Romans 6: The Death That Sets Us Free
Why this chapter should shape your every morning
There’s a moment in Romans 6 where Paul isn’t just teaching theology—he’s confronting a crisis. He’s just spent five chapters building the most beautiful argument for grace: we are saved by faith alone, not by works. And right when you might think he’s done, he asks the question that every new Christian whispers:
“So should I keep sinning? Since grace is greater?”
Most of us don’t ask it out loud. But we live like we believe it.
Romans 6 is Paul’s answer. And it’s radical.
We Died With Him
Paul doesn’t say “try harder.” He doesn’t say “do better.” He says something far more profound: you have already died.
“Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?” — Romans 6:3
This isn’t poetry. It’s identity. When Christ died on that cross, you were there. When He breathed His last, your old self breathed its last. The grave where they laid Jesus? That was your grave too.
This is why the resurrection matters. It’s not just that Jesus came back—it’s that we came back with Him. New life isn’t a reward for good behavior. It’s an inheritance given to the dead who are now alive.
The Daily Choice
But here’s where philosophy meets kitchen table.
Paul knows we’re still in bodies that sin. So he doesn’t romanticize holiness. Instead, he gives us a framework that changes every decision:
You are a slave.
Not to guilt. Not to rules. But to whatever you obey.
“But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you bear leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.” — Romans 6:22
You’re never neutral. Every morning, you wake up as a slave to something. Your flesh. Your phone. Your anxiety. Your habits. Or God.
Romans 6 doesn’t ask you to pretend sin isn’t tempting. It asks you to remember who you belong to.
The Mirror
Here’s where this gets personal.
If Romans 6 is true—if we’ve truly died to sin—then every time we choose the old patterns, we’re living like zombies. We’re wearing a death mask over resurrection skin.
That’s not condemnation. It’s invitation.
Paul isn’t saying “you better be perfect.” He’s saying “you better remember who you are.” You are dead to sin. You are alive to Christ. Now walk like it.
The Question
Here’s Romans 6 in one sentence:
The cross ended your relationship with sin. Have you started living like it?
Not to earn salvation. Not to impress God. But because the life you now live, you live by faith in the Son of God who loved you and gave Himself for you.
That’s not a rule. That’s a relationship.
That’s not religion. That’s resurrection.
*Today when we go into Romans, think about this: you died with Christ. Rise with Him.
This is part of a daily journey through the New Testament, focusing on the Fruits of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23.