6:1 What is the point of Paul's question here?
6:1 What is the point of Paul's question here?
This question is purely rhetorical - asked only for dramatic effect, not to seek an answer. Paul immediately counters it with a categorical rejection in the very next verse (CP V2).
Paul had just finished telling the Roman Christians in Ch 5 that where sin exists, God's grace is exceedingly more powerful to provide forgiveness of sin (CP 5:20-21).
Having proclaimed this Paul had to then pre-empt any erroneous idea that believers can continue in sin and yet still retain their salvation because of the abundance of such grace. Being "dead to sin" (V2) does not mean that the old sin nature is completely extinct in Christians. It is still there as scriptures clearly attest (CP 1Jn 1:6-10).
Being dead to sin means that sin no longer has any hold over Christians (CP Ro 6:14).
God breaks sin's power over believers when they are converted to Christ and they no longer have to obey the behests of sin (CP 2Cor 5:14-15, 17; 1Jn 3:6-10; 5:4, 18).
Those who are in Christ have died to sin. They are made partakers of the divine nature, causing them to hate sin and love holiness (CP Ro 6:17-18, 22; 8:3-4; 2Cor 3:18; Ga 2:16-20; Eph 4:17-24; Col 2:8-13; 1Pe 1:3-5; 2Pe 1:3-4).
This produces in believers the desire to do God's will (CP Ro 12:1-2, 21; 1Cor 3:9; 6:19-20; Php 2:12-13; Col 3:1-10, 12-17). If this desire is not manifest in a believer then that believer must seriously question whether he or she is born again and saved (CP 2Cor 13:5; 1Jn 2:3-6).
Paul stresses the fact throughout Ro 6 that a true believer is identified by his death to sin. There is no provision in God's redemptive plan for believers to continue in sin (CP V2, 6-7, 11-13).
Believers must never yield their members to the "it is alright, we can do it now and repent later" mentality of some professing Christians. This could easily become a pathway to hell because every time they do that it becomes easier to do, and soon becomes a way of life (CP He 6:4-6; 10:26-31; 2Pe 2:20-22).
Whoever sees in grace a pretext to sin is showing contempt for Christ (CP 2Sam 12:7-9). See comments on all Ro 6 questions, also Ro 3:9, 5:12-14, 7:4, 7:7-23, 8:1-2, 8:3-4; Ga 5:17; Jas 4:5 and 1 Jn 3:6-9 and author's studies Romans 6 - a Study on God's Empowering of Believers through Jesus Christ to Overcome Sin in his book Advanced Studies in the Christian Faith (Volume 1),
The Power of God in Christians to Overcome the Devil, The Doctrine of Grace and Regeneration and Sanctification Defined in his book Advanced Studies in the Christian Faith (Volume 2), and What being Born Again Means in his book Foundational Truths of the Christian Faith.