1 ¿ PUES qué diremos? Perseveraremos en pecado para que la gracia crezca?

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

2 E n ninguna manera. Porque los que somos muertos al pecado, ¿cómo viviremos aún en él?

No, not at all! We are dead to sin. How then can we keep on living in sin?

3 ¿ O no sabéis que todos los que somos bautizados en Cristo Jesús, somos bautizados en su muerte?

All of us were baptized to show we belong to Christ. We were baptized first of all to show His death.

4 P orque somos sepultados juntamente con él á muerte por el bautismo; para que como Cristo resucitó de los muertos por la gloria del Padre, así también nosotros andemos en novedad de vida.

We 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.

5 P orque si fuimos plantados juntamente en él á la semejanza de su muerte, así también lo seremos á la de su resurrección:

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

6 S abiendo esto, que nuestro viejo hombre juntamente fué crucificado con él, para que el cuerpo del pecado sea deshecho, á fin de que no sirvamos más al pecado.

We 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.

7 P orque el que es muerto, justificado es del pecado.

When a man is dead, he is free from the power of sin.

8 Y si morimos con Cristo, creemos que también viviremos con él;

And if we have died with Christ, we believe we will live with Him also.

9 S abiendo que Cristo, habiendo resucitado de entre los muertos, ya no muere: la muerte no se enseñoreará más de él.

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

10 P orque el haber muerto, al pecado murió una vez; mas el vivir, á Dios vive.

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

11 A sí también vosotros, pensad que de cierto estáis muertos al pecado, mas vivos á Dios en Cristo Jesús Señor nuestro.

You 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.

12 N o reine, pues, el pecado en vuestro cuerpo mortal, para que le obedezcáis en sus concupiscencias;

So 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.

13 N i tampoco presentéis vuestros miembros al pecado por instrumento de iniquidad; antes presentaos á Dios como vivos de los muertos, y vuestros miembros á Dios por instrumentos de justicia.

Do 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.

14 P orque el pecado no se enseñoreará de vosotros; pues no estáis bajo la ley, sino bajo la gracia.

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

15 ¿ Pues qué? ¿Pecaremos, porque no estamos bajo de la ley, sino bajo de la gracia? En ninguna manera.

What 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!

16 ¿ No sabéis que á quien os prestáis vosotros mismos por siervos para obedecer le, sois siervos de aquel á quien obedecéis, ó del pecado para muerte, ó de la obediencia para justicia?

Do 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.

17 E mpero gracias á Dios, que aunque fuistes siervos del pecado, habéis obedecido de corazón á aquella forma de doctrina á la cual sois entregados;

At 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!

18 Y libertados del pecado, sois hechos siervos de la justicia.

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

19 H umana cosa digo, por la flaqueza de vuestra carne: que como para iniquidad presentasteis vuestros miembros á servir á la inmundicia y á la iniquidad, así ahora para santidad presentéis vuestros miembros á servir á la justicia.

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.

20 P orque cuando fuisteis siervos del pecado, erais libres acerca de la justicia.

When sin had power over your life, you were not right with God.

21 ¿ Qué fruto, pues, teníais de aquellas cosas de las cuales ahora os avergonzáis? porque el fin de ellas es muerte.

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

22 M as ahora, librados del pecado, y hechos siervos á Dios, tenéis por vuestro fruto la santificación, y por fin la vida eterna.

But 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.

23 P orque la paga del pecado es muerte: mas la dádiva de Dios es vida eterna en Cristo Jesús Señor nuestro.

You 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.