Romans 6:8-14

Scripture Verse

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. ⁹ For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. ¹⁰ The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. ¹¹ In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. ¹² Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. ¹³ Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. ¹⁴ For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ (II)

In 1640s London, several generations after the Reformation swept through Europe, the Westminster Catechism was written. The Catechism comprises a series of questions and answers that cast a vision for the Christian life. These short statements offer theological frameworks for us to think about biblical ideas.

The book of Romans, including today’s passage, is the foundation for many of the theological statements presented in the Catechism. One of these terms is sanctification. Specifically, Question 35 of the Westminster Shorter Catechism asks, “What is sanctification?” The response is, “Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.”

The Westminster Longer Catechism expands on this definition of what sanctification looks like in the life of a Christ-follower. It means that we have the seeds of repentance in our hearts. It means that we give no room in our lives for any selfish, prideful, complacent or hypocritical behavior. It means that we are renewed into the image of Christ, one day at a time. It means that we flourish as God meant for us to.

Sanctification is a process that God, not we ourselves, carries out in our lives when we “count ourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 11:6).

Perhaps you would like to take a moment today to ask the Lord to show you how He is sanctifying you and to invite the continued work of the Holy Spirit in your life. Below are a few questions that may be helpful to guide your reflection.

• Reflect on the past – What are habits of death that God has set you free from? Praise Him for the grace of sanctification!
• Think on the present – As Christians, we are called to offer every part of ourselves to God as an instrument of righteousness (Romans 6:13). How might God want to use you for His kingdom today?
• Pray for the future – In a way that personal to you, invite the Lord to continue sanctifying and refining you as you live with Him.