5:10, 11, we have been reconciled to God through the atonement of Christ. V. 16, through the work of Christ, we have the free gift of God, eternal life.
5:20, the Ten Commandments were given to show man how far short he was of the righteousness of God.
V. 21, the Commandments show our sinfulness; the law shows the grace of God because He justified us through faith in Christ despite our sin.
Ch 5, Paul then answers a question without us hearing it asked: Since the law shows us our sinfulness, and our sinfulness shows the strength of the grace of God, then let us continue in sin that God's grace should be further revealed.
Vv. 1, 2, Paul says, how absurd.
First, God's people are dead to sin. By that he meant, they are dead to the power of sin over them.
In other words, the unsaved man really has no choice but for sin to reign over him. IT IS THE GRACE AND POWER OF GOD that frees one from the power of sin.
ILLUSTRATION, vv. 3-5, baptism represents death to the power of sin and life pleasing to God.
Second, vv. 6, 7, the old man who was the servant of sin was crucified with Christ, Gal 2:20 He is dead; therefore, sin has no power over him.
Third, vv. 8-11, the old man who controlled us before we were saved is dead, but that does not mean we are dead and useless, sitting around waiting for the Lord to come get us in the resurrection.
V. 4, We have been raised, we are alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Alive unto God, means we are now servants of God, not servants of sin as we were before we were saved.
Fourth, now let us define the sin Paul is talking about, the lusts thereof.
Paul defines lust in Gal 5:19-21
variance, contention, strife
emulations, jealousy, attempting to imitate someone We could put here the desire to keep up with the world's fashions.
seditions, division
revelings, parting or rioting
Fifth, v. 18, God tells us that we are free from the power of sin over us by His grace. We are now His servants of righteousness.
Follow Paul's line of thought:
Vv. 11, 12, 13, 16, the common point is that the choice is the individuals after they have been saved, v. 17.
The individual must chose to not allow the sin of v. 12 control him or her.
IN OTHER WORDS, after a person has made a profession of Christ,
IF HE has no burning desire to be free from the power of sin, he is not saved.
IF HE has no power to keep sin from controlling him, he is not saved.
V. 22 is very clear. Salvation and the grace of God makes us free from the power of sin.
THE PURPOSE of freedom from the power of sin IS NOT so we will not die, v. 23; rather, the purpose is v. 11, 22, so we can serve God in this life.