Have we died to sin?

Romans 6:1-4
    What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? [2] By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? [3] Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? [4] We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
   
     What is this "newness of life" of which Paul writes?  And what does it have to do with sin?  The word "NEW" has really caught my attention lately with the new year beginning and everything.  I have been drawn to texts in the scriptures that tell us about God doing something new, or new creation, or us becoming something new or living a new way.
     The text above is Paul carrying on an imaginative argument, an argument that he would anticipate from those hearing his message about the grace of God.  "What shall we say then?  Are we to continue in sin so that grace may abound?"  Sounds logical enough!  If God gives grace to those who sin, then let's sin all the more, so that we can receive more grace.  Is that kind of like--for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction?  But isn't this how we think sometimes? 
     I think that the truth is, the Old Adam in us leads us ever toward sin, especially our favorite sin.  The truth is that so many people have convinced themselves, or let the world convince them, that there is no such thing as sin, and we can go on doing what we want.  For Christians this is truly a dangerous notion.  When Christians begin to think that sin is ok, because in the end we will receive grace and forgiveness from God anyway--so I can do what I want, then we can forget about "walking in newness of life."
     As I stated in my sermon yesterday, one of the things that God is doing that is new, is making us "new creations."  What that means is that we are now different.  The baptized life is a new and changed life.  It is not like our former selves, which were entirely sinful.  Now our life is different.  Now our path is a different path.  One that desires Christ, and resists sinful impulses.
     Does that mean that we no longer sin?  No!  And that is not what Paul is saying either.  He calls himself the worst of all sinners.  But it means that now our desire is to please God.  We are no longer slaves to our sin, but are slaves to Christ--by far a much better thing.  And if we desire to please God, that means we desire to be obedient to Him, even as Christ Jesus His only Son was obedient to Him. 
    So the question is....have we--as Paul puts it--"died to sin?"  I certainly hope and pray that we have, so that we may walk with Christ Jesus in this newness of life.
Thanks for reading!  More on newness of life and what that looks like tomorrow!