Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.
For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.
For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life (Romans 6:1-4,17,18,20-22).
The Church has adopted the world’s ways of dealing with sinful behavior. That is, they see men and women as victims of their environment instead of sinners responsible for their own actions. Others simply blame demons and the Devil.
The unbeliever is never commanded to stop sinning because he is in bondage to it due to a fallen nature. Though believers struggle with the flesh (Romans 7:14-25) the direction and response of the believer must be further and further away from sin (sanctification).
Since, we live to please God and live according to His purposes we have forfeited the right to use our bodies and possessions for anything but His righteousness. To live in sin instead of being freed from sin is to deny the heart of the Gospel. We are enslaved to God, died to Christ and sin has no control or power over us.
Therefore, let us take up our cross and walk righteously before a Holy God who hates sin.
