Christ's Death Unto Sin
A Sermon on Romans 6:8-10
Originally preached Nov. 21, 1958
Scripture
8Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that …
Sermon Description
In the sermon on Romans 6:8–10 titled “Christ’s Death Unto Sin,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones encourages the listener to not think of themselves so much. Christians often feel they must continually die to their old selves. This means they have not fully grasped the immense truth that the old self was crucified with Christ and is gone. They no longer need to think of their struggles, downfalls, and constant failures. Paul emphasizes once more that what happened to Christ has also happened to His people. Thus, they are to live after God, not in a future sense but in a present sense. Sin once had dominion over Christ because death is caused by sin. Christ died unto sin but He also rose from the grave, which means He conquered the dominion of sin. This act happened one time, once and forever. Dr. Lloyd-Jones shows that this means the Christian has full assurance in their salvation and the truth that the old self is gone. The resurrection proves that the law was satisfied and they are no longer under any reign of sin.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle has proved his negative assertion in verses six and seven.
- By that he has proved that because we have died with Christ, we have died altogether to the realm and to the reign of sin.
- That is what our Lord did, therefore, that is what we have done.
- But that isn't all. We are not merely left in a dead position. We are not merely as dead people.
- So he has to hasten on to the positive. It's a great thing to know that we are dead to sin, that as a man who dies is now outside the territory of sin, that sin can't do anything to him, can't tempt him, can't bring a charge against him.
- He's freed from sin. It's a great, I say and a wonderful thing to know that. But that isn't all that is true of us.
- We are not left in some void. We've come out of that territory. Yes, but he says, we have also been promoted or translated into another territory.
- And this is positive. And this, of course, is much more striking and much more reassuring and comforting to our faith.
- Very well then. What is this? Well, he states it again as a general proposition in verse eight.
- And here it is. Now, if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him.
- That, of course, as a statement, is in reality nothing but a repetition of what he said in the second half of verse five.
- There he put it, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection. So he makes that statement once more.
- But here he puts it in this way. He says, this is something that follows quite inevitably. Now, we mustn't be tripped by this expression.
- We believe that we shall also live with him. There are some people who are so tripped and trapped by that expression that they say that the apostle is just saying, ah, we just hold on to a belief in the resurrection by faith.
- But that isn't what, as I hope to show you, that isn't what he's saying at all. This belief really stands here, for we are well aware of the fact.
- We are sure. He says, if we be dead with Christ, well, then it follows of necessity that we shall rise with him.
- If we really are joined to him, and everything that happens to him of necessity happens to us, well then if we've died with him, we must also rise with him, and that is his way of saying it.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Romans 6:8-10: Questions and Answers
What is the main point of Romans 6:8-10 according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the main point of Romans 6:8-10 is to expound the positive aspect of our union with Christ. While verses 6-7 focused on the negative aspect (that we have died to sin with Christ), verses 8-10 show the positive side - that we also live with Christ. This is part of Paul's larger argument refuting the suggestion that Christians should "continue in sin that grace may abound." Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that our union with Christ means that what happened to Him has happened to us - we've not only died with Him but have also risen with Him to a new life in a realm completely separate from sin.
What does "we shall also live with him" mean in Romans 6:8?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that "we shall also live with him" doesn't merely refer to our future resurrection, though it includes that. Instead, it primarily refers to our present spiritual reality. He argues that the phrase "we shall" is simply future from the standpoint of death - resurrection naturally follows death. The statement means that if we have died with Christ, then we have necessarily also risen with Him to a new life now. Lloyd-Jones emphatically states this isn't just about our future resurrection but about our present life with Christ, which is key to Paul's argument about why Christians cannot continue in sin.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones interpret Christ's "death to sin" in Romans 6:10?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones clarifies that Christ's death "unto sin" doesn't mean that He died for sin (though that's true elsewhere), nor does it mean He died to the power of sin in His life (because sin never had power over Him). Rather, it means Christ died to "the realm and the rule and the reign of sin." He died to the whole relationship with sin that He voluntarily entered for our salvation. Lloyd-Jones stresses that this death was "once" (Greek: ephapax) - meaning once and for all, never to be repeated, completely final. He supports this interpretation with several passages from Hebrews that emphasize the finality of Christ's sacrifice.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasize that we should focus on Christ rather than our own experience in this passage?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that we must first understand what happened to Christ before we can understand what happens to us. He states: "The way to understand this is this. We must for the moment forget all about ourselves and our experiences and consider only what is true about the Lord Jesus Christ." This is because our position is based entirely on our union with Christ - what is true of Him becomes true of us. Lloyd-Jones warns that if we prematurely inject our own experiences into the interpretation of verses 8-10, we'll miss Paul's point, as these verses focus on Christ's relationship to sin and death, not our subjective experiences.
What is the significance of Christ's resurrection according to this sermon?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Christ's resurrection proves several crucial things: 1. That God was fully satisfied with Christ's work on the cross 2. That Christ has completely finished His work of atonement and redemption 3. That Christ has conquered death, the "last enemy" 4. That Christ is forever finished with the realm of sin and death 5. That Christ will never die again - "death has no more dominion over him"
Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that the resurrection is "God's announcement and proclamation to the whole universe that Christ has completed the work which he sent him into the world to do."
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones disagree with those who interpret "we shall also live with him" as referring only to the future resurrection?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones disagrees with limiting this phrase to the future resurrection for several reasons: 1. It would make Paul's argument irrelevant to his main point about present conduct 2. In verse 4, Paul already stated we should "walk in newness of life" now, not after resurrection 3. Verse 11 shows Paul is drawing practical conclusions for present living 4. The parallel passages in Ephesians 2:4-6 and Galatians 2:19-20 clearly speak of our present resurrection life with Christ 5. The entire context deals with how Christians should live now, not in the future
Lloyd-Jones specifically criticizes commentators like Sanday and Headlam who suggest Paul's meaning shifts between present and future meanings throughout these verses.
What does it mean that "death has no more dominion" over Christ?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that death once had dominion over Christ, not because He sinned, but because He took our sins upon Himself and thus came under the penalty of the law. Death's "sting" is sin, and "the strength of sin is the law." When Christ died, He fully satisfied the law's demands, so in resurrection, He is no longer under the law or its condemnation. His resurrection proves that death has been defeated and can never touch Him again. Lloyd-Jones summarizes: "By dying, He's conquered death. He's rendered it inoperative... the Lord Jesus Christ, in his resurrection has once and forever and finally finished with death."
How does this passage relate to the Christian's struggle with sin?
While Dr. Lloyd-Jones indicates he'll address this more fully in his next sermon on verse 11, he hints at the practical application. The passage establishes the foundation for the Christian's victory over sin by showing that Christ has completely finished with sin and death. Because we are united with Christ, what is true of Him becomes true of us. Therefore, understanding what happened to Christ is essential before we can understand our own position and experience. Lloyd-Jones suggests that knowing these truths about Christ will lead to "a glorious sense of assurance and of victory" in our struggle with sin.
The Book of Romans
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.