Therefore, what shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? - Romans 6:1
Therefore, the preceding chapter gives amazing teaching about grace, so make sure you read these.* Here, I believe Paul is addressing those who would take this teaching of grace and say that he is implying grace is a license to sin. The answer to this is the case against sin for the believer; why would we continue in sin?By what means can one who died to sin yet live in it? - Romans 6:2
The first case against continuing in sin; you died with Christ. "For the one dying has been set free from sin" (Romans 6:6-7) You died and were buried with him in baptism. A dead person can not live in sin, for he has died to sin. How does he die to sin, "or do you not know? because those baptized to the extent of Christ baptized to the extent of his death" (Romans 6:3). You were baptized into his death. Do you not know, were you not taught this?
therefore we were buried with him through the baptising, to the extent of his death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, in this way also we walk in newness of life. For if we have become united in his death, certainly existing of the resurrection (Romans 6:4-5).
In the death of Christ, we were buried with him, and died with him, thus "by what means can one who died to sin continue to live in it?" This teaching goes on to say, "now, having been set free from sin, devoted to righteousness... for just as you presented your members to impurity and to lawlessness leading to lawlessness so now present your members to righteousness to the extent of sanctification" (Romans 6:18-19). You were once existing of sin, now the Spirit of Christ is in you, you are a new creation, and the Spirit is life through righteousness.
now thanks to God because existing of sin, you now became obedient from the heart to the pattern of teaching which was handed over to you (Romans 6:17).
You were handed, given this type of teaching in Christ, and you have become obedient to it. Ask the person recently baptized, what it means to them and most will say it is a commitment to follow Jesus, but go deeper into what that means and they do not know what that commitment involves because they have not been taught, these teachings have not been handed over to them. So how can they commit to it? And if they have not been taught this truth how will they know the truth and be set free?
But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former way of life, you are to rid yourselves of the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you are to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth - Ephesians 4:20-24
Notice in between putting off the old self and putting on the new self is being renewed in the spirit of your mind. This is where Paul is leading us in Romans, into our reasonable service to present to the body a living sacrifice, unto holiness, to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. (Romans 12:1-2). We learn Christ this way, to put off the old and put on the new. "Now, freed from sin and devoted to God, the fruit you have to the extent of sanctification. Now, its outcome, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death and the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:22-23). What we have in Christ on the basis of receiving grace and the gift of righteousness is to the extent of sanctification, which has the end goal of life. Sanctification, being trained by the words of faith and teachings, rejecting silly things, and training for godliness, that which is useful for the benefit of all, having a promise of the present life and that coming (1 Timothy 4:6-8). Sanctification has the promise of the present life and that coming.
Knowing this because the old man was crucified so that the body of sin is rendered useless that we no longer devoted to sin, for the one death has been set free from sin - Romans 6:6-7
The second case against continuing in sin; you were crucified with Christ. Before we saw we are dead to sin, having been buried with Christ, becoming united with him in his death. Now, we see also we died, was crucified and buried with Christ. The one who is dead has died to sin. How is this possible? Because Jesus was crucified in his flesh, rendering sin useless in the flesh. In Christ the old man was crucified and buried with him, thus he is dead, sin is rendered useless. This is the teaching of truth to abide in, until we come to know, the kind of knowing that is not just head knowledge but experiential which sets us free.
in this way consider yourselves existing dead to sin, now alive to God in Christ Jesus - Romans 6:11
In what way do we consider ourselves existing dead to sin? The word consider λογίζομαι (logizomai) to consider, regard, reason; to think upon, ponder, conclude; to set down as a matter of account. Think on these truths, ponder them, set them down as a matter of account, of truth. You have died with Christ, and you live with Christ. The old man was crucified and buried with him and the new man was raised with him, made alive, to walk in the newness of life.
For sin rules not, ruling over you, for you exist not under the Law but under grace - Romans 6:14
How do we reign in life in Christ? "those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:17 ESV). For those who were under the Law, if someone was married and their spouse dies they are released from the Law and can remarry without committing adultery (Romans 7:1-2). This leads us into this amazing analogy, " likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code" (Romans 7:4-6). It is truth, you will not rule over sin under the law but under grace.
for when you existed of sin, existing free of righteousness - Romans 6:20
Before I was born of the Spirit, I existed of sin, I was free in regards to righteousness. I was not indebted to live to righteousness, it was not who I was, I existed of sin. Paul uses this analogy (because of our natural limitations, it is not meant to be literal, we are not slaves to God, but sons) that before we were slaves to sin, but now slaves to righteousness. We were devoted, indebted to sin, but now to righteouness. The Spirit of Christ dwells in me, I am a new creation, having received the gift of righteousness. Now, I am indebted to live according to who I am in Christ. I can't continue to live against my new nature and have happiness, peace, and life. The flesh is opposed to the things of the Spirit and the Spirit opposed to the things of the flesh. The flesh brings death and the Spirit, life, and peace. The Spirit is life through righteousness. The Spirit leads me to abide in the words of Jesus, to grow up in the knowledge of him, unto mature adulthood, unto the fullness of Christ, so that in this mortal body though it is dying because of sin, I bear fruit of righteousness and life and walk in newness of life.