ROMANS 6:2 COMMENTARY
A proper Romans 6:2 Commentary must take into account the end of Romans 5.
Also, the relevant definition of the word ‘righteousness’, which is given in Romans 5:17 as ‘the gift of righteousness’, must be used to interpret Romans 6.
For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
Certainly not! How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
Romans 5:19 – 6:2
God sent the Law into the world for the purpose of showing people that they are sinners [Romans 5:20].
When sin increased, grace in the world increased even more through the gift of righteousness for those that believed in Christ [Romans 5:17, 5:20]
Grace increased even more than sin because once you believed in Christ, not only was your sin forgiven, but you also received the gift of righteousness from God. This made you righteous before God
Paul says it is not possible for you to remain in sin anymore, and for grace to cover it up. So once you became a Christian there is no more increase of sin for you, and therefore there is no extra grace needed to cover up any extra sin [Romans 6:1-2].
Paul says all this is true because you died to sin through a spiritual baptism into Christ [Romans 6:2-3]. This baptism into Christ was by the Holy Spirit [1 Corinthians 12: 13] when you first believed in Christ [Galatians 3: 26-28].
When you were baptised into Christ, your spirit died with Christ to the world and was then raised with Christ in newness of life [1 Corinthians 6:17, Colossians 2:12]. When your spirit died with Christ to the world, that meant that your spirit died to your sinful flesh [Galatians 5: 24], including the sin in your sinful flesh. This is spiritual circumcision [Colossians 2: 11-12].
Therefore, you died to the sin in your sinful flesh and it is not you anymore. Since the sin in your sinful flesh is not you anymore, any acts of sin done in your sinful flesh do not get accredited to your account.
Therefore, you can’t sin before God [Galatians 2:17-18].
Consequently, you remain permanently righteous before God, without adding extra sin to your account.
SUMMARY OF ‘ROMANS 6:2 COMMENTARY’
Romans 6:2 means that Christians can’t sin before God, because they are dead to sin through baptism into Christ.
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