Romans 6 11

Romans 6:11 kjv

Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:11 nkjv

Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:11 niv

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Romans 6:11 esv

So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Romans 6:11 nlt

So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.

Romans 6 verses

Romans 6 11 Meaning

Romans 6:11 calls believers to consciously accept and affirm the spiritual reality of their identity in Christ. This verse states that, in light of Christ's death and resurrection, and their union with Him, believers are to consider themselves truly dead to the power and dominion of sin, and, by the same truth, actively alive to God's will and purpose. This transformed status is made possible exclusively through Jesus Christ our Lord. It is a mental and spiritual act of faith based on the accomplished work of Christ, leading to a new way of living.

Romans 6 11 Context

Romans chapter 6 is a pivotal section within Paul's theological argument, following the profound declarations of justification by faith in chapters 3-5. After asserting that "where sin abounded, grace did much more abound" (Rom 5:20), Paul immediately anticipates a potential misunderstanding: if grace abounds with more sin, "shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?" (Rom 6:1). Chapter 6 decisively refutes this antinomian perspective, asserting that believers cannot continue in sin because their relationship to sin has fundamentally changed. Through their baptism, they were united with Christ's death (to sin) and His resurrection (to new life). Verses 1-10 lay the theological foundation of this reality. Verse 11, therefore, is not a suggestion, but a command that serves as the bridge between this established theological truth of what God has done (declarative) and the practical responsibility of the believer to act upon that truth (imperative). It is a call to recognize, believe, and live according to this new, Christ-centered identity.

Romans 6 11 Word analysis

• Likewise (οὕτως, houtōs): This adverb connects the preceding theological truths (Christ's death and resurrection, and the believer's participation in them, Rom 6:1-10) to the commanded action for believers. It means "in the same way," "thus," or "accordingly," drawing a direct parallel between Christ's historical experience and the believer's ongoing spiritual experience.
• reckon (λογίζεσθε, logizesthe): An imperative verb, commanding an action. It comes from an accounting or mathematical term, meaning "to calculate," "to count," "to consider as true," or "to credit." It implies a decisive mental acknowledgment and affirmation of a fact. It is not about making something true, but about considering as true something that is already objectively true according to God's declaration. This requires a faith-response.
• ye also yourselves (καὶ ὑμεῖς αὐτοὺς, kai hymeis autous): The emphatic use of "ye also" and the reflexive pronoun "yourselves" highlights the personal, active responsibility of each believer to engage in this act of reckoning. It is a conscious, intentional application of divine truth to one's own spiritual reality.
• to be dead indeed unto sin (νεκροὺς μὲν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ, nekrous men tē hamartia): "Dead" (νεκροὺς, nekrous) signifies a complete cessation of life, a total separation. The "indeed" (μὲν, men) emphasizes the absolute reality of this death. "Unto sin" (τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ, tē hamartia - dative case) means "in relation to sin" or "regarding sin." Believers are no longer slaves to sin, nor subject to its controlling power and condemnation. Their old life and its allegiance to sin have ended with Christ.
• but alive unto God (ζῶντας δὲ τῷ Θεῷ, zōntas de tō Theō): The conjunction "but" (δὲ, de) introduces a sharp contrast. "Alive" (ζῶντας, zōntas) denotes a state of active, vibrant existence. "Unto God" (τῷ Θεῷ, tō Theō - dative case) means "in relation to God" or "for God." This new life is in active service, fellowship, and obedience to God, oriented towards His purposes.
• through Jesus Christ our Lord (ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, en Christō Iēsou tō Kyriō hēmōn): This phrase identifies the sphere and source of this entire transformed reality. It is not by self-effort, self-declaration, or personal merit, but exclusively in Christ. He is the mediator, the means, and the foundation of this spiritual death to sin and life to God. "Our Lord" underscores His supreme authority and the believer's allegiance to Him.

Word Groups analysis

• "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves": This command signifies a decisive shift from passive theological reception to active, personal application. It is a call to align one's thinking and daily life with the objective spiritual facts of union with Christ. This is an ongoing spiritual discipline, not a one-time thought.
• "dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God": This highlights a binary, absolute spiritual state in Christ. There is no middle ground: a definitive break from sin's former dominion and a complete redirection of one's life towards God. This new orientation means living under God's loving reign instead of sin's tyrannical grip.
• "through Jesus Christ our Lord": This phrase functions as the indispensable foundation and sole enabler of the preceding declarations and commands. It removes any notion of human ability or strength to achieve this spiritual transformation independently. It is solely because of Christ's finished work and our vital union with Him that this reckoning is both true and effective.

Romans 6 11 Bonus section

The active "reckon" (λογίζεσθε) signifies a conscious choice to live consistently with an accomplished truth, rather than merely waiting for a feeling of deadness to sin or aliveness to God. This ongoing discipline directly impacts sanctification, enabling the believer to deny sin and embrace righteousness. This verse underpins the practical struggle against indwelling sin—it's not a question of if you are dead to sin in Christ, but whether you are actively counting yourself so. It highlights a forensic truth becoming an experiential reality. This verse also implicitly calls for self-examination against spiritual deception or legalism; true Christian living flows from acknowledging and embracing who one is in Christ, rather than striving through human effort alone or feeling obligated to pretend a reality that isn't true.

Romans 6 11 Commentary

Romans 6:11 is a clarion call to live out the reality of one's new identity in Christ. Paul has established that believers have died with Christ to sin and risen with Him to new life; this verse moves from this doctrinal foundation to a personal imperative. To "reckon" means to firmly consider as a settled, immutable fact that one's old allegiance to sin is broken and that one now belongs wholly to God. It is an act of faith that embraces the spiritual facts declared by God and acts upon them. This is not self-delusion or a mere positive affirmation; it is an intelligent, faith-based appropriation of a divine truth. When temptations arise, or old sinful habits surface, the believer is to actively remember and affirm this spiritual status: "I am dead to sin, alive to God through Christ." This understanding fundamentally reshapes how a believer battles sin—not through struggling to become dead to it, but by acting as one who is already dead to it, walking in the new life provided by Christ. This reorientation empowers consistent sanctification.