Rom 6:4-14 | TNotes | STEP | 6:4 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 , 8 ). From God’s perspective, Jesus’ death to sin (see 6:10 ) 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.

6:4 ^a 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 ^b, 8 ^c). From God’s perspective, Jesus’ death to sin (see 6:10 ^d) 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 ^e 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 ^f), 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 ^g). When he died on the cross, we also died to the dominating power of sin that ruled in our former selves.
6:8 ^h We will also live with him refers to bodily resurrection with Christ (see 6:5 ⁱ). While believers are already raised with Christ spiritually (Eph 2:5-6 ^j; Col 2:13 ^k), we will also be raised with him bodily at the time of his coming in glory (2 Cor 4:14 ^l; Phil 3:21 ^m; 1 Thes 4:17 ⁿ; 2 Tim 2:11 ^o).
6:10 ^p he died once to break the power of sin: Because we died with Jesus (6:4-5 ^q), we have also died to sin (6:2 ^r). 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 ^s; Heb 4:15 ^t). However, when he became human, he entered the arena where sin holds sway, and he was truly vulnerable to sin.
6:14 ^u you no longer live under the requirements of the law: With the Messiah’s coming, the era governed by the law of Moses came to an end (see Gal 3:19-25 ^v).

• you live under the freedom of God’s grace: God’s dealings with his people have always been characterized by grace, but grace dominates the new era in which Christians live in Christ. Cp. John 1:17 ^w.