Rom 6:1-10 | TNotes | STEP | 6:1 Well then: Because Paul has just proclaimed that God multiplies grace where sin increases (5:20 ), he knows that people will wonder whether this means that sin does not matter in the Christian life.

6:1 ^a Well then: Because Paul has just proclaimed that God multiplies grace where sin increases (5:20 ^b), he knows that people will wonder whether this means that sin does not matter in the Christian life.
6:2 ^c we have died to sin: As Paul makes clear in 6:3-10 ^d, our new relationship to sin is possible because of our vital connection with the death of Jesus. Just as dying means entrance into an entirely new state of being, our relationship with sin is now different because of Christ’s death. To be “dead to sin” does not mean to be entirely insensitive to sin and temptation—believers are still involved in a battle with sin (6:12-14 ^e). However, Christians no longer have to live as helpless slaves to sin; they can choose not to sin (6:6 ^f, 14 ^g, 16-22 ^h).
6:3 ⁱ Baptism is the rite of initiation into the Christian faith (see Acts 2:38 ^j, 41 ^k). It sometimes symbolizes the entire conversion experience, so Paul refers to baptism as the means through which believers are joined to Christ in his death and resurrection (see also Rom 6:4 ^l). However, baptism has no value apart from faith.
6:4 ^m we died and were buried with Christ: The believer’s power over sin and the ability to lead a new life stem from identification with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection (see 6:5 ⁿ, 8 ^o). From God’s perspective, Jesus’ death to sin (see 6:10 ^p) is ours as well. His rising to new life means that we also begin to lead a new life, and in the future our bodies will also be raised.
6:6 ^q our old sinful selves: Our “old selves” are not a nature that we possess or just one part of who we are; it reflects who we were in Adam. All human beings were born “in Adam.” As heirs of the sin and death that he introduced into the world (5:12 ^r), we were slaves to the power of sin. But as people who are now in Christ, we have gone through crucifixion with him (see also Gal 2:20 ^s). When he died on the cross, we also died to the dominating power of sin that ruled in our former selves.
6:8 ^t We will also live with him refers to bodily resurrection with Christ (see 6:5 ^u). While believers are already raised with Christ spiritually (Eph 2:5-6 ^v; Col 2:13 ^w), we will also be raised with him bodily at the time of his coming in glory (2 Cor 4:14 ^x; Phil 3:21 ^y; 1 Thes 4:17 ^z; 2 Tim 2:11 ^aa).
6:10 ^ab he died once to break the power of sin: Because we died with Jesus (6:4-5 ^ac), we have also died to sin (6:2 ^ad). Jesus was never under sin’s power in the way that we are, because he had no sin nature from Adam and he never succumbed to temptation (2 Cor 5:21 ^ae; Heb 4:15 ^af). However, when he became human, he entered the arena where sin holds sway, and he was truly vulnerable to sin.