Sharon Reformed Presbyterian Church · Sermon study sheet

Alive to God

Bryan Schneider · September 26, 2026

Romans 6:5-11

sharonrpc.org/sermons/alive-to-god

Main points

Christian obedience grows from what Jesus has already done. We seek to live like him because our life is hidden in him and he empowers us, rather than trying to earn acceptance with God.
Union with Jesus includes his resurrection as well as his death. Our hope of eternal life rests on sharing the life of the risen Jesus.
The old self has been crucified with Christ. Believers have a new identity in Christ and a new Lord; their former patterns do not define who they must remain.
Encourage other believers when you see them fighting sin and following Jesus, including in ordinary family responsibilities.
Freedom from sin does not mean the struggle is over. Christians fight from a position of strength because their living King loves and strengthens them.
Do not resign yourself to the idea that you can never change. Trust the Lord who declares his people free from sin and enables a different way of living.

How does knowing what Jesus has done change why you seek to obey him?
What does the illustration of a branch grafted into a tree help you understand about dependence on Christ?
Why does the preacher insist that Jesus really rose bodily from the dead?
Where have you used personality, family background, or habit as an excuse to continue in sin? How does Romans 6:6 challenge that excuse?
How can you hold together freedom from sin’s rule and the reality of an ongoing struggle against sin?
Whom can you encourage this week with a specific example of growth you have seen?
What would it look like to face one recurring temptation by relying on your living King rather than resigning yourself to defeat?

Union with Christ: The spiritual bond by which believers belong to Jesus through faith and share in the benefits of his death and resurrection. The sermon compares this to a branch grafted into a living tree.
Sanctification: God’s gracious work of renewing his people and enabling them increasingly to die to sin and live in righteousness. The sermon emphasizes Christ’s power for this growth.
Justification: God’s declaration that a believer is righteous. The sermon recalls that Jesus was raised for our justification and distinguishes living from his work from trying to earn acceptance.
Old man / old self: Who we were in Adam, living in rebellion and slavery to sin. Romans 6:6 says that this old self was crucified with Christ.
Redemption: Being bought out of bondage. The preacher describes Jesus buying his people out of slavery to sin at the price of his own blood.
Legalism: Trying to earn a right standing with God through what we do. The sermon contrasts this with obedience that flows from life in Christ.
Freedom from sin: Release from sin’s rule through Christ, giving believers reason and strength to resist it. This does not mean that temptation or the struggle against sin has ended.