Romans 6:12–23

¹²Therefore do not let sin reign^r in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. ¹³Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness,^s but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.^{t 14}For sin shall no longer be your master,^u because you are not under the law,^v but under grace.^w

Slaves to Righteousness

¹⁵What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace?^x By no means! ¹⁶Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey^y—whether you are slaves to sin,^z which leads to death,^a or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? ¹⁷But thanks be to God^b that, though you used to be slaves to sin,^c you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching^d that has now claimed your allegiance. ¹⁸You have been set free from sin^e and have become slaves to righteousness.^f

¹⁹I am using an example from everyday life^g because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness^h leading to holiness. ²⁰When you were slaves to sin,ⁱ you were free from the control of righteousness.^{j 21}What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!^{k 22}But now that you have been set free from sin^l and have become slaves of God,^m the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.^{n 23}For the wages of sin is death,^o but the gift of God is eternal life^p in^b Christ Jesus our Lord.