Dead to Sin but Alive in Christ

6 ¹So do you think that we should continue sinning so that God will give us more and more grace (kindness)? ²No! We died to (quit living) our old sinful lives. So how can we continue living with sin? ³Did you forget that all of us became part of Christ Jesus when we were baptized*? We shared his death in our baptism.* ⁴So when we were baptized, we were buried with Christ and shared his death. We were buried with Christ so that we could [be raised up and] live a new life. This happened the same as Christ was raised from death by the wonderful power of the Father. ⁵Christ died, and we have been joined with Christ by dying too. So we will also be joined with him by rising from death like Christ rose from death. ⁶We know that our old life died with Christ on the cross. This happened so that our sinful selves would have no power over us. And then we would not be slaves to sin. ⁷Any person that has died is made free from sin's control (power). ⁸If we died with Christ, we know that we will also live with him. ⁹Christ was raised from death. And we know that he cannot die again. Death has no power over him now. ¹⁰Yes, when Christ died, he died to [defeat the power of] sin one time--enough for all time. He now has a new life, and his new life is with God. ¹¹In the same way, you should see yourselves as being dead to the power of sin. And see yourselves as being alive for God through Christ Jesus. ¹²But don't let sin control you in your life here on earth. You must not be ruled by the things your sinful self makes you want to do. ¹³Don't offer the parts of your body to serve sin. Don't use your bodies as things to do evil with. But you should offer yourselves to God. Be like people that have died and now live. Offer the parts of your body to God to be used for doing good. ¹⁴Sin will not be your master. Why? Because you are not under law. You now live under God's grace (kindness).

Slaves of Righteousness

¹⁵So what should we do? Should we sin because we are under grace (kindness) and not under law? No! ¹⁶Surely you know that when you give yourselves like slaves to obey someone, then you are really slaves of that person. The person you obey is your master. You can follow sin, or obey God. Sin brings spiritual death. But obeying God makes you right with him. ¹⁷In the past you were slaves to sin--sin controlled you. But thank God, you fully obeyed the things that were taught to you. ¹⁸You were made free from sin. And now you are slaves to goodness (right living). ¹⁹I explain this by using an example that people know. I explain it this way because it is hard for you to understand. In the past you offered the parts of your body to be slaves to sin and evil. You lived only for evil. In the same way now you must give yourselves to be slaves of goodness. Then you will live only for God. ²⁰In the past you were slaves to sin, and goodness (right living) did not control you. ²¹You did evil things. Now you are ashamed of those things. Did those things help you? No. Those things only bring [spiritual] death. ²²But now you are free from sin. You are now slaves of God. And this brings you a life that is only for God. And from that you will get life forever. ²³When people sin, they earn what sin pays--death. But God gives his people a free gift--life forever in Christ Jesus our Lord.

baptized, baptism Greek words meaning to be immersed, dipped, or buried briefly under water.