²⁵ “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’^(A) Hear, you Israelites: Is my way unjust?^(B) Is it not your ways that are unjust? ²⁶ If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin, they will die for it; because of the sin they have committed they will die.

¹² Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed^(A) in his name,^(B) he gave the right to become children of God^(C)— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.^(D)

⁶ Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit^[a] gives birth to spirit.^(A)

³¹ God exalted him to his own right hand^(A) as Prince and Savior^(B) that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins.^(C)

⁶ You see, at just the right time,^(A) when we were still powerless,^(B) Christ died for the ungodly.^{(C) 7} Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.^(D)

¹⁸ Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people,^(A) so also one righteous act resulted in justification^(B) and life^(C) for all people.

Slaves to Righteousness

¹⁵ What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace?^(A) By no means! ¹⁶ Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey^(B)—whether you are slaves to sin,^(C) which leads to death,^(D) or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?

²³ For the wages of sin is death,^(A) but the gift of God is eternal life^(B) in^[a] Christ Jesus our Lord.

⁶ But the righteousness that is by faith^(A) says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’”^[a](B) (that is, to bring Christ down) ⁷ “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’”^[b](C) (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).^{(D) 8} But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,”^[c](E) that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: