Did you know that his Letter to the Romans contains about half of all Paul’s references to death and dying?

For various reasons—mainly being committed to a team pulpit ministry—I didn't preach this Easter weekend. Or rather, my Easter sermon was delivered last Wednesday at our monthly mid-week friendship service to 21 precious frail-aged seniors (the oldest was 101 years old) and their helpers (all women!).

And so, apart from another important preaching task (helping prepare a kids’ talk for Good Friday), I’ve had a little more time than usual in the run up to Easter to ponder.

Hence my musings on death and dying in Romans.

Now, far be it from me to improve on Paul’s arrangement of his material. But for my own meditation and yours, here is my attempt at a systematic summary of what he says on the topic in that epistle. (For your information, the verses below cover most but not every single mention of death in Romans. I have mainly used the HCSB, which I am trialling.)

Sin causes death

Sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all men, because all sinned. (Rom 5:12)

So

By the one man’s trespass the many died (Rom 5:15)

and

By the one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man (Rom 5:17)

Death reigned... even over those who did not sin in the likeness of Adam’s transgression (Rom 5:14, i.e. by breaking a specifically articulated command)

For the wages of sin is death. (Rom 6:23)

And people

Know full well God’s just sentence—that those who practice such things [i.e. “all manner of unrighteousness” etc., see Rom 1:29-31, ESV] deserve to die. (Rom 1:32)

So a personal observation and related question arises:

What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? (Rom 7:24)

The death of Christ brings us hope

For while we were still helpless, at the appointed moment, Christ died for the ungodly. For rarely will someone die for a just person—though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us! (Rom 5:6-8)

And so

Much more then, since we have now been declared righteous by His blood, [i.e. his death viewed as a ‘sacrifice of atonement’ or a ‘propitiation’, see Rom 3:25] we will be saved through Him from wrath. For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by His life! (Rom 5:9-10)

Because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, no longer dies. Death no longer rules over Him. (Rom 6:9)

So

Just as sin reigned in death, so also grace will reign through righteousness, resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Rom 5:21).

Being united with Christ in his death transforms our lives

All of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in a new way of life. For if we have been joined with Him in the likeness of His death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of His resurrection. (Rom 6:3-5)

So we

Died to sin (Rom 6:2)

Our old self was crucified with Him (Rom 6:6)

and

A person who has died is freed [literally ‘justified’ or ‘acquitted’] from sin (Rom 6:7, see HCSB footnote)

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him (Rom 6:8)

You also were put to death in relation to the law through the [crucified] body of the Messiah, so that you may belong to another—to Him who was raised from the dead—that we may bear fruit for God (Rom 7:4)

Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those in Christ Jesus, because the Spirit’s law of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. (Rom 8:1-2)

And so

If you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. (Rom 8:13)

Triumphant conclusion

Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect?
	God is the One who justifies. 
Who is the one who condemns?
	Christ Jesus is the One who died, but even more, has been raised;
	He also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us. 
Who can separate us from the love of Christ? 
Can affliction or anguish or persecution 
or famine or nakedness or danger or sword [i.e. death] (Rom 8:33-35)

No, in all these things we are more than victorious
	through Him who loved us. 
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life,
	nor angels nor rulers, 
	nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 
nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing
	will have the power to separate us
	from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord! (Rom 8:37-39)

And Commitment

None of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. Christ died and came to life for this: that He might rule over both the dead and the living. (Rom 14:7-9)

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