Romans 6

1 What then shall we say? Are we to remain in sin, so that favor may increase? 2 May it never be! We who died to sin — how shall we still live in it? [a] 3 Or are you unaware that all of us who were immersed into Christ Jesus were immersed into his death? [b] 4 So we were buried together with him through the immersion into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

5 For if we have grown together with the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be of the resurrection; [c] 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified together with him, so that the body of sin might be done away with, so that we should no longer serve sin — [d] † 7 for the one who has died has been set right from sin. [f]

8 And if we died with Christ, we trust that we will also live with him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more; death is no longer lord over him. 10 For the death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. [g] 11 So you too: count yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

12 So do not let sin reign in your mortal body, to obey its desires, 13 and do not keep presenting your limbs to sin as weapons of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as alive from the dead, and your limbs to God as weapons of righteousness. [h] 14 For sin will not be lord over you, since you are not under law but under favor.

15 What then? Are we to sin, because we are not under law but under favor? May it never be! 16 Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one you obey — whether of sin, to death, or of obedience, to righteousness? [i] 17 But thanks be to God that you were slaves of sin, but you obeyed from the heart the pattern of teaching you were handed over to; [j] 18 and having been set free from sin, you were enslaved to righteousness.

19 I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your limbs as slaves to uncleanness and to lawlessness, leading to lawlessness, so now present your limbs as slaves to righteousness, leading to holiness. [k] 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free with regard to righteousness.

21 So what fruit did you have then, in the things you are now ashamed of? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now, having been set free from sin and enslaved to God, you have your fruit, leading to holiness, and the end everlasting life. 23 For the pay of sin is death, but God’s gift of favor is everlasting life in Christ Jesus our Lord. [l]