Romans 6:11-13
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The call to "reckon yourselves dead to sin and alive to God" isn't just a hopeful suggestion; it's a directive to actively embrace your new reality in Christ. This means understanding that your union with Jesus means sin's power over you is broken, and your life is now fundamentally oriented toward God, not in your own strength, but through His enabling presence in you.
So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul's argument has established that believers have died with Christ to sin and have been raised to a new life in Him. Now, he urges them to actively embrace this reality, calling them to consider themselves as fundamentally changed. This new identity isn't just a theoretical concept but the basis for how they are to live out their faith daily, especially in the ongoing struggle against sin's influence in their lives.
Paul doesn't just say 'try to be dead to sin.' He uses a strong word that calls for a radical shift in how you see yourself. What does it mean to 'reckon' yourself this way?
The Greek word Paul uses here, 'logizesthe,' is powerful. It's not just a casual thought, but a deliberate judgment or calculation. It's about actively deciding to see yourself according to God's truth, not your feelings or past experiences.
Think of it like this:
This isn't about trying to be dead to sin; it's about believing that you are dead to sin because of what Jesus has done.
Paul presents a dramatic contrast: dead to one thing, alive to another. This isn't a mixed state, but a definitive new reality. What does this 'dead and alive' reality truly mean for your daily walk?
In Christ, you have a radical, two-part identity:
Dead to Sin:
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Alive to God:
This isn't about a partial transformation; it's a complete reorientation of your entire being. You are decisively severed from the old and fully incorporated into the new.
Your new identity isn't self-generated; it's entirely dependent on your connection to Jesus. Why is being 'in Christ Jesus' the essential foundation for everything?
The phrase 'in Christ Jesus' is absolutely crucial. It's not just a nice addition; it's the very ground and source of your new reality.
Here's why it's so vital:
This union means you are no longer acting independently but are now indwelt and empowered by Christ Himself.
Understand the original words
logizomai · Greek Verb
To reckon, count, or logically conclude something as true based on a reality or fact. In a theological sense, it is the deliberate application of faith to the truth of one's position in Christ.
hamartia · Greek Noun
In this context, referring to the power and principle of sin that remains in fallen humanity. It denotes a state of separation from God and active rebellion against His will.
Christos Iēsous · Greek Noun
The promised Messiah, the Son of God. It signifies the believer's union with Him; because He died and rose, the believer shares in that reality.
thnētos sōma · Greek Adjective
Refers to the physical body that is subject to death and decay. It is the sphere where sin often seeks to exert its influence before the final resurrection.
epithumia · Greek Noun
Strong desires or cravings, often used in a negative sense to describe the uncontrolled longings of the fallen nature.
melos · Greek Noun
Refers to the physical parts of the human body, used metaphorically for the faculties, senses, or capacities through which one acts in the world.
hoplon · Greek Noun
A tool, implement, or weapon used to achieve a specific end. In this context, it highlights that human actions are being used by a master—either sin or God.
adikia · Greek Noun
That which is not in conformity with God's standard or His law; actions or states that are contrary to divine character.
dikaiosunē · Greek Noun
That which aligns with God's character and requirements; conduct that is morally right and pleasing to Him.
This passage echoes the same sentiment, urging believers to consider themselves 'dead' to their former sinful selves and 'alive' in Christ, highlighting the ongoing reality of this new identity.
Galatians 2:20This verse beautifully captures the essence of being 'alive to God in Christ Jesus,' stating 'I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.'
2 Corinthians 5:17This verse speaks to the transformative power of being 'alive to God,' declaring that 'if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.' It emphasizes the radical change that occurs when one is made alive in Christ.
Romans 6:4This passage directly supports the idea of being 'alive to God,' as it speaks about being 'buried with him through baptism into death—in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live a new life.'
henryRomans 6:11-15: "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord."
6:11-15 The strongest motives against sin, and to enforce holiness, are here stated. Being made free from the reign of sin, alive unto God, and having the prospect of eternal life, it becomes believers to be greatly concerned to advance thereto. But, as unholy lusts are not quite rooted out in this life, it must be the care of the Christian to resist their motions,…
meyerRomans 6:11: "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Romans 6:11 . Application of Romans 6:10 to the readers. Although in Romans 6:10 there was no mention of a λογίζεσθαι on the part of Christ, we are not, with Griesbach and Koppe, to break up the discourse by the punctuation: οὗτω καὶ ὑμεῖς λογίζεσθε κ . τ . λ [1432] (comp on the contrary Luke 17:10 ). Accordingly reckon ye yourselves also (like Christ) as dead , etc. λ…
The call to "reckon yourselves dead to sin and alive to God" isn't just a hopeful suggestion; it's a directive to actively embrace your new reality in Christ. This means understanding that your union with Jesus means sin's power over you is broken, and your life is now fundamentally oriented toward God, not in your own strength, but through His enabling presence in you.
Paul's argument has established that believers have died with Christ to sin and have been raised to a new life in Him. Now, he urges them to actively embrace this reality, calling them to consider themselves as fundamentally changed. This new identity isn't just a theoretical concept but the basis for how they are to live out their faith daily, especially in the ongoing struggle against sin's influence in their lives.
Paul's argument has established that believers have died with Christ to sin and have been raised to a new life in Him. Now, he urges them to actively embrace this reality, calling them to consider themselves as fundamentally changed. This new identity isn't just a theoretical concept but the basis for how they are to live out their faith daily, especially in the ongoing struggle against sin's influence in their lives.
"So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but p…" — The call to "reckon yourselves dead to sin and alive to God" isn't just a hopeful suggestion; it's a directive to actively embrace your new reality in Christ. This means understanding that your union…
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Last reviewed October 2026
