Reflection on Rom 6:6

“For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.”

The first five chapters of the Epistle to the Romans speak of sins. Chapter six speaks about sin in singular, which means the root from which other sins develop. The root of sin is the source of evil in us, i.e. original sin or corrupt human nature which was infected by the serpent, the devil, in the first people in Paradise. Instead of abiding faithfully in God’s Word in time of trial, they rejected it and believed in the words of the devil, in a lie. The seed of the devil was thus sown into human nature. This seed is original sin which programmes man for gradual entropy, moral and spiritual self-destruction, and leads him to eternal damnation. We can see striking examples at the present time, when mankind seems to be deprived of common sense and is committing mass suicide: gender demoralization connected with the stealing of children from their parents; technologies of fratricidal wars; harmful vaccines for children causing damage to the immune system and fertility; genetically modified food; remedies causing other diseases; the spread of cancer; AIDS; destructive culture resulting in systematic amoralization; lack of responsibility; the increase in crime; drug addiction. Multiculturalism leads to the eradication of Christianity and wages a modern war against Europe. This psychological warfare uses positive terms, presents evil as good and foists it into legislation, thus legalizing injustice and crime. This legislation gradually leads to microchipping, which means a total loss of freedom and transformation of people into biorobots who will then cynically commit whatever crimes, and eventually it will lead to mass euthanasia or another form of self-destruction. All this is the fruit of the source of evil and lies in us, or of our old self. These lies have a hidden power in them which makes them skilful at deceiving people by cunning. The Apostle Paul says that he loves that which is good and yet he does the evil which he hates and does not want to do. And he immediately explains that it is sin that dwells in him, i.e. original sin, that is doing it. Then he asks: “Who will deliver me from this body of death?” And he also gives the answer: “Only the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ!” (see Rom 7)

The keeping of God’s commandments, prayer, acting according to conscience, good works, overcoming laziness – all this weakens the root of evil. But this root remains in us until our death and we have to fight against it and be aware of its cunning.

As for the forgiveness of our sins, we only obtain it by receiving the power of Christ’s blood. This crucial issue is dealt with in chapters 1-5 of the Epistle to the Romans. The root, original sin in us, is destroyed by Christ’s cross, and this question is dealt with in detail in chapter 6. The Apostle Paul speaks here about crucifixion with Christ. It is a great mystery and this truth is repeated in the apostolic letters several times, for example in the Epistle to the Galatians: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” (2:20), or in the Epistle to the Colossians where we read: “You were buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.” (2:12) or “You died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (3:3)

The Apostle Paul speaks about the mystery of crucifixion with Christ, and then he also says that through baptism we are united to Christ’s death. We were buried with Christ in baptism, and we also were raised with Him. The words “with Christ” express deep inner unity with Jesus. The Holy Spirit will gradually bring us into the depths of this mystery. One cannot just cleverly, theoretically penetrate into it by the intellect, viewing this truth from somewhere above and thinking to oneself – I know it. Such theoretical knowledge is only partial, and without humility and true prayer one cannot be brought into the depths of this mystery, i.e. into unity with Christ’s death and resurrection which is connected with baptism. The beginning of penetration into this mystery is crucifixion with Christ. It does not mean physical crucifixion with Christ. Christ was crucified 2,000 years ago. And if one thought of physically crucifying themselves, it would be a nonsense and a suicide. This mystery is purely spiritual; it has to do with the spiritual dimension of faith which unites us to the essence of Christ’s death and to His new life – His resurrection. So on the one hand it is true that the old self, the source of evil and sin, remains in us, but on the other hand we are given the solution when by active faith we enter into the reality of baptism. In baptism we receive a new life because we were immersed in the two chief mysteries of salvation, namely Christ’s death and resurrection. However, the first gate by which we enter into these mysteries is the mystery of crucifixion with Christ. We can experience it mainly in interior prayer, and then also in various situations of everyday life. The essential thing is full conformity to the will of God, that means a total self-surrender to God in the obedience of faith, even in small things. For example, if we become an object of evil slander or unjust reproach and at that moment we do not give vent to hatred, self-pity or self-defence but unite ourselves to Jesus, His suffering and powerlessness on the cross, we thus experience crucifixion with Him in practice. At that moment we will be filled with deep peace. Surely many of you have had this experience.

The Word of God says that our old self was crucified with Christ so that the body of sin (soma hamartiás) might be done away with (katargéthé) or paralysed, or, in other words, so that the source of evil in us or our old self might be inactive – crucified. And the Scripture says that as a result we should no longer be slaves (dúleuzin) to sin. We are not even aware that we are slaves to sin, that we serve a master who is called sin and who holds us in bondage. We think we are free but we are not; we are slaves to sin. Only the one who is in unity with Christ is free. Jesus won true freedom for us through His death on the cross. And we can taste this freedom at the very moment when we are united to Christ. If we are in unity with Him, we are not under the law of sin anymore. In unity with Christ there is freedom. But this freedom requires that we have to join our will to the will of God and to abide in God’s Word instead of unbelief. Let us bear in mind that this place in the Scriptures pertains to the mysteries we can only be brought into gradually by the Holy Spirit, if we allow Him by faith to cooperate with us. If we repeatedly read chapter six of the Epistle to the Romans, remain faithful to Jesus and follow Him, little by little this mystery will be revealed to us. To study or gain knowledge of it overnight is just as impossible as for a first-grader to solve e.g. quadratic equations or derivatives. It just takes time, and we need to grow in faith and knowledge. Nevertheless, the Holy Spirit lets us penetrate into the depths of this mystery at certain moments in prayer, especially when we pray in unknown tongues about which the Scripture says that it is the Holy Spirit who intercedes for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Let us mention some experience we can get in this prayer: Before I experience the mystery of crucifixion with Christ, I break free from sin by standing in truth under the power of Christ’s blood. And then I can experience this mystery.

You can say in spirit: “I see the pierced hands of Jesus on the cross, the wounds on His arms and chest caused by scourging. I see the crown of thorns on His head, the streams of blood running down His face. His mouth half-opened in pain. I am looking into His eyes. I am united to Him.” According to God’s Word I realize that I am now crucified with Christ – I can imagine a ray of light coming out of the cross and impressing a spiritual cross into my whole being. Then I can continue to pray with tongues and just abide in God’s Word: “We know (ginóskontés) that our old self was crucified with Christ.” I abide in this short passage of Scripture. I realize that God’s Word says that Jesus was not crucified alone on the cross at Calvary but the old self was crucified with Him. The old self is not our physical body; it is spiritual poison which is invisible and penetrates every human being. It is a spiritual reality which we cannot grasp physically although we are confronted with it every day and see its negative fruits. This source of evil, which is called the old self, is like a common denominator for all people since Adam, and Jesus took it on Himself and broke its power. The old self is connected to the devil; it is the devil’s seed in us. And this very seed, or the old self, was crucified with Christ. Even though I do not fully understand it, I now accept it by faith and personally experience it in prayer. The old self was crucified with Christ – the original Greek Bible uses the term “aorist”, which is a form of verb describing an action in the past that is also true in the present. We can translate it as follows: the old self has been crucified, i.e. was and now is (through my faith at the present moment). Through faith I accept and put into practice at this time and in this place what Jesus did on Calvary. And what is more, at this moment of a living faith and self-surrender, I can perform spiritual mission. How? If you are united to the crucified Jesus by faith, you have enormous grace, power and privilege, and at the moment of this total self-surrender and union with Jesus the almighty power of God works through you. Because you have the old self like all other people and, whether you like it or not, you are thus connected with them through this common denominator which is called the old self, you can – through faith at the present moment – allow Jesus and His almighty power to grant the grace of conversion to many or the grace of salvation to those who are dying at this moment. You can pray for a particular city, a particular group of people, or even for the whole nation, as if standing guard over all of them at the present moment. It is, I repeat, spiritual crucifixion with Christ, not physical one. It has to do with the sphere of faith. But the fruits will sooner or later be manifest in those for the sake of whom you are crucified with Christ, united to Him by faith, and for whom you pray that God’s grace may fill them in this very second. This prayer of being crucified with Christ, united to Him, is the summit of prayer and later continues with the mystery of Christ’s death, the moment when Jesus commits His spirit to the Father, and then with the next moment – the mystery of unity with the risen Christ. As the Apostle Paul says, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” The old self is crucified to give place to the living Jesus, to allow Him to shine and live both in me and you at this moment.

For example, you can abide in the first words “we know” and imagine you are standing in front of a television camera broadcasting to the whole world and you are confronted with the resistance of disbelief. Nonetheless, you are calling with great power: “I know it! It is true! The Word of God testifies that the old self in us – in me and in you – is powerless, crucified in this second. I do not doubt but believe, whether you like it or not. At this moment God’s power works through my faith by which I unite with the divine mystery which states clearly that our old self was and is crucified with Christ at this moment through my faith in me and hence in you too.”

Download: Reflection on Rom 6:6