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?

Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

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

Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were 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.

Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should 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 united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be 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 was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

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

For he who has died has been freed from sin.

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

Now if we died with 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 Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has 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 the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to 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 you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to 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 you should obey it in its lusts.

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.

And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to 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.

For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. From Slaves of Sin to Slaves of God

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 law but under grace? Certainly not!

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.

Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to 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!

But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.

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

And having been set free from sin, you became 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 in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.

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

For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

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

What fruit did you have then in the things of which you 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 having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and 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 gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.