Dead to Sin, Alive to God

The antagonist (Rom. 6:1) -- Paul's critics accuse him of teaching that when we sin we glorify God, because this gives God opportunity to be glorified in extending His grace.

The answer (6:2) -- After expressing his abhorrence at the idea that our sin glorifies God's grace, he asks how those who died to sin can go on living in it. Representing sin as a realm, he says that the Christian died to that realm; the things that once meant so much to him now mean nothing to him.

The appeal (6:3-14) -- Paul's appeal may be summed up in three words: "know" (that we were baptized into Christ's death and resurrection; that our old man--our old unregenerate self--was crucified with Christ; that in Christ we now live a resurrected life unto God), "consider" (consider yourselves dead to sin but alive to God), "present" (do not present your members as instruments of sin, but present them as instruments of righteousness to God).