Dead to Sin, Alive to God
(2 Corinthians 4:7–18)

1What, then, shall we say? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2It can not be. How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer in it? 3Know you not that as many of us as were immersed into Christ Jesus, were immersed into his death? 4Therefore, we are buried with him, by immersion, into death, that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so also we should walk in a new life. 5For if we have become united to him by the likeness of his death, we shall certainly be united to him by the likeness of his resurrection; 6knowing this, that our former man has been crucified with him, in order that the sinful body may be deprived of its power, so that we should no longer serve sin: 7for he that is dead is freed from sin.

8Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him; 9because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more; death has dominion over him no longer; 10for, as it regards his dying, he, once for all, died to sin; but as it regards his living, he lives to God. 11So also do you count yourselves as dead indeed to sin, but as living to God, in Christ Jesus our Lord.

12Therefore, let not sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey it; 13and present not your members to sin, as instruments of unrighteousness: but present yourselves to God, as alive from the dead; and your members to God, as instruments of righteousness. 14For sin shall not have dominion over you; for you are not under law, but under grace.

The Wages of Sin

15What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under law, but under grace? It can not be. 16Know you not, that to whom you present yourselves as servants to obey, his servants you are whom you obey, whether of sin that leads to death, or of obedience that leads to righteousness? 17But thanks be to God, that though you were the servants of sin, yet you have obeyed from the heart the form of teaching, in which you have been instructed; 18and being made free from sin, you have be come the servants of righteousness. 19I speak of what is common among men, oil account of the weakness of your flesh: for as you have presented your members as servants to uncleanness, and to lawlessness, in order to lawlessness, so now present your members as servants to righteousness, in order to holiness.

20For when you were the servants of sin, you were free with respect to righteousness. 21What fruit, therefore, had you at that time, in those things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22But now, since you have been made free from sin, and have become servants to God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal "life in Christ Jesus our Lord.