Romans 6–7

6What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? ²God forbid. We who died to sin, how shall we any longer live therein? ³Or are ye ignorant that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴We were buried therefore with him through baptism into 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. ⁵For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection; ⁶knowing 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; ⁷for he that hath died is justified from sin. ⁸But if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him; ⁹knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death no more hath dominion over him. ¹⁰For the death that he died, he died unto sin once: but the life that he liveth, he liveth unto God. ¹¹Even so reckon ye also yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus.

¹²Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey the lusts thereof: ¹³neither present your members unto sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves unto God, as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. ¹⁴For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under law, but under grace.

¹⁵What then? shall we sin, because we are not under law, but under grace? God forbid. ¹⁶Know ye not, that to whom ye present yourselves as servants unto obedience, his servants ye are whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? ¹⁷But thanks be to God, that, whereas ye were servants of sin, ye became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching whereunto ye were delivered; ¹⁸and being made free from sin, ye became servants of righteousness. ¹⁹I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye presented your members as servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity, even so now present your members as servants to righteousness unto sanctification. ²⁰For when ye were servants of sin, ye were free in regard of righteousness. ²¹What fruit then had ye at that time in the things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. ²²But now being made free from sin and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end eternal life. ²³For the wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

7Or are ye ignorant, brethren (for I speak to men who know the law), that the law hath dominion over a man for so long time as he liveth? ²For the woman that hath a husband is bound by law to the husband while he liveth; but if the husband die, she is discharged from the law of the husband. ³So then if, while the husband liveth, she be joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if the husband die, she is free from the law, so that she is no adulteress, though she be joined to another man. ⁴Wherefore, my brethren, ye also were made dead to the law through the body of Christ; that ye should be joined to another, even to him who was raised from the dead, that we might bring forth fruit unto God. ⁵For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were through the law, wrought in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. ⁶But now we have been discharged from the law, having died to that wherein we were held; so that we serve in newness of the spirit, and not in oldness of the letter.

⁷What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Howbeit, I had not known sin, except through the law: for I had not known coveting, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet: ⁸but sin, finding occasion, wrought in me through the commandment all manner of coveting: for apart from the law sin is dead. ⁹And I was alive apart from the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died; ¹⁰and the commandment, which was unto life, this I found to be unto death: ¹¹for sin, finding occasion, through the commandment beguiled me, and through it slew me. ¹²So that the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and righteous, and good. ¹³Did then that which is good become death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might be shown to be sin, by working death to me through that which is good;—that through the commandment sin might become exceeding sinful. ¹⁴For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. ¹⁵For that which I do I know not: for not what I would, that do I practise; but what I hate, that I do. ¹⁶But if what I would not, that I do, I consent unto the law that it is good. ¹⁷So now it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwelleth in me. ¹⁸For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me, but to do that which is good is not. ¹⁹For the good which I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I practise. ²⁰But if what I would not, that I do, it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwelleth in me. ²¹I find then the law, that, to me who would do good, evil is present. ²²For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: ²³but I see a different law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity under the law of sin which is in my members. ²⁴Wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me out of the body of this death? ²⁵I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then I of myself with the mind, indeed, serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.