community group discussion guide
introduction
Today’s study explores how the grace that justifies believers also empowers believers to grow. As we continue to unpack the riches of the gospel, Romans 6 invites us to reflect deeply on how our union with Christ changes everything: who we are, how we fight sin, and how we pursue growth. We’ll consider what sanctification means, and how it shapes our daily obedience and identity, and how we are called to live each day as people who have been set free.
Do you think people can truly change at their core? Why or why not?
read Romans 6:1-14 (NIV)
1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 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.
5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
Take a few moments to reflect on the Scripture. Share some insights, questions, or points that strike you. Then read what follows.
power of grace
When Paul opens Romans 6 with the question, “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?” (v. 1), he’s not just addressing a theoretical concern. Paul’s naming a real temptation some of us sense, but rarely voice: “If God will always forgive, what’s the urgency to change? If grace increases where sin increases, why not keep sinning?” But Paul’s response is emphatic: “By no means!” (v. 2). His response is not only correcting bad theology or misunderstanding, but is also reminding us of our new reality. In Christ, grace has not only wiped our slate clean; it has shattered the shackles of sin. If justification removes the guilt of sin (as discussed last week), sanctification, also a work of grace, breaks sin’s dominion.
This is the beauty and power of the gospel: sin’s penalty is paid, and its grip is broken. To be “dead to sin” (v. 11) does not mean that we are now immune to temptation, but that sin no longer reigns over us. Though we may still struggle, we do so from a place of freedom, not bondage. In Christ, we are no longer powerless or stuck in old habits. While the presence of sin lingers, its authority is gone. This new power to resist and change is not something we must earn — it’s already ours through our relationship with Jesus.
- Can you relate to a question that some people might naturally ask: “If grace is unlimited, why not just keep doing whatever I want?” Are there any areas in your life where this might show up in subtle ways?
- What do you think Paul means by “living a new life” (v. 4)? What kinds of changes do people generally long for in their lives?
- Are there areas in your life where you’ve been believing that real change isn’t possible? How does this passage speak to that?
union with Christ
At the heart of Paul’s encouragement is this striking truth: if you are in Christ, your life is now joined with his. When Christ died, you died with him; when he rose, you rose with him. This union is not a metaphor — it defines your identity. You are no longer living your own isolated story; your life is woven into the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Paul points to baptism as the visible sign of this reality (vv. 3-4): we’ve been buried with Christ and raised to walk in newness of life. Our past — our guilt, shame, and failures — was crucified with him. This is not just a future hope, but a present truth that shapes who we are now.
This union with Christ changes the way we think about Christian growth. We’re not merely trying to live better or improve our behavior. This means, sanctification isn’t an optional add-on to the Christian life. It’s not an attempt to earn status or become something we’re not. It’s a daily choice to live out what is already true. It’s the natural result of being joined to Jesus. The power of sin is broken not by willpower alone but by remembering who we are in Christ. This is the difference between moralism and true Christian living: we fight sin not to earn identity, but because we already have one in Jesus.
- What parts of your past do you find hard to believe have been crucified with Christ?
- If resurrection is not just a future event but a present reality for those in Christ, what kind of “new life” might that lead to now?
learning to live from this reality
Paul’s practical exhortation in vv. 11-14 flows directly from the theological foundation he has laid in vv. 1-10: “Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (v. 11). The verb “count” echoes Paul’s earlier use in Romans 4, where righteousness is “credited” by faith. This word means to reckon, realize, take into account. The Christian life involves reckoning with what is true of us in Christ and responding accordingly. And we grow through continually responding to that new reality. We won’t grow unless we repeatedly bring this truth to bear on our hearts and habits. As Sinclair Ferguson put it, this reality is not theological make-believe; it’s the foundation of real change. Sanctification begins with clarity about who we are.
This doesn’t mean we will no longer struggle with sin. We will still face temptation, and our bodies may carry reminders of our past bondage. But sin no longer defines us, and it no longer holds us captive. We fight not as defeated people, but as those who belong to a new kingdom. The gospel gives us strength for daily obedience and hope for future glory. One day, when we receive glorified bodies, entirely free from sin’s presence, we will fully experience what we now embrace by faith: the old is gone, the new has come.
- Verses 11-14 talk about being ruled or “reigned” over — whether by sin or by something else. What do you think tends to “rule” people in our modern culture?
- The Christian life involves both heart transformation, renewal, and intentional action — we’re not changed by willpower alone, but we also don’t grow passively. How do you approach areas of your life where you know change is needed? What does it look like for you to work from your identity in Christ, rather than working for it, as you pursue both heart change and new habits?
group application
Consider the description below and discuss: Which parts resonate most with your experience? Which parts feel distant or aspirational? Why?
“To be sanctified is to have your faith simplified, clarified, and deepened…You know God. You love God. How other people are doing matters increasingly to you. Becoming more holy…means you are becoming a wiser human being. You are learning how to deal with your money, your sexuality, your job. You are becoming a better friend and family member. When you talk, your words communicate good sense, more gravitas, more joy, more reality. You are learning to pray honestly, bring who God really is into the reality of human need…It means you live in more clear-minded hope. You know the purpose of your life, roll up your sleeves, and get about doing what needs doing. You are honestly thankful for good things. You honestly face disappointment and pain, illness, and dying.”1
—David Powlison
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1 Powlison, David. How Does Sanctification Work?, Crossway, 2017.
announcements
- RWS Annual Congregational Survey, (participate by June 18)
Please share thoughts about your experience at RWS in our anonymous survey. Your feedback helps us become a more responsive church and effective in ministry! - Saturday, June 14 | Pack Sandwiches for Food Insecure Neighbors, 9-11 am
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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. Th
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