The New Life in Christ

1What should we say then?a Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply?b 2Absolutely not!a How can we who died to sinb still live in it? 3Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptizeda into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?b 4Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death,a in order that, just as Christ was raised from the deadb by the glory of the Father,c so we too may walk in newnessA of life.d 5For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death,a we will certainly also beA in the likeness of his resurrection. 6For we know that our old selfa a was crucified with himb so that the body ruled by sinB might be rendered powerlessc so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, 7since a person who has dieda is freedA from sin. 8Now if we died with Christ,a we believe that we will also live with him, 9because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead,a will not die again. Death no longer rules over him.b 10For the death he died, he died to sin once for all time; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11So, you too consider yourselves dead to sina and alive to God in Christ Jesus.A

12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obeyA its desires. 13And do not offer any partsA of it to sina as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead, offer yourselves to God,b and all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness. 14For sin will not rule over you, because you are not under the lawa but under grace.b

From Slaves of Sin to Slaves of God

15What then? Should we sin because we are not under the law but under grace?a Absolutely not!b 16Don’t you know that if you offer yourselves to someoneA as obedient slaves,a you are slaves of that one you obeyb — either of sin leading to deathc or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17But thank God that, although you used to be slaves of sin,a you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching to which you were handedA over,b 18and having been set free from sin,a you became enslaved to righteousness. 19I am using a human analogya because of the weakness of your flesh.A For just as you offered the parts of yourselves as slaves to impurity, and to greater and greater lawlessness, so now offer them as slaves to righteousness, which results in sanctification. 20For when you were slaves of sin, you were free with regard to righteousness.a a 21So what fruit was producedA then from the things you are now ashamed of?a The outcome of those things is death.b 22But now, since you have been set free from sin and have become enslaved to God,a you have your fruit, which results in sanctificationb — and the outcome is eternal life!c 23For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.a