7 For he who has died has been freed from sin.
7 For
The “for” indicates the ground for verse six. Christians should no longer sin because they died with Christ and died to their heritage in Adam. They are now associated with Christ. We are incorporated into Christ.
he who has died
Death here does not refer to physical death but our death with Christ on the cross. We have forgiveness because of this. We have no liability before God any more.
Unregenerate people are slaves to sin. God frees from sin a person who believes in the cross to forgive sin. The “old man” was co-crucified with Christ, forming the basis for liberty.
has been freed from sin.
The words “has been freed” are from the word for justification—has been declared righteous. The Greek tense indicates past completed action with continuing results. That is, sin no longer has legal right to control the believer. God declares a person who died with Christ free from sin. The believer no longer has to answer legally for his sin, because Christ met that legal requirement on the cross. Jesus paid our debt to sin fully.
The concept of grace (Ro 5:12-21) cannot lead to sinful behavior (v. 1) because the believer has been freed from sin. We are not free from the presence of sin but from its power. Freedom from the principle of sin necessarily involves freedom from its power. Its effect is greater than forensic; there is a transformation aspect to salvation.
PRINCIPLE:
The justified person no longer delights in sin because it violates his Savior.
APPLICATION:
Since the “old man” was put to death, it is no longer necessary for the Christian to continue in bondage to sin. Christ set us free. Christians no longer feel at home with sin. Positional truth demands a life lived in appreciation to Jesus the Lord.
A dead person no longer pays taxes; he is free from his life’s responsibilities. He no longer has obligations to his former life. This is true in the physical life and in the spiritual life. The believer who uses grace as an excuse to sin does not represent his new life in Christ in doing so.
