Q091_060426 Rom. 6:1 Do You Plan To Continue Living In The Kingdom Of Sin And Death, Or The Kingdom Of Righteousness And Life?Q091_060426 Rom. 6:1 Do You Plan To Continue Living In The Kingdom Of Sin And Death, Or The Kingdom Of Righteousness And Life?
How it Happens with Colin Cook
Colin Cook reflects on Romans 6 to contrast living in a "kingdom of sin and death" with moving into Christ’s "kingdom of righteousness and life." Aimed at people struggling with addiction, the episode focuses on shifting identity from condemned sinner to beloved child of God through faith in Christ.
14:46•4 Jun 2026
Kingdom of Sin or Kingdom of Life? Colin Cook on Romans 6 and Addiction
Episode Overview
- Colin explains that Paul’s phrase "we died to sin" refers to what happened in Christ, not to a claim that believers never sin again.
- He highlights the difference between "continuing to sin" as habits and "continuing in sin" as remaining in a whole kingdom or way of life.
- Romans 5 and 6 are used to contrast Adam’s kingdom of "sin and death" with Christ’s kingdom of "righteousness and life."
- Colin emphasises that faith means seeing yourself no longer under condemnation, but as a child of God living under daily grace.
- Even when someone falls back into addiction or sin, they are encouraged to return to God for mercy rather than define themselves by failure.
“Lord God, I'm not in that kingdom anymore. It doesn't have any power over me. I'm not going to define myself as a sinner anymore, but as a child of God.”
What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol, drugs, or other compulsions – and what does faith have to do with it?
This episode of *How it Happens with Colin Cook* tackles that question by looking at Romans 6 and asking whether you’re living in what he calls "the kingdom of sin and death" or "the kingdom of righteousness and life." Speaking to people wrestling with addictions of all kinds, Colin takes a calm, Bible-based approach rather than a quick-fix mindset.
He jokes about the Christian who says, "I stopped being proud five years ago," to show how unrealistic it is to pretend we "don’t sin anymore". Instead, he walks through Paul’s phrase "we died to sin" and why many Christians find it confusing or impossible. The heart of the episode is a shift in identity. Colin stresses that Paul isn’t talking about a psychological trick or a feeling that happens inside us, but about something that "took place ...
in Christ". Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, he says there’s a real change of kingdom: "We live in a kingdom of sin and death.
But the gospel has revealed to us that we don’t have to stay there." By faith, a person can see themselves as part of Christ’s kingdom, "where there is no constant condemnation and guilt" and "where there is love and grace coming to you every day." For anyone battling addiction who feels stuck in endless failure, Colin’s message is that you’re not trapped in that old kingdom. As he puts it, "Lord God, I'm not in that kingdom anymore.
It doesn't have any power over me. I'm not going to define myself as a sinner anymore, but as a child of God." If you’re tired of feeling condemned and curious about a different way to see yourself, this gentle theological deep-dive might give you something to think about today.
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