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No Longer Slaves to Sin, but God’s Servants

What should we say then? Should we continue to sin so that God’s kindness [a] will increase? That’s unthinkable! As far as sin is concerned, we have died. So how can we still live under sin’s influence?

Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? When we were baptized into his death, we were placed into the tomb with him. As Christ was brought back from death to life by the glorious power of the Father, so we, too, should live a new kind of life. If we’ve become united with him in a death like his, certainly we will also be united with him when we come back to life as he did. We know that the person we used to be was crucified with him to put an end to sin in our bodies. Because of this we are no longer slaves to sin. The person who has died has been freed from sin.

If we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, who was brought back to life, will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. 10 When he died, he died once and for all to sin’s power. But now he lives, and he lives for God. 11 So consider yourselves dead to sin’s power but living for God in the power Christ Jesus gives you.

12 Therefore, never let sin rule your physical body so that you obey its desires. 13 Never offer any part of your body to sin’s power. No part of your body should ever be used to do any ungodly thing. Instead, offer yourselves to God as people who have come back from death and are now alive. Offer all the parts of your body to God. Use them to do everything that God approves of. 14 Certainly, sin shouldn’t have power over you because you’re not controlled by God’s laws, but by God’s favor.[b]

15 Then what is the implication? Should we sin because we are not controlled by God’s laws but by God’s favor? That’s unthinkable! 16 Don’t you know that if you offer to be someone’s slave, you must obey that master? Either your master is sin, or your master is obedience. Letting sin be your master leads to death. Letting obedience be your master leads to God’s approval. 17 You were slaves to sin. But I thank God that you have become wholeheartedly obedient to the teachings which you were given. 18 Freed from sin, you were made slaves who do what God approves of.

19 I’m speaking in a human way because of the weakness of your corrupt nature. Clearly, you once offered all the parts of your body as slaves to sexual perversion and disobedience. This led you to live disobedient lives. Now, in the same way, offer all the parts of your body as slaves that do what God approves of. This leads you to live holy lives. 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from doing what God approves of.

21 What did you gain by doing those things? You’re ashamed of what you used to do because it ended in death. 22 Now you have been freed from sin and have become God’s slaves. This results in a holy life and, finally, in everlasting life. 23 The payment for sin is death, but the gift that God freely gives is everlasting life found in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Footnotes

  1. 6:1 Or “grace.”
  2. 6:14 Or “grace.”

Dead to Sin, Alive to God

What shall we say then? (A)Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can (B)we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us (C)who have been baptized (D)into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were (E)buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as (F)Christ was raised from the dead by (G)the glory of the Father, we too might walk in (H)newness of life.

For (I)if we have been united with him in (J)a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that (K)our old self[a] (L)was crucified with him in order that (M)the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For (N)one who has died (O)has been set free[b] from sin. Now (P)if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that (Q)Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; (R)death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, (S)once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves (T)dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

12 Let not (U)sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 (V)Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but (W)present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For (X)sin (Y)will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

Slaves to Righteousness

15 What then? (Z)Are we to sin (AA)because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves (AB)to anyone as obedient slaves,[c] you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But (AC)thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the (AD)standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, (AE)having been set free from sin, (AF)have become slaves of righteousness. 19 (AG)I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For (AH)just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members (AI)as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.

20 (AJ)For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 (AK)But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things (AL)of which you are now ashamed? (AM)For the end of those things is death. 22 But now that you (AN)have been set free from sin and (AO)have become slaves of God, (AP)the fruit you get leads to sanctification and (AQ)its end, eternal life. 23 (AR)For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Romans 6:6 Greek man
  2. Romans 6:7 Greek has been justified
  3. Romans 6:16 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface; twice in this verse; also verses 17, 19 (twice), 20

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

For he that is dead is freed from sin.

Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.

21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Muertos al pecado

¿Qué, pues, diremos? ¿Perseveraremos en el pecado para que la gracia abunde? En ninguna manera. Porque los que hemos muerto al pecado, ¿cómo viviremos aún en él? ¿O no sabéis que todos los que hemos sido bautizados en Cristo Jesús, hemos sido bautizados en su muerte? Porque somos sepultados juntamente con él para muerte por el bautismo, a fin de que como Cristo resucitó de los muertos por la gloria del Padre, así también nosotros andemos en vida nueva.(A)

Porque si fuimos plantados juntamente con él en la semejanza de su muerte, así también lo seremos en la de su resurrección; sabiendo esto, que nuestro viejo hombre fue crucificado juntamente con él, para que el cuerpo del pecado sea destruido, a fin de que no sirvamos más al pecado. Porque el que ha muerto, ha sido justificado del pecado. Y si morimos con Cristo, creemos que también viviremos con él; sabiendo que Cristo, habiendo resucitado de los muertos, ya no muere; la muerte no se enseñorea más de él. 10 Porque en cuanto murió, al pecado murió una vez por todas; mas en cuanto vive, para Dios vive. 11 Así también vosotros consideraos muertos al pecado, pero vivos para Dios en Cristo Jesús, Señor nuestro.

12 No reine, pues, el pecado en vuestro cuerpo mortal, de modo que lo obedezcáis en sus concupiscencias; 13 ni tampoco presentéis vuestros miembros al pecado como instrumentos de iniquidad, sino presentaos vosotros mismos a Dios como vivos de entre los muertos, y vuestros miembros a Dios como instrumentos de justicia. 14 Porque el pecado no se enseñoreará de vosotros; pues no estáis bajo la ley, sino bajo la gracia.

Siervos de la justicia

15 ¿Qué, pues? ¿Pecaremos, porque no estamos bajo la ley, sino bajo la gracia? En ninguna manera. 16 ¿No sabéis que si os sometéis a alguien como esclavos para obedecerle, sois esclavos de aquel a quien obedecéis, sea del pecado para muerte, o sea de la obediencia para justicia? 17 Pero gracias a Dios, que aunque erais esclavos del pecado, habéis obedecido de corazón a aquella forma de doctrina a la cual fuisteis entregados; 18 y libertados del pecado, vinisteis a ser siervos de la justicia. 19 Hablo como humano, por vuestra humana debilidad; que así como para iniquidad presentasteis vuestros miembros para servir a la inmundicia y a la iniquidad, así ahora para santificación presentad vuestros miembros para servir a la justicia.

20 Porque cuando erais esclavos del pecado, erais libres acerca de la justicia. 21 ¿Pero qué fruto teníais de aquellas cosas de las cuales ahora os avergonzáis? Porque el fin de ellas es muerte. 22 Mas ahora que habéis sido libertados del pecado y hechos siervos de Dios, tenéis por vuestro fruto la santificación, y como fin, la vida eterna. 23 Porque la paga del pecado es muerte, mas la dádiva de Dios es vida eterna en Cristo Jesús Señor nuestro.

Что же скажем? оставаться ли нам в грехе, чтобы умножилась благодать? Никак.

Мы умерли для греха: как же нам жить в нем?

Неужели не знаете, что все мы, крестившиеся во Христа Иисуса, в смерть Его крестились?

Итак мы погреблись с Ним крещением в смерть, дабы, как Христос воскрес из мертвых славою Отца, так и нам ходить в обновленной жизни.

Ибо если мы соединены с Ним подобием смерти Его, то должны быть [соединены] и [подобием] воскресения,

зная то, что ветхий наш человек распят с Ним, чтобы упразднено было тело греховное, дабы нам не быть уже рабами греху;

ибо умерший освободился от греха.

Если же мы умерли со Христом, то веруем, что и жить будем с Ним,

зная, что Христос, воскреснув из мертвых, уже не умирает: смерть уже не имеет над Ним власти.

10 Ибо, что Он умер, то умер однажды для греха; а что живет, то живет для Бога.

11 Так и вы почитайте себя мертвыми для греха, живыми же для Бога во Христе Иисусе, Господе нашем.

12 Итак да не царствует грех в смертном вашем теле, чтобы вам повиноваться ему в похотях его;

13 и не предавайте членов ваших греху в орудия неправды, но представьте себя Богу, как оживших из мертвых, и члены ваши Богу в орудия праведности.

14 Грех не должен над вами господствовать, ибо вы не под законом, но под благодатью.

15 Что же? станем ли грешить, потому что мы не под законом, а под благодатью? Никак.

16 Неужели вы не знаете, что, кому вы отдаете себя в рабы для послушания, того вы и рабы, кому повинуетесь, или [рабы] греха к смерти, или послушания к праведности?

17 Благодарение Богу, что вы, быв прежде рабами греха, от сердца стали послушны тому образу учения, которому предали себя.

18 Освободившись же от греха, вы стали рабами праведности.

19 Говорю по [рассуждению] человеческому, ради немощи плоти вашей. Как предавали вы члены ваши в рабы нечистоте и беззаконию на [дела] беззаконные, так ныне представьте члены ваши в рабы праведности на [дела] святые.

20 Ибо, когда вы были рабами греха, тогда были свободны от праведности.

21 Какой же плод вы имели тогда? [Такие дела], каких ныне сами стыдитесь, потому что конец их--смерть.

22 Но ныне, когда вы освободились от греха и стали рабами Богу, плод ваш есть святость, а конец--жизнь вечная.

23 Ибо возмездие за грех--смерть, а дар Божий--жизнь вечная во Христе Иисусе, Господе нашем.