Romans 6:8-13

Romans 6:8-13 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.  For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.   The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.  In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.  Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.  Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.

Christ died for all of the sins of believers once for all.  There will be no need for any further atonement for sin.  There will be no more need for Temple sacrifices to be offered in the future.  In this passage Paul begins to instruct believers in their progressive sanctification.  It is noteworthy that Paul does not instruct believers to go back to the obsolete Old Covenant Law for their progressive sanctification here or in any of his other letters.  Why?  Old Covenant Law and ethics were given for mostly unbelievers who had to be instructed through the outward means of the flesh.  New Covenant Law and ethics are given to believers who have the law written on their hearts [Heb. 8].  Believers also have the desire as well as the indwelling Holy Spirit to enable them to carry out progressive sanctification without the legalism inherent with the written code.  Therefore, Paul and other New Testament writers gave exhortations and instructions on proper Christian behavior.  Paul will unpack the differences between Old Covenant Law and New Covenant Grace more in chapters 7 and 8.