Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In this passage from Romans 6, Paul powerfully declares that through faith in Christ, believers have died to sin and now live a new life in Him. Though once enslaved by sin, bringing only shame and death, God's free gift of salvation has set us free to walk in righteousness. Paul opens with a rhetorical question - should we continue in sin so grace may increase? Absolutely not! For we have died with Christ and been raised to new life. Just as He conquered sin and death forever, so we now share in His resurrection power. Sin's tyranny is broken. Though baptized into His death, we also rise to walk in newness of life. Paul reminds us that our old self was crucified with Christ precisely to break sin's mastery over us. Freed from sin, we now belong to God alone. Death no longer holds dominion, for Jesus defeated it fully. He died to sin once for all and now lives to God. So we too must see ourselves as dead to sin and alive to God in Christ. This is key - we must 'consider' or 'reckon' ourselves dead to sin. Though sin still tempts, we are to walk in the reality of our new identity. Presenting ourselves to God and refusing sin's reign, we experience freedom from struggles that once shackled us. Christ's resurrection life flows through us by grace as we yield our bodies and minds to righteousness.

How easy it is to forget that as believers, we have died to sin! Though its vestiges remain, sin has lost its power. Temptation still calls, but obedience now sings a sweeter song. Walking in newness of life, we bear fruit that leads to holiness while enjoying a foretaste of eternity with God. Paul makes clear that wilfully continuing in sin makes a mockery of grace. Cheapening God's gift by persisting in old ways is unthinkable for those who have tasted salvation's goodness. Sin's wages brought only shame and death. But obeying our new master ushers forth love, joy and peace - fruit that nourishes our souls. Through baptism we proclaim Christ's death and resurrection as our own. Emerging from the waters, we announce our freedom from sin's tyranny. Such imagery mirrors the exodus - just as Israel left Egypt's bitter shackles behind to worship God alone, so too are we rescued from Pharaoh's grip. Led through our own Red Sea waters, we cross safely to the far shore - set free to dance with joy before our Deliverer. So let us live fully in this newfound liberty! Considering ourselves dead to sin, we must not let any part of ourselves become tools for wickedness. Instead, yielding our bodies and minds completely to God fans freedom's flames ever brighter. Sin's darkness diminishes as we walk in the light. Shackles once deemed unbreakable slip effortlessly to the ground. The Son has set us free indeed! His resurrection life within ensures that sin and death will never again have mastery over us.

Father God, we praise You for the gift of freedom from sin and death through faith in Christ! Thank You for showing us such undeserved mercy while we were still enslaved in old ways. We marvel at the love that took our place, bearing sin's full wages so we could be forever free. Forgive us for those times when we have taken this gift lightly or cheapened grace through wilful disobedience. Renew our minds to walk fully in the reality that we have died to sin and now live new lives in You. Help us to always consider ourselves dead to sin's mastery yet alive to You. May we yield ourselves completely as instruments of righteousness, obeying the promptings of Your Spirit within. Thank You that sin no longer has dominion over us. We praise You for breaking its power through Christ's finished work. May Your resurrection life within us bear much fruit to Your glory. Lead us onward in freedom, we pray. In Jesus' mighty name, amen.