Romans 6 7

Romans 6:7 kjv

For he that is dead is freed from sin.

Romans 6:7 nkjv

For he who has died has been freed from sin.

Romans 6:7 niv

because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

Romans 6:7 esv

For one who has died has been set free from sin.

Romans 6:7 nlt

For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.

Romans 6 verses

Romans 6 7 Meaning

Romans 6:7 declares that the one who has definitively died (spiritually with Christ) has been acquitted or declared free from sin's power and condemnation. It asserts a legal and spiritual liberation from the dominion of sin, rooted in a believer's identification with Christ's death. This means that sin no longer holds the ultimate claim or authority over the individual who has died to it, establishing a foundational truth for living a new, righteous life.

Romans 6 7 Context

Romans chapter 6 builds on the glorious truth of justification by grace through faith established in chapters 3-5. Paul anticipates a possible antinomian objection: "Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?" (6:1). His emphatic answer is "By no means!" (6:2). He explains that through baptism, believers are united with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection (6:3-5). This union signifies a decisive break with sin. Our "old self" was crucified with Christ so that "the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin" (6:6). Verse 7 functions as a theological underpinning for this assertion, providing the reason why believers should no longer live in sin's power. It declares a completed judicial fact: having died, the believer is declared free from the charge and power of sin, echoing the legal concept that death frees one from prior obligations or claims.

Romans 6 7 Word analysis

• For (γάρ - gar): This is a connective particle meaning "for," "because," or "indeed." It introduces the reason or explanation for the preceding statement in Romans 6:6, reinforcing why the body of sin is done away with and we are no longer enslaved. It signifies that the following truth provides the foundational basis for our liberation.
• he that is dead (ὁ ἀποθανών - ho apothanōn): This Greek phrase uses the definite article "ὁ" (ho, "the one who") and the perfect active participle of "ἀποθνῄσκω" (apothnēskō, "to die"). The perfect tense here is crucial, denoting a completed past action with ongoing, permanent results. It means "the one who has died" or "the one having died." In the context of Romans 6, this "death" refers not to physical death, but to the spiritual death with Christ experienced by a believer through union with Him (Rom 6:3-5). It signifies a decisive, irreversible break from the old life of slavery to sin.
• is freed (δεδικαίωται - dedikaiōtai): This is the perfect passive indicative of "δικαιόω" (dikaioō), which means "to declare righteous," "to justify," or "to acquit." The perfect tense emphasizes that this is a completed action in the past (at conversion/union with Christ) with enduring effects and a present state. The passive voice indicates that this action is performed on the believer by God. While "freed" is a good translation here in KJV, the more precise theological meaning of dikaioō is "justified" or "declared righteous." Therefore, the one who has died (with Christ) is definitively declared righteous, acquitted from the charges and condemnation of sin. This forensic (legal) declaration has profound implications for freedom from sin's power.
• from sin (ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας - apo tēs hamartias): "ἀπὸ" (apo) means "from" or "away from," indicating separation or release. "τῆς ἁμαρτίας" (tēs hamartias) means "the sin" or "sin." Here, "sin" refers to both its corrupting power/dominion (the ruling principle) and its condemning guilt. Being "freed/justified from sin" means to be released from both its legal accusation (penalty) and its controlling influence (power), allowing for a new relationship with God.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• For he that is dead: This phrase establishes the foundational premise. Our new status—having died to sin through identification with Christ—is the prerequisite for what follows. It's not a mere possibility but a completed reality for the believer. This death signifies the termination of an old relationship and allegiance to sin.
• is freed from sin: This describes the glorious outcome of that death. Because we have died with Christ, God has, as a legal and spiritual act, declared us free. This freedom is multi-faceted: it is freedom from sin's penalty, its guilt, its claim on our lives, and its oppressive dominion. It does not mean sin is no longer present as a struggle, but its power to enslave is broken, and its condemnation removed. This legal declaration of "freed" empowers the believer to practically live free from sin's grip.

Romans 6 7 Bonus section

The concept of "δικαιόω" (dikaioō, justified/freed) in this context moves beyond merely having our sins forgiven. It implies a full legal declaration by God: not guilty. The death referenced is not an inherent ability of a person to stop sinning, but a union with Christ's substitutionary and redemptive death. This means the believer participates in the verdict that applied to Christ's death – a complete severance from the old realm. Therefore, "freed from sin" (δεδικαίωται ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας) points to a change in allegiance, ownership, and destiny, allowing believers to serve God (Rom 6:13, 19, 22) because the power dynamic has shifted. This divine act of justification provides both the foundation for, and the impetus toward, practical sanctification, demonstrating that God's grace leads to holiness, not licentiousness.

Romans 6 7 Commentary

Romans 6:7 serves as a vital declaration of the believer's radical severance from the authority of sin. When we unite with Christ in His death, we are not merely given a second chance; we undergo a fundamental change in our relationship to sin. This verse tells us that this death to sin (spoken of in the preceding verses) results in a forensic declaration of acquittal or justification from sin. Just as a dead person is released from all earthly obligations and laws, so the believer, having spiritually died with Christ, is legally declared free from the demands, guilt, and enslavement of sin. This is a foundational, accomplished truth. It is not an aspiration but a spiritual fact. While believers still contend with the presence of sin in their flesh (Rom 7), the decisive victory over sin's dominion has already occurred. This reality should empower us to "reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin" (Rom 6:11) and actively resist its influence, living instead as servants of righteousness. This verse provides the ultimate biblical basis for a life of holiness.