Here is what our freedom looks like, we were one thing, now we are something else. The example Paul is pressing is formed from marriage, those vows last till death... you are bound as long as your spouse lives, you are not free to be bound to another. But if they have passed out of this life, then you are free to be bound to another; you are no longer required to do what makes them happy, you are no longer required to consider what they want or follow their wishes. If your spouse lives, you are bound. You are united to them, and what they want has power in your life. The argument Paul is making is this; your relationship to sin has been severed by YOUR death. It is no longer bound to you, nor you to it. All of your previous efforts to remodel, or reform your life were just imaginary separations, they failed because you were still truly bound. Prior to being included in Christ's death you were not free to be joined to righteousness in any fashion, you were still one with your sin. But since you have been united with Christ in His death, since you have been buried, been raised up made new in Christ... the old you ceases to be, and the ties that bound you to sin and death are broken, severed, removed. All that still holds you there is the muscle memory of your old self. Further, and more glorious still, the idea that in this new raised spirit, we have been "married" to Christ where before we were "married" to sin AND since you have died once and been raised in Christ, you cannot die again!! The powerful hold that Christ has for us is not to be broken, not to be overturned, not to be undone... if you are in Christ, you are in Christ FOREVER!! And still more, this new union will bear fruit according to righteousness, it WILL change who you are because you are already NOT who you were. And this union to Christ will continue to empower and equip you for what He has created you to be!!!