What our death to sin is not.

What our death to sin is not

How shall we
who died to sin
live any longer therein?

The Greek verb for “died” is
the aorist active indicative

apothnesko

to die off (literally or figuratively):
to have no part in

to become wholly alienated from a thing, and freed from all connection with it

to be separated from something

verb apothnesko appears in verse 2 along with the noun for sin - hamartia - in the dative.

The dative case in the Greek is similar to the indirect object in the English.

It says “we died to something”.

To cease to have vital functions at a transcendent level,

in relation to a thing from which one is separated by death, however death may be understood.

We died to sin. Help me understand this.

This is a decisive and permanent break or separation.

To cease to have vital functions at a transcendent level,

in relation to a thing from which one is separated by death, however death may be understood.

So what kind of separation is this?

And what vital functions of sin in relation to us have ceased?

1. This is not sinless perfection.

If ROM 6:2 meant that we no longer commit sins, …

… then Paul never would have written what he did in verses 11, 12 and 13!

Verse 12 makes it clear that Christians can still obey the lusts of the flesh!

The function of being tempted is not one that has ceased functioning for us.

2. ROM 6:2 is not saying that we OUGHT to be dead to sin.

Paul would have used the Greek verb opheilo in the present tense.

3. ROM 6:2 does not mean, “How shall we who ARE DYING MORE AND MORE TO SIN, live any longer therein”.

4. ROM 6:2 also does not mean , “How shall we who have RENOUNCED sin live in it any longer”.

Dying is much more radical and final than renouncing.

You can renounce something, but then later on return to it.

5. ROM 6:2 does not say that we died to the GUILT of sin.

In what sense did the believer die to sin in ROM 6:2?

CHECK OUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD!

We died to the REIGN of sin. We died to sin as our master.

Our Lord Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection ended the reign of sin for all believers!

Does this match what we find in the rest of chapter 6?

Do we find more references to the reign of sin, sin as a master, us as slaves there?

v 6. no longer be SLAVES to sin

v 7. FREED from sin

v9. no longer MASTER
 

v 12. do not let sin REIGN in your mortal bodies

v 14. sin shall not be MASTER over you

v 16. SLAVES to the one you OBEY

v 17. you were SLAVES to sin

v 18. SLAVES to impurity and lawlessness

v 20. were SLAVES of sin

v 22. FREED from sin & ENSLAVED to God