1What shall we say then? Shall we keep on sinning, so that grace may increase?
2Certainly not. We died to sin. How can we live in it any longer?
3Do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4So we were buried with him by baptism into death. Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father. In the same way, we too should walk in a new life.
5For if we have been joined with him in a death like his, we shall also be joined with him in a resurrection like his.
6We know this: our old self was crucified with him, so that the body of sin might be destroyed. Then we should no longer be slaves to sin.
7For anyone who has died is set free from sin.
8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him.
9We know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death has no more power over him.
10For when he died, he died to sin once for all. But now he lives, and he lives to God.
11In the same way, count yourselves also dead to sin, but alive to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12So do not let sin rule in your body that must die. Do not obey its desires.
13Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as tools of unrighteousness. Instead offer yourselves to God, as people who are alive from the dead. Offer the parts of your body to God as tools of righteousness.
14For sin shall not rule over you. You are not under the law, but under grace.
15What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? Certainly not.
16Do you not know this? When you offer yourselves to someone as servants to obey him, you are the servants of the one you obey. Either you are servants of sin, which leads to death, or servants of obedience, which leads to righteousness.
17But thanks be to God. You used to be the servants of sin, but you have obeyed from the heart the pattern of teaching that was given to you.
18Now that you have been set free from sin, you have become the servants of righteousness.
19I am speaking in human terms, because you are weak in your human nature. Once you offered the parts of your body as servants to uncleanness and to wickedness, which led to more wickedness. Now, in the same way, offer the parts of your body as servants to righteousness, which leads to holiness.
20For when you were the servants of sin, you were free from righteousness.
21What benefit did you get then from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things end in death.
22But now you have been set free from sin and have become servants of God. The benefit you have leads to holiness, and the end is everlasting life.
23For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.