The New Life in Christ

6 What should we say then? e Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? f 2 Absolutely not! g How can we who died to sin h still live in it? 3 Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized i into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? j 4 Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death, k in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead l by the glory of the Father, m so we too may * walk in a new way n of life. o 5 For if we have been joined with Him in the likeness of His death, p we will certainly also be q in the likeness of His resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self r s was crucified with Him t in order that sin’s dominion over the body u may be abolished, v so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, 7 since a person who has died w is freed x from sin’s claims. y 8 Now if we died with Christ, z we believe that we will also live with Him, 9 because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, a will not die again. Death no longer rules over Him. b 10 For in light of the fact that He died, He died to sin once for all; but in light of the fact that He lives, He lives to God. 11 So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin c but alive to God in Christ Jesus. d

12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey e its desires. 13 And do not offer any parts f of it to sin g as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead, offer yourselves to God, h and all the parts i of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness. 14 For sin will not rule over you, because you are not under law j but under grace. k

From Slaves of Sin to Slaves of God

15 What then? Should we sin because we are not under law but under grace? l Absolutely not! m 16 Don’t you know that if you offer yourselves to someone n as obedient * slaves, o you are slaves of that one you obey p—either of sin leading to death q or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But thank God that, although you used to be slaves of sin, r you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching you were transferred s to, t 18 and having been liberated from sin, u you became enslaved to righteousness. 19 I am using a human analogy v w because of the weakness of your flesh. x For just as you offered the parts y of yourselves as slaves to moral impurity, and to greater and greater lawlessness, so now offer them as slaves to righteousness, which results in * sanctification. 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free from allegiance to righteousness. z a 21 So what fruit was produced b then from the things you are now ashamed of? c For the end of those things is death. d 22 But now, since you have been liberated from sin and have become enslaved to God, e you have your fruit, which results in sanctification f g—and the end is eternal life! h 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. i