Rom 6:1 (NIV) What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? Now that all your past, present, and future sins, mistakes, failures, shortcomings, and misdeeds have been cleansed from your record with God, it is important for you to understand why God did that. Rom 5:1-2 (NIV) Therefore, since we have been JUSTIFIED through FAITH, we have PEACE with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom we have gained ACCESS by faith into this GRACE in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. He did it so you could have access to Him, His power, and all His provisions.

Our access to God and all He has to offer is based on a clean record. If we go on sinning so that grace may increase, we are doing it on purpose. It isn’t because we are fighting and losing, trying and failing, wanting but not getting, or giving our best effort and it not being enough. Your desire rather than your performance is much more important to God. Jesus has the power, training, and provisions to transform your performance. However, you MUST provide the WILLINGNESS to not go on sinning so that grace may increase. But, if you ever struggle with your desire or willingness, all you have to do is pray and Jesus will help you with that too.

Rom 6:2 (NIV) By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? When you prayed Jesus’ prayer and obeyed Romans 10:8-10, it provided you with the right to consider Jesus’ death on the cross as your death. It is probably impossible to find a law anywhere on earth that allows you to get a substitute to die for you in a capital punishment case. BUT, God’s laws allowed Jesus to take all your past, present, and future sins on Himself; then He died in your place. But, there is one requirement; you have to accept the fact that Jesus died in your place. You have to consider Jesus’ death as being the cure for your sins. God is willing to accept Jesus’ death as your death to all your past, present, and future sins. All you have to do is accept it yourself.

Rom 6:3 (NIV) Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? When you are baptized in water and are submerged into the water, it symbolizes that you died with Jesus on His cross and were buried with Him in His tomb. When you are lifted up out of the water, it symbolizes that you were raised to a new life in Jesus. Because you believe you died with Jesus, you can say, I died to sin; how can I live in it any longer? That question will take on an incredible meaning for your current Christian life and your future Christian life.

Rom 6:4 (NIV) 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. You are being introduced into the training and explanations about the grace, power, and transformation of God. When you used your mouth to confess and your heart to believe, all these death and resurrection things happened to you. It wasn’t clear to you at the time; but, they happened so you could take advantage of them now.

Rom 6:5 (NIV) If we HAVE been united with him like this in His death, we WILL certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection. You HAVE been united with him like this in His death. The next thing is to start LIVING the power life. You WILL certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection. Like a healthy baby or young child, you have received all the EQUIPMENT to be successful. The problem is, healthy babies and young children don’t have the skills, training, and experiences to successfully use that equipment.

Rom 6:6-7 (NIV) For we KNOW that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin MIGHT BE done away with, that we SHOULD no longer be slaves to sin--because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. We don’t expect babies and young children to be able to use their physical equipment like an adult. That attitude by adults with babies and children is similar to God’s grace. If we apply adults rules, laws, and expectations to them, they will be held accountable for things impossible for them. You have entered into a world where God is giving you a “grace period” so you can be trained, equipted, and given experiences to grow.

Rom 6:8 (NIV) Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him. The challenge is, what are you going to do with the “if’s” in the Bible? If we died with Christ: The person who believes is able to take that “if” and convert it into “since.” Their faith says: SINCE I died with Christ. If we can’t confess this with our mouth and believe it in our heart, the next verses that follow won’t apply to us. Since you died with Christ, you believe that you will also live with Him. You can see that those who don’t know how to use their mouth of confession and their heart of faith will read the Bible but not get its power.

Rom 6:9-12 (NIV) For we KNOW that SINCE Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over Him. The death He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God. In the same way, COUNT yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. THEREFORE do not LET sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.

In the same way, COUNT: “Count” is our way of accepting the fact that we are dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Once you have used your mouth and heart to confess Romans 6:9-11 and believed it in your heart, you have the power to apply the “THEREFORE” of Romans 6:11. THEREFORE do not LET sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. From this point on, the fight begins; you will make a lot of mistakes, have failures, and misunderstand a lot of truths; but, you will be on your way to LEARNING HOW to use your spiritual equipment and start winning.