How does Romans 6:2 connect with 2 Corinthians 5:17 about being a new creation? Setting the Scriptures Side by Side Romans 6:2: “By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come!” Death to Sin, Birth to New Life • Romans 6:2 declares a past-tense fact: “we died to sin.” • 2 Corinthians 5:17 describes the result: “the old has passed away.” • Scripture presents the same event from two angles: – Romans emphasizes the death of the old self. – Corinthians celebrates the emergence of the new self. Union with Christ: From Cross to New Creation • Romans 6:3-5 explains that believers are “baptized into His death” and “raised to walk in newness of life.” • That union produces the “new creation” of 2 Corinthians 5:17; Christ’s resurrection life now courses through us. • Galatians 2:20 echoes both texts: “I have been crucified with Christ… Christ lives in me.” • Colossians 3:3-4 reinforces the union: “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” Ongoing Implications: Living Out the Reality • Romans 6:11: “Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God.” • 2 Corinthians 5:17 calls us to embrace a fresh identity, not renovate the old one. • Practical outworking: – Reject sin’s claims (Romans 6:12-14). – Walk by the Spirit, not the flesh (Galatians 5:16-17). – Pursue righteousness as God’s workmanship (Ephesians 2:10). Additional Passages that Echo the Theme • Ezekiel 36:26 – promised heart of flesh points forward to the new creation life. • Titus 3:5 – “washing of rebirth” underscores the cleansing, creative act of salvation. • Revelation 21:5 – “Behold, I make all things new,” the consummation of the same creative power now working in us. Takeaway: A New Identity with a New Power When Romans 6:2 says we “died to sin,” and 2 Corinthians 5:17 proclaims we are a “new creation,” Scripture is showing two sides of one miracle. The cross ends the old life; the resurrection launches the new. Because the old has truly died, we are free to live as the people God has already declared us to be. |
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