Dual Panel1Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more kindness and forgiveness?
2Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?
3Or have you forgotten that when we became Christians and were baptized to become one with Christ Jesus, we died with him?
4For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.
5Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised as he was.
6Our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin.
7For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.
8And since we died with Christ, we know we will also share his new life.
9We are sure of this because Christ rose from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him.
10He died once to defeat sin, and now he lives for the glory of God.
11So you should consider yourselves dead to sin and able to live for the glory of God through Christ Jesus.
12Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to its lustful desires.
13Do not let any part of your body become a tool of wickedness, to be used for sinning. Instead, give yourselves completely to God since you have been given new life. And use your whole body as a tool to do what is right for the glory of God.
14Sin is no longer your master, for you are no longer subject to the law, which enslaves you to sin. Instead, you are free by God’s grace.
15So since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does this mean we can go on sinning? Of course not!
16Don’t you realize that whatever you choose to obey becomes your master? You can choose sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God and receive his approval.
17Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you have obeyed with all your heart the new teaching God has given you.
18Now you are free from sin, your old master, and you have become slaves to your new master, righteousness.
19I speak this way, using the illustration of slaves and masters, because it is easy to understand. Before, you let yourselves be slaves of impurity and lawlessness. Now you must choose to be slaves of righteousness so that you will become holy.
20In those days, when you were slaves of sin, you weren’t concerned with doing what was right.
21And what was the result? It was not good, since now you are ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom.
22But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life.
23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.