In order to understand what Paul means by “died to sin,” we must know three things. Notice the strategic placement of the word “know” in vv. 3, 6, and 9.

As Christians, we are dead to sin’s authority, but we often act like we don’t know this fact.

The first truth we need to know is in vv. 3-5: we are dead to sin’s authority through our union with Christ. Notice the past tense (aorist tense in Greek) of these verbs: “we have been crucified with Christ,” “we have been buried with him,” we have been raised with him.” Notice the perfect tense in v. 5: “we have become united with him.“ Our union with Christ is a once for all, completed act now and for all eternity. This is how we can live daily in victory over sin’s authority — Christ’s resurrection life lives in us by virtue of our union with him.

The second truth we need to know is found in vv. 6-8: our crucifixion, burial, and resurrection with Jesus puts our old sinful lifestyle out of business. Notice again the tense of these verbs. “We have been crucified with Christ.” As a result, who we were in Adam before our salvation has now changed to who we are in Christ.

What happens at conversion? Not a change in our nature in the sense that we no longer possess a sin nature. We are still capable of sin as believers. Paul is not talking about a change in nature. He is talking about a change in relationship.

We now have a new relationship to sin: it no longer has authority over us. We don’t have to be slaves to sin any longer. We have a new relationship to Christ: we are united to him in his death, burial, and resurrection. That’s the key to our victory over sin’s authority.

If we sin as Christians, it is a choice we make. The difference between a believer and an unbeliever is this: an unbeliever is not able not to sin. A believer is able not to sin. Why? Verse 7 — “he who has died is freed from sin” (sin’s authority). Verse 8 reminds us that Christ’s resurrection power informs our life now.

The third truth we must know is in vv. 9-10: our union with Christ in his death and resurrection breaks the power of sin’s authority in our lives. We are now liberated from sin’s authority so we can live for God. We are not liberated yet from the presence of sin (that awaits heaven). We are not liberated from the possibility of sin (we can still choose to sin as Christians). But we are liberated from the power of sin over our lives.

Now here is the point of vv. 3-10: because we are in union with Christ, his relationship to sin is now our relationship to sin. He died to sin’s penalty against us as our substitute, but he also died to sin’s authority. We have become united to Christ in his death and resurrection. Thus, sin’s power has been broken in our lives.

More to come!