“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” These words from Galatians 2:20 capture one of the most profound mysteries of the Christian faith: our death to sin and new life in Christ. But what does it truly mean to be “dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:11)?

Understanding Our Former State

Before we can grasp the magnificence of our new life in Christ, we must understand the depth of our former condition. Scripture paints a stark picture of humanity’s natural state. We were not merely sick in sin or struggling with sin—we were dead in our trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). This spiritual death manifested as complete inability to please God or to respond to His grace.

In our natural condition, we were not neutral parties making free choices about our spiritual destiny. Rather, we were enslaved to sin (Romans 6:6), hostile to God (Romans 8:7), and utterly unable to submit to His law. Total depravity affected every aspect of our being—our minds, emotions, and will.

The tyranny of sin over unregenerate humanity cannot be overstated. Like a cruel master, sin held absolute sway over our lives, demanding our obedience and ensuring our spiritual blindness. No amount of self-reformation or moral improvement could break these chains. We needed nothing less than divine intervention.

The Divine Transaction

Here we encounter the marvel of God’s sovereign grace. While we were still dead in our sins, God took the initiative (Ephesians 2:4-5). The divine transaction occurred entirely by God’s sovereign choice and power.

Through the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit, we’ve been united with Christ in His death and resurrection. The union isn’t merely symbolic—it’s a profound spiritual reality. In God’s courtroom, when Christ died, we died with Him. When He rose, we rose with Him to walk in newness of life.

Baptism beautifully pictures this reality. As we go under the water, we identify with Christ’s death; as we emerge, we demonstrate our participation in His resurrection. This is not our work but God’s sovereign act of grace, bringing us from death to life.

What “Dead to Sin” Actually Means

Being dead to sin represents a fundamental change in our relationship to sin’s power and authority. Sin no longer has legal dominion over us—its reign has been broken by Christ’s definitive work. This is first and foremost a legal, positional reality established by God’s decree.

This does not mean we no longer face sin’s presence or influence. Rather, sin’s governing power has been decisively broken. We’ve been transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light—from death to life, and from Adam’s headship to Christ’s headship.

It’s crucial to understand our death to sin isn’t something we achieve through our efforts. It’s an accomplished fact based on our union with Christ, secured by God’s electing love and Christ’s finished work. Our role isn’t to make it true but to live in light of what God has already declared true.

Living as Those “Alive to God”

Having been made alive to God, we now possess a radically new identity. We’re citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20), children of God (1 John 3:1), and temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). Our new identity flows entirely from God’s gracious initiative and Christ’s perfect work on our behalf.

This truth transforms how we live. We now present ourselves to God as those who’ve been brought from death to life (Romans 6:13). Not to earn His favour, but because we already have it in Christ. Not to maintain our salvation, but because He who began a good work in us will bring it to completion (Philippians 1:6).

The Christian life is thus not a matter of trying harder but of living out our new identity in Christ. We fight sin not to become dead to it, but because in Christ we already are. We pursue holiness not to gain God’s acceptance, but because He has already accepted us in the Beloved.

The Ultimate Goal

The ultimate purpose of our death to sin and life in Christ is the glory of God. In our transformation from death to life, we become living testimonies to the power of His sovereign grace. Our lives display the excellence of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvellous light (1 Peter 2:9).

This glory of God is inseparably connected to our deepest joy. As we live out our identity in Christ, we experience the freedom that comes from knowing sin’s dominion is broken. We taste the joy of growing conformity to Christ’s image. We rest in the unshakeable assurance that comes from knowing our salvation depends not on our grip on Christ, but His grip on us.

Conclusion

Being dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus isn’t a goal to achieve but a reality to embrace. It’s the heartbeat of authentic Christian living—not a life of endless striving, but of resting in and responding to what God has already accomplished in Christ.

Let’s therefore “consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:11). Not because we feel it, but because God declares it. Not because we’ve attained perfection, but because Christ has secured our position. Not because of our faithfulness, but because of His.

In the end, our death to sin and life in Christ stands as a testament to the sovereignty of divine grace. From first to last, it’s God’s work. After all, He chose us before the foundation of the world, He raised us from spiritual death, He sustains us in the faith, and He will surely bring us to glory. To Him alone be all praise.

 

Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ—Related FAQs:

If I’m dead to sin, why do I still struggle with temptation and sin? Being dead to sin means sin’s legal dominion over us is broken, not that sin’s presence is eliminated from our earthly experience. Just as a former slave may still feel the effects of slavery after being legally freed, we may struggle with sin’s influence while no longer being under its ultimate authority. God has decisively broken sin’s power through our union with Christ, but the full experience of this freedom awaits our final glorification.

• Does being dead to sin mean I should never sin again? This question reflects a common misunderstanding of the doctrine. Being dead to sin describes our new legal and spiritual position in Christ rather than sinless perfection in our daily experience. While God has freed us from sin’s dominion and given us a new nature that desires holiness, we continue to battle against remaining corruption until glory. The difference is that sin is no longer our master—we now have the Spirit’s power to resist it.
• How can I know if I’m truly dead to sin and alive in Christ? The evidence of being dead to sin isn’t sinless perfection but rather a fundamental change in our relationship to sin. This change manifests in a genuine hatred of sin, ongoing repentance, and a sincere desire for holiness—all of which are fruits of the Spirit’s work. The very fact we grieve over sin and long for greater holiness suggests the presence of new spiritual life.
• Do I need to ‘die to sin’ through my own efforts? Absolutely not—this fundamentally misunderstands the doctrine. Our death to sin is accomplished entirely through our union with Christ in His death and resurrection, not through our own efforts or willpower. We don’t achieve this death to sin; we receive it as a gift of God’s grace through our Spirit-wrought union with Christ.
• What’s the difference between being ‘dead to sin’ and ‘dying to self’? Being dead to sin is our God-given position in Christ—a completed reality based on His finished work. Dying to self refers to the ongoing process of submitting our desires to God’s will in daily life. The former is the foundation that makes the latter possible—we can only truly “die to self” because we’re already “dead to sin” in Christ.
• If I’m dead to sin, why do I need to put sin to death daily? Daily mortification of sin flows from our position of being dead to sin; it doesn’t create it. Because God has broken sin’s dominion through our union with Christ, we can and must actively resist sin’s continuing influence in our lives. This isn’t working for our salvation but working from our salvation.
• Can someone who’s truly dead to sin fall into serious sin? Yes, sadly, believers can and do fall into serious sin, but this doesn’t negate their position in Christ. What distinguishes the believer is not sinless perfection but the Spirit’s work in bringing them to repentance and restoration. God’s preserving grace ensures that those truly united to Christ cannot finally fall away.
• What’s the relationship between being dead to sin and sanctification? Being dead to sin is the positional reality that underlies progressive sanctification. Our death to sin in Christ provides the foundation and power for growing in holiness. Sanctification is the Spirit’s work of making our daily experience increasingly align with our position in Christ.
• Does being dead to sin mean I’ll never struggle with the same temptations again? Being dead to sin doesn’t guarantee freedom from particular temptations but provides the spiritual resources to resist them. Old temptations may persist, but our relationship to them has fundamentally changed—we now have both the desire and the power through the Spirit to fight against them. Victory comes progressively as we learn to live out who we already are in Christ.

How should understanding that I’m dead to sin change my daily life?  This truth should transform both our identity and our approach to Christian living. Rather than seeing the Christian life as an attempt to gain victory over sin, we fight from Christ’s victory. Understanding our death to sin produces both deep humility (as we recognise this is entirely God’s work) and profound confidence (as we rest in Christ’s finished work).

 

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