The New Life in Christ

1What should we say then?a Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply?b 2Absolutely not!c How can we who died to sind still live in it? 3Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptizede into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?f 4Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death,g in order that, just as Christ was raised from the deadh by the glory of the Father,i so we too may •walk in a new wayj of life.k 5For if we have been joined with Him in the likeness of His death,l we will certainly also bem in the likeness of His resurrection. 6For we know that our old selfn, o was crucified with Himp in order that sin’s dominion over the bodyq may be abolished,r so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, 7since a person who has dieds is freedt from sin’s claims.u 8Now if we died with Christ,v we believe that we will also live with Him, 9because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead,w will not die again. Death no longer rules over Him.x 10For 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. 11So, you too consider yourselves dead to siny but alive to God in Christ Jesus.z

12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obeyaa its desires. 13And do not offer any partsab of it to sinac as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead, offer yourselves to God,ad and all the partsae of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness. 14For sin will not rule over you, because you are not under lawaf but under grace.ag

From Slaves of Sin to Slaves of God

15What then? Should we sin because we are not under law but under grace?ah Absolutely not!ai 16Don’t you know that if you offer yourselves to someoneaj as obedient •slaves,ak you are slaves of that one you obeyal — either of sin leading to deatham or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17But thank God that, although you used to be slaves of sin,an you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching you were transferredao to,ap 18and having been liberated from sin,aq you became enslaved to righteousness. 19I am using a human analogyar, as because of the weakness of your flesh.at For just as you offered the partsau 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. 20For when you were slaves of sin, you were free from allegiance to righteousness.av, aw 21So what fruit was producedax then from the things you are now ashamed of?ay For the end of those things is death.az 22But now, since you have been liberated from sin and have become enslaved to God,ba you have your fruit, which results in sanctificationbb, bc — and the end is eternal life!bd 23For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.be