Union with Christ in His death and resurrection - facts, faith and experience

"What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? ² By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? ³ Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

⁵ For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. ⁶ For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— ⁷ because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

⁸ 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." (Romans 6:1-14).

In Romans 6, we read about union with Christ in his death and resurrection - (a) facts; (b) faith; (c) experience.

  (a) facts - We "have died to sin" (Romans 6:2). We have been "baptized unto his death" (Romans 6:3). We have been "buried with him through baptism into death" (Romans 6:4). We "have been united with him in a death like his" (Romans 6:5). "Our old self" has been "crucified with" Christ (Romans 6:6). We have "died with Christ" (Romans 6:8). 

These are the facts. This is what has happened to us. This is what it means to be a believer.

  (b) faith - Here, we focus on Romans 6:11-13. Believe the facts. You are no longer in bondage. Your old nature has been crucified. You are no longer what you who once were. Your chains have fallen. Reckon on all of this to be true in your heart and life. 

  (c) experience - When you reckon the facts to be true, this will be your experience - "Sin shall not have dominion over you" (Romans 6:14). There is to be a real "dying to sin" in our experience, a turning away from sin, a dying to the old life and the old ways, making a break with sin. The facts must become a reality in our experience. Sin must be put to death. This is to be our constant attitude. We speak of Christian faith as resurrection faith, but, first, there must be death. In our hearts and lives, sin must be put to death so that we can live in the power of Christ's resurrection.