Christ is alive forever, victor over death and Hell. We are one with Him in His resurrection. Therefore we also through Him are alive forever and a victor over death and Hell. "As he is, so are we in the world."

The indestructible, endless resurrection power of Christ lifts us up from the power of Satan, from the power of the spirit of the world, and from the power of our own self-willed, sinful fleshly nature. It enables us to purge ourselves from all sin and rebellion. The Holy Spirit imparts to us the desire to overcome sin and the necessary wisdom and strength to cleanse ourselves from all unrighteousness.

Separation from the sin and rebellion of the world and of the flesh, through Christ's atoning death and victorious resurrection, is portrayed by our coming up out of the waters of baptism.

Oneness with the Lord Jesus Christ in His death and in His resurrection is an important aspect of the development of Christ in us, of the building of the Temple of God in our life.

Will we continue in sin? It may be observed in the sixth chapter of the Book of Romans that our participation through faith in the crucifixion and resurrection of the Lord Jesus is demonstrated by whether or not we continue in sin after we become a Christian.

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? (Romans 6:1)

The answer that we give to this question, both in our words and in our conduct, reveals whether or not we understand the significance of water baptism—what it means to be buried with Christ and risen with Christ.

If we keep on walking in the desires of the flesh after we become a Christian, stating that as long as we are in the world we are compelled to sin or that Christ has set us free and we are under no law of righteous conduct, we do not understand the nature or purpose of the redemption that is in Christ.

There are authority and power in our union with the death and resurrection of Christ that enable us to choose to live righteously. Chapter Six of Romans is a safeguard inserted by the Holy Spirit. Its purpose is to prevent a wrong conclusion from Paul's argument concerning the gift of grace—an argument directed toward Judaizers who were forcing circumcision and other works of the Law of Moses on Gentile converts.

The safeguard has not been heeded. The Gentiles have interpreted Paul's explanation of grace to mean that the individual who accepts Christ is not obligated to live in righteousness, holiness, and obedience to God. The goal of redemption has been subverted by ignorance. People keep on yielding to unrighteousness after being baptized in water.

The sixth chapter of Romans begins the next step of redemption after we enter the program by our acceptance of God's provision of the blood. The blood of Jesus is the door, and the only door, to the process of redemption.

Chapters Three through Five of Romans describe the gift of justification, that is, righteousness apart from the works of the Law of Moses. The gift of justification must be understood and accepted before there can be any progress in overcoming sin by the power of the Holy Spirit.

To be continued.