Dock Resource Kit
Sunday sermon, 2 March 2025
This week, Brigid spoke to us about what it truly means to be dead to sin and alive in Christ, exploring Romans 6:1–14. Paul challenges the misconception that grace gives us permission to keep sinning, reminding us that through baptism, we have been buried with Christ and raised to new life. Brigid used powerful illustrations—from house renovations to Elsa in Frozen—to show how many of us live as if we’re still trapped in sin, even though we’ve been set completely free. We were reminded that sin is no longer our master—we are under grace, not law. The call to action was clear: Stop offering ourselves to sin and instead offer every part of our lives to God.
Dock Discussion Questions
Paul says in Romans 6:2, “We have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” What do you think this means practically in your life?
Brig used the house renovation analogy to explain how God isn’t just “redecorating” us—He’s making us entirely new. What areas of your life still feel like they’re under construction?
The Frozen illustration showed how Elsa was technically free but still lived in fear. Are there ways in which you struggle to live in the freedom Christ has given you?
Romans 6:13 calls us to offer every part of ourselves to God. What’s one specific area where you can intentionally do that this week?
Long-form, editted transcript
Romans Series – Pt. 4:
Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ
Setting the Scene
Good morning, everyone! It’s great to be with you as we continue our journey through Romans. This book—this incredible letter from Paul—is one of the most theologically rich and practically challenging parts of the New Testament.
We are in Part Four of our series, and if you’ve been following along, you’ll know we’ve covered some huge topics already.
We started by looking at Romans 3, where Paul laid out the problem of sin—that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Then we moved into Romans 5, where we heard about the incredible truth that we have peace with God through Jesus Christ—that we are justified not by works, but by faith alone.
And now, in Romans 6, Paul is asking us: What does it mean to be saved by grace?
Now, I don’t know about you, but when I was younger, I sometimes had this slightly strange way of thinking about grace. I knew that Jesus had forgiven my sins, but I almost thought of it like having an unlimited overdraft. Like, no matter how many times I messed up, I could just keep withdrawing from the grace account, and it would never run out.
And in a sense, that’s true—God’s grace is never-ending. But that kind of thinking leads to a dangerous question, and Paul knows it’s coming.
“If grace covers everything, should we just keep sinning?”
If God forgives everything, if grace is always bigger than our mistakes, then surely, it doesn’t really matter how we live, does it?
And Paul’s response is absolutely clear:
“By no means!”
Or, in modern language:
“No way. Absolutely not. That’s not how grace works!”
Romans 6:1–14
So, let’s read Romans 6:1-14 together and hear exactly what Paul says. If you have a Bible, you might want to follow along.
“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into his death? 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.”
“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. 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—because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.”
“Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.”
“In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 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. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.”
This is the Word of the Lord!
Paul’s Big Question: Can We Keep Sinning?
So Paul is anticipating this misunderstanding of grace. Some people might be thinking:
“Okay, Paul, so you’re saying that God’s grace is so abundant, that He forgives all my sins, that no matter what I do, God’s grace covers it all? Well then, does it even matter how I live? If God’s grace is that big, maybe I should just sin more so that His grace can be even greater?”
And Paul slams the brakes on that idea immediately.
“By no means!”
In other words: That’s not how it works. Because, Paul says, we have died to sin.
Now, here’s where we need to pause, because for many of us, that’s a confusing statement.
We have died to sin.
But… we still sin. We still struggle. So what does Paul actually mean?
Paul’s answer is found in baptism.
A Picture of Death and Resurrection
Paul writes:
“Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into his death? 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.” (Romans 6:3–4)
Baptism is more than just a religious ritual. It’s a picture of what happens when we put our faith in Jesus.
Going under the water represents death and burial—our old self is gone.
Coming up out of the water represents resurrection—we have been raised to a new life in Christ.
And here’s what we need to understand: This isn’t just about starting fresh. This isn’t just about turning over a new leaf.
This is about complete transformation.
Not Just an Extension
I don’t know if any of you have ever lived through a house renovation. Maybe you’ve done up a kitchen, added an extra bedroom, or just tried to sort out a bit of dodgy plumbing.
But what Paul is describing here? This isn’t just building an extension on the back of the house.
This isn’t just a bit of redecorating, adding a new coat of paint or swapping out the carpets.
This is tearing the whole thing down and rebuilding it from scratch.
When Jesus died and rose again, He didn’t just patch up our brokenness—He gave us a completely new identity.
The problem is, some of us are still living in the old house. We’re acting as if nothing has really changed.
Paul is saying:
“You don’t live there anymore. Stop acting like you do.”
Imagine if you moved into a brand-new home, but every morning, instead of waking up in your new bedroom, you drove back to your old, abandoned house and sat in the rubble. That would be ridiculous, wouldn’t it? But spiritually speaking, that’s what a lot of us do.
Justified but Still Changing
Now, I know what you’re thinking—“Okay, but I still struggle with sin. If I’ve been made new, why do I still mess up?”
And this is where we need to understand something really important.
Yes, we are justified—we have been declared holy.
But we are also being sanctified—we are becoming holy.
We are saved, but we are also being transformed.
Righteous and a Sinner
Martin Luther had this brilliant phrase—one of my favourites:
“The Christian is at the same time both righteous and a sinner.” (Simul justus et peccator)
Now, that might sound like a contradiction, but what he meant was this:
Because of Jesus, we have been declared holy.
But at the same time, we are still being made holy.
It’s like when you adopt a child. The moment the paperwork is signed, legally, that child belongs to you. Nothing can change that.
But does that mean the child instantly knows what it means to be part of your family? Not necessarily. There’s still an adjustment period. There’s still learning and growing.
That’s how it is with us. We belong to Christ—but we are still learning how to live as His people.
Learning to Live Free
Now, this reminds me of something from the movie Frozen.
If you’ve seen it, you’ll know that Elsa spends most of the film trapped in fear. She’s running from her past, she’s hiding who she really is, and even when she sings Let It Go—she’s still alone, still isolated, still not truly free.
It’s only later, when she realises that she is loved, that she starts to live in real freedom.
And I think a lot of us live the Christian life like that.
We’re technically free, but we’re still living like we’re in chains.
Paul is saying:
“You don’t belong to sin anymore. You’ve been set free. So start living like it.”
What It Means to Offer Ourselves to God
Paul continues in Romans 6:13:
“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.”
This is about choice.
Every day, we are offering ourselves to something.
Some of us offer our minds to distraction.
Some of us offer our bodies to things that don’t honour God.
Some of us offer our attention to things that drain us instead of fill us.
Paul is saying:
“Stop offering yourself to things that lead to death. Offer yourself to God—because He’s the one who has brought you from death to life.”
Imagine if, every morning, you woke up and prayed:
“Lord, today, I offer my mind to you. My hands. My words. My thoughts. My actions. Every part of me—I place it in your hands. Use me for righteousness.”
That’s what Paul is talking about here.
Walking in the Light of Grace
I love this image—imagine you are standing outside on a bright, sunny day.
The sun is shining, filling everything with warmth.
But if you choose to step into the shade, what happens? You’re still in the presence of the sun, but now there’s something blocking its warmth.
That’s what happens when we walk in sin.
God’s grace hasn’t gone anywhere—it’s still shining, still holding us, still surrounding us. But when we live as if sin still has power over us, it’s like we’re stepping into the shade.
Paul is saying:
“Step into the light. Live in the reality of grace. You don’t belong to the shadows anymore.”
Sin Is No Longer Your Master
Paul closes this section with a powerful truth:
“For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.”
Some of us need to hear that today.
Some of us have been living as if sin is still in charge.
Maybe there’s a habit, a struggle, a pattern in your life that you just can’t seem to shake.
And you’ve started to believe the lie that this is just who you are.
But Paul is saying: No! That’s not who you are anymore.
You are under grace.
You belong to Jesus.
Sin is not your master.
The Prisoner Who Won’t Leave His Cell
Imagine someone who has just been released from prison after serving their sentence.
They’re free to go, but instead of walking out, they sit back down in their cell.
That’s what happens when Christians live as if sin still has power over them.
We don’t have to stay there. We don’t belong in that old life anymore.
Paul is saying:
“Why are you still living like sin is your master? You’ve been set free!”
Walking in Freedom
So here’s the question today:
How are you living?
Are you walking in freedom, or are you still acting as though sin is your master?
Paul urges us:
“Consider yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”
This is not just about what we avoid—it’s about stepping into true freedom.
This is grace.
Not just forgiveness, but freedom.
Final Prayer
Lord, thank you that we are not who we once were. Thank you that in you, we are a new creation. Help us to step fully into the freedom you have given us. Holy Spirit, work in our hearts today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.