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Dead to Sin, Alive to God
1 What shall we say then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may abound? 2 By no means! We died to sin—how shall we live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection; 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, so that the body of sin may be done away with, that we should no longer serve sin. 7 For he who has died has been justified from sin. 8 But if we died with Christ, we believe that we also shall live together with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, no longer dies. Death is no longer master over Him. 10 For what death He died, He died to sin once for all; but what life He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, consider yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts, 13 nor 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 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
Slaves to Righteousness
15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves to whom you obey, whether of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God, that though you used to be slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from your heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. 18 And having been freed from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness. 19 I speak in human terms on account of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to uncleanness, and to lawlessness resulting in more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness resulting in sanctification.
20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 So what fruit did you have then of which things you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now having been freed from sin, and having become enslaved to God, you have your fruit resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.