Yielding ourselves to God is not easy. But Jesus Christ promises that as we let our old, sinful selves die, He will give us new life, changing our natures to become more like Him. Paul taught that through the ordinance of baptism, we can receive the Savior’s transforming power to help us “walk in newness of life” ( Romans 6:4). This lesson can help you seek change through Jesus Christ and better recognize when those changes are happening.
Understanding difficult words and phrases. As students study the scriptures, they may encounter words or phrases that are unfamiliar or difficult to understand. Teach students that dictionaries, student manuals, footnotes, and scripture study helps can often help them understand challenging words and the content of the scriptures.
Student preparation: Invite students to recall details about their baptism and perhaps bring a picture if they have one. Some students or their parents may have written a journal entry when students were baptized. It may be interesting for students to read that journal entry or to talk with their parents about details of their baptism, including ones that students may have forgotten.
Possible Learning Activities
Consider sharing details and pictures of your baptism, and invite students to share as well.
What do you remember about your baptism?
How have you changed spiritually since you were baptized?
Take a moment to ponder your spiritual progression. You might ask yourself questions like “Is my faith in and relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ improving?” or “How does what I have learned about my Savior affect my attitude and actions?” As you study Romans 6, ponder whether you are becoming more like the Savior and how He can help you continue to grow and become more like Him.
Baptism by immersion symbolizes death and resurrection
Learning how to recognize and understand symbols in the scriptures is a valuable skill. Paul used the symbolism of baptism by immersion to help the Saints in Rome understand that we must give up our old, sinful life so that Jesus Christ can change us and give us new life through His Atonement.
Read Romans 6:3–8, looking for symbols that can teach you more about the Savior. It may be helpful to know that the Joseph Smith Translation of verse7 reads “For he that is dead to sin is freed from sin” (in Romans 6:7, footnote a).
According to Romans 6:3–8, what does descending into, being buried under, and coming forth out of the water in baptism represent for us?
President Russell M. Nelson taught:
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President Russell M. Nelson
Essential ordinances of the gospel symbolize the Atonement. Baptism by immersion is symbolic of the death, burial, and Resurrection of the Redeemer.
(Russell M. Nelson, “The Atonement,” Ensign, Nov. 1996, 35)
How would you summarize Romans 6:4 as a statement of truth?
The following is one way to summarize Romans 6:4: Through Jesus Christ, we can be changed and “walk in newness of life.”
What do you think it means to “walk in newness of life”? (Romans 6:4).
When have you felt that through the Savior you were able to walk in newness of life?
Why do you think that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ want us to walk in newness of life?
Consider sharing a personal experience with students. It may also be helpful to remind students not to share past sins.
As recorded in verses 5–6, Paul taught that through the covenant and ordinance of baptism, “our old man” or “body of sin” is “crucified with [Jesus Christ]” and “destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”
See the “Supplemental Learning Activities” section of this lesson for a possible teaching idea about receiving power from God through making and keeping covenants. Consider if this would be beneficial to do with students.
Take a moment to ponder the sins or weaknesses you struggle with that you want removed from your life. You will revisit these thoughts later in this lesson.
What changes can I make?
What types of changes do you think are easy to make? Which ones are difficult?
Paul used the example of the Savior’s overcoming death and sin to teach that we can also overcome our sins through Him. Read Romans 6:9–14, looking for how Paul related the death and Resurrection of Christ to how we can overcome sin.
Paul’s writings can be difficult to understand, especially when multiple verses are read in a row without pausing to analyze his message. If there are enough students, consider assigning each verse to two or three students to read, discuss, and summarize in their own words. Encourage them to use scripture study helps or look up the definitions of any difficult words or phrases. Then have the groups teach their verse to the class. The following questions might help with some of the verses.
Just as Jesus Christ “died unto sin once” (verse 10), we are baptized only once for a remission of our sins. However, each week we can renew our commitment to “walk in newness of life” (verse 4) by partaking of the sacrament. How does this weekly ordinance help you show your love for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?
What do you think Paul meant by “reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ”? (verse 11).
Why might a young person choose to follow Paul’s counsel recorded in verse 12? What blessings come from living this way?
The word members in verse 13 refers to our body parts. How can you use your hands, feet, head, and heart “as instruments of righteousness unto God”? (verse 13).
The Joseph Smith Translation of the first part of verse14 reads, “For in so doing sin shall not have dominion over you” (in Romans 6:14, footnote a). How does following the teachings recorded in verses 11–13 make the promise given in verse 14 obtainable?
Give students some time to silently ponder what sins they want to leave behind. Because of the sensitive nature of this reflection, students should not be asked to discuss their thoughts with the class.
You can be freed from sin
Read Romans 6:16–18, 22–23, looking for the blessings of walking in newness of life.
How did Paul describe the blessings of walking in newness of life?
As you continue to strive to overcome sin through Christ, what do you think newness of life in Jesus Christ will look and feel like?
What can you do to walk in newness of life starting today?
Testify of the Savior’s desire and power to change our hearts as we strive to walk in newness of life.
Commentary and Background Information
What are some ways I can change?
Sister Becky Craven, former Second Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency, taught:
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Sister Rebecca L. Craven
In return for His priceless payment for each of us, the Lord asks us for a change of heart. The change He requests from us is not for His benefit but for ours. …
After hearing the words spoken by King Benjamin, his people cried out, declaring that their hearts had changed, saying, “Because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, … we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually” [Mosiah 5:2]. The scriptures do not say that they immediately became perfect; rather, their desire to change compelled them to action. Their change of heart meant putting off the natural man or woman and yielding to the Spirit as they strove to become more like Jesus Christ.
(Becky Craven, “Keep the Change,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2020, 58)
Supplemental Learning Activities
Perspective of a newly baptized member
If there is a recent convert in your class, ward, or branch, invite them to share with the class their conversion experience and thoughts about their baptism. Be sure to obtain permission from the local priesthood leader and the area or region director or coordinator before extending the invitation.
Can I sin now, planning to repent later?
Paul taught that “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). He also testified that because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, “where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Romans 5:20). He then rhetorically asked, “Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?” (Romans 6:1). Paul answered his own question as recorded in Romans 6:2.
Invite students to discuss in small groups the problem with continuing in sin while planning to repent later. As part of this discussion, they may answer some or all of the following questions:
What does continuing in sin do to a person’s relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?
What are some ways a young person might try to justify sinning now while planning to repent later?
What are the dangers in sinning now, knowing that you plan to repent later?
How can a correct understanding of the plan of salvation or of our divine identity and purpose help us overcome the temptation to sin willfully now and repent later?
How does making and keeping covenants with God help me receive “newness of life”?
The teachings of King Benjamin in the Book of Mormon describe ways that we can recognize the “newness of life” that Paul taught about in Romans 6:4. After King Benjamin taught his people about redemption from sin and death through Jesus Christ, he asked if they believed his words.
Invite students to read Mosiah 5:2, 5–8, looking for the people’s response and what King Benjamin taught them about the blessings we receive from God through making and keeping our covenants.
What effect did the people’s faith in Christ’s redeeming sacrifice have on them?
What did King Benjamin teach about how covenants help us receive “newness of life”? (Romans 6:4).
Jesus Christ can give us new life and free us from sin
Show the video “Daily Bread: Change” (3:00), in which Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles speaks about repentance and change. Invite students to look for how we can be changed and freed from sin. This video is available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
How did Elder Christofferson say most of the changes of “walk[ing] in newness of life” (Romans 6:4) would come? (see time code 1:26 to 1:58).