Some of the Christians in Rome had a misconception that they could “continue in sin so that grace may increase” (Romans 6:1). However, Paul refuted this idea by explaining that, as Christians, we have “died to sin”; therefore, we must not continue to “live in it” (Romans 6:2).
Paul then reminded these brethren how they had followed the pattern of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection when they “died to sin,” were “buried with Him through baptism,” and then were raised to “walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:2-4).
Once a person obeys the gospel and has his sins washed away, he is to arise from the watery grave of baptism to live as a new person. As Paul explained, “The old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin” (Romans 6:6).
Rather than continuing our old life of sin, we are to be different from the person we were prior to being “baptized into Christ” (Romans 6:3). The salvation that the Lord offers does not grant us permission to live as the world; instead, we must strive to live as Jesus lived.
So walk in newness of life. Christians are to be different from the world. Let us strive to leave our old lives behind rather than returning to the bondage of sin.