Romans 6:8

CHRIST AND HIS PEOPLE

‘Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him.’

Romans 6:8

The text exhibits a parallel between Christ’s literal death and resurrection and our spiritual death and resurrection, and not only a parallel, but also the real connection between them.

I. The parallel.—Is one of death and life.

(a) Of death. Christ ‘died unto sin’; we ‘died,’ and are ‘to reckon ourselves dead unto sin.’ ‘Died unto sin’ is not equivalent to ‘died for sin.’ These are not convertible terms, and we cannot ‘die for sin’ as Christ did. That meaning, therefore, cannot be allowed here. The expression refers to the end put to Christ’s connection with sin and our connection with it by death. In Christ’s case it cannot point to His separation from sin as a defiling and inward thing in Him when He died; for He knew no sin. But before His death He had a certain real connection with sin which His death ended—a connection such that He could be tempted by sin, came in contact with it in its various forms among men, e.g. in the contradiction of sinners against Himself, and bore it through Divine imputation as the Substitute of sinners, the Lamb of God. Dying, He passed forth from its dominion, having thereby expiated guilt and magnified the law. Being dead He was free from sin and the sway which the law gave to the sin He bore. Sin could no more condemn Him and bring Him to death, the penalty of the law, when by death He had exhausted the law’s penalty. So with His people. Their ‘death unto sin’ is parallel to this. As His death dissolved His connection with sin, so, if they be dead with Him, their death has dissolved their connection with it. They die to its condemning power and its legal dominion, as thoroughly as if sin had slain them personally and the law had literally exacted its penalty from them.

(b) Of life. ‘Christ being raised from the dead, dieth no more, death hath no more dominion over Him … in that He liveth, He liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye yourselves … alive unto God.’ In both the life is a resurrection life. Spiritually His people live through a Resurrection. They rise from the death which the law inflicts upon them when they die with Christ. Planted in the likeness of His death, they are so also in the likeness of His resurrection, rise with Him to walk in newness of life. The life of both is undying. Christ dieth no more. The spiritual life of His people is as undying as His own: its vitality is unquenchable; death cannot hurt it, or end it, or have dominion over it. Death may touch the body, but in doing so only helps to perfect the life of the soul, and must resign its dominion over the body (cf. chap. Romans 8:10). Both live unto God. Christ’s resurrection life is not one of inactive repose or passive communion with God, but one of holy service, ceaseless ministry, continual intercession ‘within the veil,’ government of the world, and perfecting of the Church. So His people, risen with Him, are alive unto God, with a life of holy service, in the cause of righteousness, are priests unto God, are subduing the world to Him as kings.

II. The connection.—This lies in the union between Christ and His people.

III. Practical application.—‘Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ.’

(a) To the believer. You are dead with Christ and alive unto God. Therefore count yourself so and aspire after freedom from sin and life unto God.

(b) To the sinner. Why should not this privilege be yours? Close with the offer of mercy and enter by faith into union with Christ in His death, resurrection, and life.