Romans 6:5 (ASV)

Passage

For if we have become united with [him] in the likeness of his death, we shall be also [in the likeness] of his resurrection;

Nearby Context

Romans 6:3 Or are ye ignorant that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

Romans 6:4 We were buried therefore with him through baptism unto death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.

Romans 6:5 For if we have become united with [him] in the likeness of his death, we shall be also [in the likeness] of his resurrection;

Romans 6:6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with [him], that the body of sin might be done away, that so we should no longer be in bondage to sin;

Romans 6:7 for he that hath died is justified from sin.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "become", "united", "likeness", "death", "shall", and "resurrection". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "become" and "united", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "We were buried therefore with him through..." into verse 6's "knowing this that our old man was...", so "become" and "united" belong inside that flow. In Romans context, the local focus is righteousness by faith, union with Christ, life in the Spirit, and God's covenant faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "become" and "united" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.