Let's open our Bibles to Romans 6:5-10.

Living in light of our union with Christ is the key to overcoming sin

To overcome sin, know that you are totally identified with Christ in the likeness of His death (6:5a, 6-7)

Paul is talking about the knowledge of what God has revealed, not the knowledge that we gain by personal experience

We are completely united with Christ in the likeness of his death

The word "united" means, literally, to be grown together with, or grafted into Christ

"Likeness" - Our union with Christ is very close, as "united" implies, but it is not exact

This union with Christ means that our unregenerate life is over so that now, we do not need to obey our old nature

In the context here "the old self" represents what we were in Adam

Thomas Schreiner: The old person has been crucified with Christ and the new person is a reality, and yet the old person still must be resisted, and its desire thwarted

Paul uses the expression, "body of sin," because the body is the means by which sin is concretely accomplished

In Christ, sin's power over us has been broken

To overcome sin, know that you are totally identified with Christ in the likeness of His resurrection (6:5b, 8-10)

To overcome sin, know and believe that in the future you will share fully in Christ's resurrection victory over sin

Our union with Christ by his Spirit guarantees our future resurrection

Paul may be protecting himself from a heresy that was afoot in his day

2 Tim 2:17-18 Hymenaeus and Philetus said that the resurrection had already taken place

Believing that our future is gloriously secure and happy in Christ is one way that we experience the power of Christ now to free us from sin

To overcome sin, know that Christ's resurrection represents his complete and final victory over sin and death

We believe that we will live with Christ because we know that He is now beyond the reach of death

The promise that we will one day share completely in this victory gives us the desire and power to overcome sin right now