Romans 6:6

Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away, that we should no longer be in bondage to sin.

Both aspects of the Christian's death to sin are visible in this. It is a precious kind of knowledge that enables the Christian to do away with the body of sin, which is the old man, and that knowledge is .the consciousness that we have already been endowed with a legal status of deadness to sin through our being "in Christ" and therefore legally crucified with him. For a soul to have any success at all in living above sin, there must first be achieved a state of innocence, providing a fresh start. This is accomplished in conversion to Christ, wherein all past transgressions are forgiven, and the soul is endowed with the absolute and perfect righteousness of Christ through the heavenly mechanics of his having been, through his conversion, inducted into Christ, being part of Christ, "in him." This is the purging from "his old sins," as Peter called them (2 Peter 1:9). What an electrifying challenge, what an incentive to holy living, what a joy to the soul, what a burst of heavenly sunlight in the soul that is instantly endowed with absolute perfection "in Christ"! If such a thing cannot inspire one to honor the holiness that is expected of him as a child of God himself, rest assured that nothing can. True righteousness of our own (though ever imperfect) is the goal God has for all Christians; and the powerful incentive to its attainment was presented by Paul in this verse.

Before leaving these verses where the dual aspect of the believers death to sin is in view, there needs to be cited a solid scriptural proof that the personal aspect of death to sin is a growth process going on long after the believer has become a child of God. Paul wrote the Colossian church, composed of baptized believing Christians, of course, thus:

Put to death therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. ... Put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, etc. (Colossians 3:5-8).

Thus the personal aspect of death to sin presents a constant challenge; but thank God it is indeed possible of achievement through the Christian's righteous legal status in the Lord.