Should we continue to live in sin
so that God's grace will increase?
Certainly not! We have died to sin—
how then can we go on living in it?
For when a person dies,
he is set free from the power of sin.
Since we have died with Christ,
we believe that we will also live with him.
For we know that Christ has been raised
from death and will never die again
death will no longer rule over him.
And so, because he died,
sin has no power over him;
and now he lives his life in fellowship with God.
In the same way you are to think of yourselves
as dead, so far as sin is concerned,
but living in fellowship
with God through Christ Jesus.
Sin must no longer rule in your mortal bodies,
so that you obey the desires of your natural self.
Nor must you surrender any part of yourselves
to sin to be used for wicked purposes.
Instead, give yourselves to God,
as those who have been brought from death to life,
and surrender your whole being to him
to be used for righteous purposes.
Sin must not be your master;
for you do not live under law but under God's grace.
What, then? Shall we sin,
because we are not under law
but under God's grace? By no means!
Now you have been set free from
sin and are the slaves of God.
Your gain is a life fully dedicated to him,
and the result is eternal life.
For sin pays its wage—death;
but God's free gift is eternal life
in union with Christ Jesus our Lord.
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