is under the book, gravity cannot cause it to fall. Of course gravity has not really lost its power nor is it no longer present. It is just that the table is “stronger” than gravity’s effect on the book. For the Christian, the Holy Spirit is like that table and our flesh is like gravity’s pull. As long as we allow the Holy Spirit to hold us up, which places our dependence on His power to give us victory over sin, our sinful impulses have no power to pull us down.

In 6:7, Paul explains what he has said in 6:6b. We are no longer enslaved to sin, “for he who has died is freed from sin.” The word translated “freed” here is the same word translated “justified” throughout Romans. In this context though, the word means even more than “freed.” It is a legal word that could be literally translated “righteously released.” We no longer have to sin. We have been set free from its bondage to live a radically new life.

Paul now moves from the negative (6:6-7) to the positive element of being raised with Christ. Look at verses 8-10: “Now if [since] we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master 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.” In this section Paul is saying that our death in Christ has resulted in life in Christ. Although Paul uses the future tense in verse 8 (”we shall also live with Him”), he is not primarily referring to our future bodily resurrection. The context of this passage is living a resurrected life in the present. Now in 6:8-9, he exhorts us to “believe” and “know” that our death took place in Christ. Despite our feelings, regardless of how discouraged or defeated we may feel, we are to place our confidence in God’s Word and accept it as true.

[Now that we have answered the question, "Who are you?" let's now consider 6:11-14 for the answer to our second question:]

2. What are you doing here? (6:11-14) Verses 3-10 emphasized the importance of “knowing” certain truths. Now in 6:11, we discover another step to real life. Paul writes, “Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Not only must we “know” we are “dead,” we must also “consider ourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” The word translated “consider” is an accounting term that means to add up the figures and arrive at the proper answer. It is a present imperative that speaks of definitely and constantly considering/counting. Lori and I have been teaching our boys how to count. Now we didn’t just count from 1 to 100 and say, “Okay, Joshua and Justin, the rest is up to you. We expect you to memorize these numbers.” No, whether it’s numbers, the alphabet, or biblical principles, we are responsible to continually teach our children these essential skills.

The same is true in the Christian life. We must constantly remind ourselves of who we are in Christ. It is one thing to know something factually or academically. It is quite another thing to “consider” or “count” it to be true. So we need to “know” that we are identified totally with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. And we need to go the second step and “consider” or “count” it to be true. All of this is a matter of faith.

I can tell you right now, you will not always feel this way. There will be times when everything shouts at you that it cannot possibly be true. There will be times when the Devil whispers to you that you are in bondage. This is when you must know that you are a new creature in Christ and count it to be true. Once we know who we are and consider it to be true, God can begin to work powerful changes in our lives.

Several years ago a man had his finger completely cut off. He took the severed finger, held it back in place on his hand, and started his mind working. He concentrated his thoughts and energy toward that finger, thinking positively about his injury. On his way to the hospital that finger began to heal. Usually when someone cuts a finger, not to mention cutting it off, he spews out a streak of profanity and then chides himself or whoever else was involved for being so stupid. His thinking is negative; he is convinced he is going to lose his finger. But this man thought positively and his finger began to heal. When the doctor examined the man’s hand, he could not believe the finger had been completely cut off. God created our minds with incredible potential for change, but we have to input it properly and think rightly. Am I advocating positive thinking or self-esteem? No! I believe in biblical thinking and Christ-esteem. This is the only way to impart lasting change.

In 6:12, Paul writes, “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts.” Our purpose for living is to live godly lives that glorify Christ. The moment we believed in Christ, we were given everything we need to become godly and mature but we must labor and strive to realize this goal. In this context, this means that we must put our flesh to death. We must strangle our flesh. We must starve it. Give it no food. Smother it. Give it no room to breathe. Cut off its lines of supply. Let it die of neglect. What are you doing here? You are here to wage war with sin and grow to look more like Jesus everyday.

Once we know who we are and count it to be true, we are ready to take the third step and present ourselves to Christ. In 6:13-14, we learn that if we are going to live victoriously, we need to “present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.” This presentation is not a one-time decision to give everything that we are and ever hope to be to the Lord (i.e. mind, body, plans, and goals). It is a daily decision to put the agenda of Jesus Christ above everything else in life. If (when) we violate our decision for any reason, then we simply confess our sin and continue to pursue Christ with a sense of urgency and fervency. The word “instruments” is a word used of tools and weapons. We are to be tools that build God’s kingdom and weapons that fight His enemies.

If the only thing you can say is, “Lord, I am willing to be made willing,” then start there. Then give Him everything! Lord, I am giving you my eyes. I am not going to look at things that are inappropriate. Lord, I give you my tongue. I am not going to say things that grieve You. Lord, I give you my feet. I am not going to walk anywhere You would disapprove of. Lord, I give you my home, my salary, my future, my spouse and my career. We can do this because 6:14 says, “For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” The grace of God motivates and supplies the power like nothing else can.

1. Who are you? You are a Christian, who has been baptized, crucified, buried, and resurrected with Christ. Since you have been united with Christ, you have died to sin.

2. What are you doing here? You are a Christian, who has been called to know who you are, consider it to be true, and then present yourself to God.

Do you have a relationship with Jesus Christ? Do you know who you are? If not, I urge you to acknowledge you have sinned before God. Then simply believe that Jesus died on the cross to make you right with God. When you believe in Christ alone, the Bible says you will spend eternity with the Lord. If you already know who you are this morning, have you fulfilled the question: What are you doing here? If not, would you please choose to submit your life fully to Christ?

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Copyright © 2001 Keith R. Krell. All rights reserved. All Scripture quotations, unless indicated, are taken from the New American Standard Bible, C 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, and are used by permission. Permissions: Feel free to reproduce and distribute any articles written by Keith Krell, in part or in whole, in any format, provided that you do not alter the wording in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. It is our desire to spread this information, not protect or restrict it.

Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: by Keith Krell, Timeless Word Ministries®, 2508 State Ave NE Olympia, WA 98506, 360-352-9044, www.timelessword.com

Notes

1. Dallas Willard, Renovation of the Heart (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2002), 174. (back)

All Scripture quotations, unless indicated, are taken from the New American Standard Bible, © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, and are used by permission.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
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