1. The Solidarity of Sin and God's Redemptive Plan
To properly understand Romans 6:1-11, we first need to look at its close connection to Romans 5. Pastor David Jang frequently highlights this linkage, noting that the subject of sin's solidarity and the representative principle in Romans 5 flows directly into the discussion of sanctification in Romans 6. In Romans 5, we learn that because of Adam's fall, sin was imputed to all humanity. This is the commonly referenced doctrine of original sin, indicating that from birth, humans exist in a state already imbued with a sinful nature. According to Scripture, Adam was originally meant to serve as the "channel of blessing" for all humanity but, through his fall, became humanity's representative who brought sin and death instead. This idea of representation or solidarity is found throughout the Bible. Examples in the Old Testament include how Achan's sin caused Israel as a whole to be defeated at Ai, and how Joshua won the battle when Moses raised his hands in prayer behind the lines-demonstrations of how one person's actions can profoundly affect an entire community.
Pastor David Jang stresses that this concept of sin's solidarity is not confined to the past or merely to the Israelites; it still applies to the life of the modern church and believers. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul teaches the Christians in Rome that although all people became sinners in Adam and were destined for death, a dramatic reversal takes place through Jesus Christ, the "last Adam." By shedding His blood on the cross, Christ imputed righteousness instead of sin to us, bringing us under the reign of grace rather than the reign of sin. Thus, at the end of Romans 5, Paul declares, "where sin increased, grace abounded all the more," celebrating that God's grace and the reign of righteousness are far greater and everlasting compared to the power of sin.
Understanding that salvation is grounded solely in God's grace and that even the greatest sins can be forgiven through God's mercy and love can feel much like gaining freedom. However, a misunderstanding sometimes arises-namely, "If greater sins mean greater grace, shouldn't we sin more so grace may abound?" Paul preempts this question in Romans 6:1: "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?" And in verse 2, he answers decisively, "May it never be!" It is true that grace abounds where sin abounds, yet it is impossible for those in Christ to remain intentionally in sin. Our very being has changed in Jesus Christ; continuing under sin's dominion would be contradictory.
Here, Pastor David Jang points out the need for a clear understanding of the distinction between justification and sanctification. Justification refers to a change in status-it occurs at the moment we receive Christ and is the once-for-all event of our salvation. It involves deliverance from the penalty of sin and addresses original sin. However, even after we are saved, we still must undergo a gradual transformation of our condition through the power of the Holy Spirit and the illumination of God's Word. This ongoing process-battling our sinful nature (actual sins) in everyday life-is sanctification. Even believers can fall or stumble under temptation, but we have already been set free from condemnation in Christ and thus cannot remain enslaved to sin in the same way we once were.
In Romans 6:3-4, Paul uses the example of baptism to illustrate burial with Christ and rising with Him. Baptism, by submerging a person completely in water and then raising them back up, symbolizes the death of all past sins and the old life, and a rebirth as a new creation. Pastor David Jang emphasizes that baptism must go beyond a mere ceremonial formality; it must be accompanied by true conversion in the heart through the Holy Spirit. One must first inwardly receive the cleansing of Christ's blood and the power of His resurrection, and water baptism serves as the outward sign confirming that internal change.
Pastor David Jang then highlights Romans 6:5 and onward, where Paul writes, "For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection." He interprets this as a transition "under a new governing law." Previously under Adam, we were ruled by the law of sin and the power of death; but once united with Christ, we enter under the law of righteousness, the law of the Spirit of life, and the dominion of divine love. Under this new dominion, sin can no longer reign over us as it once did.
Nevertheless, in real life, even believers experience their "old habits" lingering. This is because, after justification, the residues of personal sin remain. Pastor David Jang compares it to having "won the main battle, but still needing to conduct mop-up operations." Christ's victory on the cross, shattering Satan's head, is already decisive on a cosmic scale; yet in our daily existence, remnants of sin still persist, and we must fight them as part of our sanctification. This daily struggle consists in becoming more sensitive to sin, repenting, and being gradually transformed by the help of Scripture and the Holy Spirit.
Where does the power for this "mop-up operation" come from? In Romans 8, Paul focuses on the Holy Spirit as the One who reminds us of Christ's death and resurrection and leads us to abide in His grace. When the Holy Spirit confirms within us the love of Christ, we gain the desire to reject sin, a reverent fear of sinning, and the strength to overcome sin.
In sum, Romans 6 stands on the foundation laid in Romans 5, describing sin's solidarity, the contrast of Adam and Christ, and the triumphant reign of grace. After declaring God's saving plan-that "where sin increased, grace abounded all the more"-Paul warns against any misunderstanding of this gospel of grace as a license to remain complacent in sin. If we are a new creation in Christ and have been united to His body, we have already died to sin and risen to righteousness. Pastor David Jang repeatedly emphasizes that we must earnestly reflect on how this truth-"we have already died with Jesus and have been raised with Him"-applies to our real lives. Here, the role of the church community also becomes crucial. Since the church is the body of Christ, and believers are members of that body, if sin persists within the community, they must corporately repent and turn from it.
Ultimately, the solidarity of sin teaches us that even individual sins can affect the entire community. It also teaches that we, as members of one body in Christ, should encourage and care for one another toward holiness. Pastor David Jang asserts that when the church teaches both sides of the gospel-sin and grace, wrath and love-in a balanced way, it will be able to stand as a community that manifests God's holiness in the world. The starting point is a proper understanding of our new identity in Christ: having died and risen with Him.
With this overview in mind, we can delve into the details of Romans 6:1-11 to examine baptism, union with Christ, and how these truths should be applied in the believer's life. We must remember that we have already been crucified with Christ, that we have already risen with Him, and that baptism publicly proclaims these facts. If this is the first core truth, the second is how those who have already died and risen in Christ should respond to sin in daily life. Romans 6:11 says, "Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus," and this is no mere mental exercise or self-hypnosis but a transition in lifestyle grounded in an actual spiritual reality.
Why then does sin still tempt us? Because of our flesh, our environment, and the ongoing assaults of Satan. Nevertheless, the decisive difference now is our changed status: we have been indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Pastor David Jang continually connects this to "union with Christ." Through Christ's atoning death, we are freed from sin once and for all; through His resurrection, we are invited into eternal life. As a result, our fundamental motivations and values have shifted from slavery to sin to living as children of God. This new foundation makes repentance and sanctification possible, and it is the necessary path following justification.
Summarizing, we can say this: in Romans 5 and 6, sin's solidarity under Adam is reversed in Christ, moving us from sin's dominion to grace's dominion, and showing why the justified believer must pursue sanctification. In the significance of union with Christ as expressed through baptism, we can see ourselves as having died to sin and being alive to God, and thus we are called to walk in holiness. Pastor David Jang stresses that this truth must be rightly grasped by the church today so that grace is neither turned into reckless freedom nor wasted, but rather transformed into gratitude and the power of holiness.
2. Union with Christ, Baptism, and Spirit-Led Sanctification
As mentioned, in Romans 6:3-4 Paul states, "Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?" presenting union with Christ as a vital concept. Pastor David Jang frequently notes in his sermons that baptism is the sign of this union, a public declaration that one has joined the church community. In Jewish tradition, when a Gentile converted to Judaism, a form of baptism was carried out to signify washing away prior impurity and being reborn into a new identity. In the same vein, Christian baptism publicly proclaims, through the symbolic use of water, that we have died with Christ and risen with Him.
Pastor David Jang goes a step further, explaining that baptism should not be limited to the external act of immersion in water; an inward "baptism of the Holy Spirit" must first occur. In other words, the Holy Spirit must purify our hearts with fire and cleanse us with the truth of the Word so that, at the deepest level of our souls, we realize, "Though I am a sinner, I have been saved by Christ's blood." When this inward baptism of the Spirit takes place, our motivations change, and we turn from sin toward Jesus Christ. Water baptism then serves as the public ceremony that proclaims this inner change before the church and the world.
It is this "union" that is so profoundly addressed in Romans 6. Paul speaks of being united with Christ's death and resurrection, emphasizing that just as Christ died to sin once for all and now lives to God, so we must count ourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Jesus Christ. Pastor David Jang refers to this union as a "real union," meaning that believers and Christ are not merely connected by concepts or ideologies but form an actual spiritual organism through the Holy Spirit. This is why Scripture speaks of the church as the "Body of Christ."
Crucially, union with Christ includes a complete severance from our past sins. The phrase "buried with Him" is not simply figurative language; it indicates the spiritual reality that our "old man" truly was crucified with Christ and laid to rest. Thus, believers are "already" freed from the penalty and power of sin but "not yet" free from the habitual presence of sin in the flesh, from temptations in our relationships with the world, and from the devil's attacks. Pastor David Jang frequently uses the illustration of "the main war is over, but the mop-up operations continue." Christ's crucifixion and resurrection have already assured the cosmic victory over Satan; yet in history, the devil attempts to annoy and harm believers through residual forces. However, this mop-up operation cannot overturn the victory-it is simply the final stage of a war whose outcome has been determined.
Where do we find strength for this process? As Paul explains in Romans 8, the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness, interceding with groanings too deep for words, guiding us into a deeper understanding of God's will. Pastor David Jang emphasizes that only through the Holy Spirit, who opens our hearts to the truths of the cross and the resurrection, can we throw off sin and old habits. The Spirit uses the "sword of the Word," convicting us of sin and leading us to repentance while also unveiling the abundant love and grace of Christ that motivates us to distance ourselves from sin.
Sanctification, as Pastor David Jang often states, is the work of applying the already finished salvation of Christ to our daily reality. Whenever memories of past sins or old habits pull us back, we must declare, "This was crucified on the cross already," and ask the Spirit for help. By daily examining ourselves in the light of Scripture and being encouraged within the church community, repenting and reaffirming the grace of the gospel, we gradually come to resemble Christ more and more.
Pastor David Jang also points to the importance of "belonging" and "identity." Through baptism, we officially enter the church-meaning we enter the kingdom of Christ our King. We are no longer under the dominion of this world, sin, or Satan. Therefore, when temptation comes, we can reply, "You are no longer my master. I belong to another Lord, Jesus Christ." This is akin to a declaration of "spiritual sovereignty," and it is possible solely because of our union with Christ.
In Romans 6:9-10, Paul states, "Knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him." By repeating that Christ died to sin once and now lives to God, he culminates in verse 11 with, "Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus." Pastor David Jang reflects on this, noting that Paul is not merely giving an exhortation but urging believers to "recognize a completed reality." In other words, we already possess this spiritual status; we are simply to apply and enjoy it in our lives. If we forget this and continue to live as slaves to sin, that would be contradictory-essentially forfeiting the freedom and grace the gospel offers.
One common error in sanctification is that upon seeing "still remaining traces of sin," believers can condemn themselves so thoroughly that they lose their assurance of justification. Yet in Romans 7, Paul openly acknowledges his own struggles and weaknesses ("the wishing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not") and then triumphs in Romans 8 with the great declaration, "Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Pastor David Jang calls this the paradox and power of the gospel. We may fall, but each time we can stand again by confessing, "I have already died to sin and now live in new life through the Holy Spirit and union with Christ."
This teaching is not a form of "cheap grace" or an excuse to tolerate sin. Rather, it provides the very "strength and motivation" needed to live a holy life separate from sin. Human hearts are not fundamentally changed by guilt or legalistic fear. However, when we are assured of our righteousness in Christ and our adoption as God's children, and when we understand the Father's heart and share in His holiness with joy, our lives take on a qualitatively different nature. Pastor David Jang refers to this transformation as "the fruit of the Spirit brought forth by the gospel." When the gospel transforms our inner person, filling us with gratitude and awe for His love, then we truly hate and distance ourselves from sin.
Such a life must be lived within the church community, where we examine each other's sins, encourage repentance, rejoice together, and grow together. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul likens the church to the "body of Christ," describing how one member's suffering is felt by all, and one member's honor is shared by all. The personal struggles described in Romans 6 and 7 are ultimately connected to the community. A believer cannot battle sin or pursue sanctification in isolation. True sanctification requires the presence of the Holy Spirit working through the church community. Therefore, Pastor David Jang repeatedly emphasizes that a believer's experience of salvation cannot develop independently from the church. Once baptized, we must grow together in Christ's body, exhorting and holding each other accountable.
The primary lesson of Romans 6:1-11 is this: "Consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus." More than just professing faith, this affects our actual attitudes toward sin, our worship of God, and our approach to our neighbors. This transformation is not immediate; rather, it is ongoing through the work of the Holy Spirit. Pastor David Jang notes that even believers walking on the path of righteousness can fall or become troubled. Yet each time, we can find our footing again because "our old self was crucified with Christ," and "we now live this new life in Christ." That is the spiritual truth that sustains us.
Pastor David Jang adds that this truth grants "existential freedom" to believers today. When the world's myriad values, temptations, and desires entice us, we no longer have to yield to them. We belong to a different King-one who rules us with love, grace, and holiness. Within that reign, we gain the freedom to worship God, serve our neighbors, and become channels of God's love to the world. Romans 6 is thus a defining chapter for establishing the identity and calling of Christians in society.
Furthermore, Pastor David Jang interprets this teaching with a "forward-looking" perspective. One example is found in John 9, where the disciples ask Jesus whether the man born blind had sinned or if his parents had sinned. Jesus replies that it was not about the past but rather for the future glory of God. Likewise, our salvation, sanctification, and new way of life-all rescued from our sins and transgressions-are ultimately for the glory of God's love. We are always looking toward the second coming of Christ, the glorious eschatological consummation, and the new heavens and new earth. When Paul writes in Romans 8:23 that "we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body," he is referring to our future resurrection and the completion of eternal life.
The core teaching of Romans 6:1-11 is thus a comprehensive lesson on justification and sanctification, sin and grace, and our union with Christ. Adam's sin brought solidarity in condemnation, but Christ overcame this, allowing us to move from being slaves to sin to being slaves to righteousness, from death's dominion to life in the Spirit. Therefore, when confronted with the possibility of "continuing in sin," the answer is clear: "May it never be!" Sin no longer holds defining power over our identity.
Pastor David Jang urges believers today to remember this truth and renew the significance of baptism in daily life. The union with Christ proclaimed in baptism is realized in the life of the church through shared joy in salvation, mutual support in weakness, and the bearing of the Spirit's fruit together. Without this, baptism might be reduced to a one-time religious ritual. But as the Holy Spirit continuously revives in us the power of Christ's death and resurrection, we increasingly experience what it means to be "dead to sin and alive to God." That freedom and joy also become a missionary force, inviting others to escape the realm of sin and death.
In interpreting Romans 6:1-11, two main points come to the fore. First, the Old Testament principle of the solidarity and representation of sin remains valid in the New Testament era. Second, in Christ, the penalty for all sin has already been settled, and we have been liberated to walk in righteousness and holiness. We must hold firmly to the certainty of justification and, by the Spirit's help, genuinely live out sanctification throughout our lives. As Pastor David Jang reiterates in many sermons and writings, we are called to a faith that does not remain tethered to the past but wakes up to the future glory and the grace given now. In doing so, we celebrate God's work of redemption, where His grace abounds where sin once abounded, while simultaneously rejecting any misuse of that grace and pursuing holiness.
In Romans 6:1-11, we discover that we have already been declared dead to sin and made alive in the risen Christ. If this is our spiritual reality, then there is no reason to offer ourselves to sin any longer. Instead, through repentance and the power of grace, we can be sensitive to sin, hold fast to God's Word, and press on in overcoming it. Pastor David Jang describes this as "denying ourselves and taking up the cross daily, while daily participating in the life of the resurrection." In these small daily battles-the mop-up operations-our old self continues to weaken, and our new self grows stronger in Christ. This progression becomes a testimony to the world and ultimately fulfills the purpose of a believer's life, which is to glorify God.
The focal point of this exposition on Romans 6:1-11 is balancing "putting off sin" with "not misusing grace." We are called to shun sin without succumbing to legalistic or superficial compulsion, and we are to delight in grace without slipping into moral laxity. This balance is made possible within our union with Christ. As Pastor David Jang explains, "True gospel preaching does not leave the sinner as a sinner, nor does it merely condemn the sinner with legalism. It declares the sinner righteous in Christ and then, by that same righteousness, transforms the believer into an ever more righteous person-this is God's plan of salvation." It relies not on human works or merit but solely on the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit poured out on us in Christ. When Paul in Romans 6:11 says, "Consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus," he does so from the bedrock of a certain salvation already accomplished. This certainty is the foundation on which believers stand firm in their struggle against sin and pursuit of holiness. Such is the central lesson Pastor David Jang consistently conveys in his preaching and teaching on Romans 6:1-11.
