1 W hat does this mean? Are we to keep on sinning so that God will give us more of His loving-favor?

¶ What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?

2 N o, not at all! We are dead to sin. How then can we keep on living in sin?

No, in no wise. How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein?

3 A ll of us were baptized to show we belong to Christ. We were baptized first of all to show His death.

Know ye not that all of us that are baptized into Jesus the Christ are baptized into his death?

4 W e were buried in baptism as Christ was buried in death. As Christ was raised from the dead by the great power of God, so we will have new life also.

For we are buried with him by baptism into death, that just as the Christ was raised up from the dead to the glory of the Father, likewise we also walk in newness of life.

5 I f we have become one with Christ in His death, we will be one with Him in being raised from the dead to new life.

For if we have been planted together in him in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection,

6 W e know that our old life, our old sinful self, was nailed to the cross with Christ. And so the power of sin that held us was destroyed. Sin is no longer our boss.

knowing this: that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that we should not serve sin any longer.

7 W hen a man is dead, he is free from the power of sin.

For he that is dead is justified from sin.

8 A nd if we have died with Christ, we believe we will live with Him also.

Now if we die with the Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him,

9 W e know that Christ was raised from the dead. He will never die again. Death has no more power over Him.

knowing that the Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more; death has no more dominion over him.

10 H e died once but now lives. He died to break the power of sin, and the life He now lives is for God.

For he that is dead died unto sin once, and he that lives, lives unto God.

11 Y ou must do the same thing! Think of yourselves as dead to the power of sin. But now you have new life because of Jesus Christ our Lord. You are living this new life for God.

Likewise also reckon yourselves to be truly dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.

12 S o do not let sin have power over your body here on earth. You must not obey the body and let it do what it wants to do.

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

13 D o not give any part of your body for sinful use. Instead, give yourself to God as a living person who has been raised from the dead. Give every part of your body to God to do what is right.

Neither present your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but present yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

14 S in must not have power over you. You are not living by the Law. You have life because of God’s loving-favor.

So that sin shall have no dominion over you; for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

15 W hat are we to do then? Are we to sin because we have God’s loving-favor and are not living by the Law? No, not at all!

What then? shall we sin because we are not under the law, but under grace? No, in no wise.

16 D o you not know that when you give yourself as a servant to be owned by someone, that one becomes your owner? If you give yourself to sin, the end is death. If you give yourself to God, the end is being right with Him.

Or know ye not that to whom ye present yourselves slaves to obey, his slaves ye are to whom ye obey, whether of sin unto death or of the obedience unto righteousness?

17 A t one time you were held by the power of sin. But now you obey with all your heart the teaching that was given to you. Thank God for this!

Thank God that, although ye were the slaves of sin, ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine unto which ye are delivered;

18 Y ou were made free from the power of sin. Being right with God has power over you now.

and freed from sin, ye are become the slaves of righteousness.

19 I speak with words easy to understand because your human thinking is weak. At one time you gave yourselves over to the power of sin. You kept on sinning all the more. Now give yourselves over to being right with God. Set yourself apart for God-like living and to do His work.

I speak a human thing because of the weakness of our flesh: that as ye presented your members to serve uncleanness and iniquity unto iniquity, likewise now present your members to serve righteousness unto holiness.

20 W hen sin had power over your life, you were not right with God.

For being previously the slaves of sin, now ye have been made the slaves of righteousness.

21 W hat good did you get from the things you are ashamed of now? Those things bring death.

What fruit had ye then in those things of which ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

22 B ut now you are free from the power of sin. You have become a servant for God. Your life is set apart for God-like living. The end is life that lasts forever.

But now freed from sin and made slaves to God, ye have as your fruit sanctification and as the end, everlasting life.

23 Y ou get what is coming to you when you sin. It is death! But God’s free gift is life that lasts forever. It is given to us by our Lord Jesus Christ.

For the wages of sin is death, but the grace of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.