³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, ^(A)whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.

¹⁶ Do you not know that ^(A)to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?

¹⁹ While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of ^[a]corruption; ^(A)for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into ^[b]bondage.

^8 (A)He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, ^(B)that He might destroy the works of the devil. ⁹ Whoever has been ^(C)born of God does not sin, for ^(D)His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

The Imperative of Love^(E)

¹⁰ In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.

^12 (A)Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.

⁶ knowing this, that ^(A)our old man was crucified with Him, that ^(B)the body of sin might be ^[a]done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

³ For ^(A)we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.

¹⁹ I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness ^[a]for holiness.

²⁰ For when you were ^(A)slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

^2 (A)in which you once walked according to the ^[a]course of this world, according to ^(B)the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in ^(C)the sons of disobedience,