Chapter 5

Faith, Hope, and Love.^{[a] 1} Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace^[b] with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,^{(A) 2} through whom we have gained access [by faith] to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in hope of the glory of God.^{(B) 3} Not only that, but we even boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, ⁴ and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope,^{(C) 5} and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us.^{(D) 6} For Christ, while we were still helpless, yet died at the appointed time for the ungodly. ⁷ Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die.^{[c] 8} But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.^{(E) 9} How much more then, since we are now justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath.^{(F) 10} Indeed, if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, once reconciled, will we be saved by his life.^{(G) 11} Not only that, but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Humanity’s Sin Through Adam. ^12 [d]Therefore, just as through one person sin entered the world,^(H) and through sin, death, and thus death came to all, inasmuch as all sinned^[e]— ¹³ for up to the time of the law, sin was in the world, though sin is not accounted when there is no law.^{(I) 14} But death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin after the pattern of the trespass of Adam, who is the type of the one who was to come.^(J)

Grace and Life Through Christ. ¹⁵ But the gift is not like the transgression. For if by that one person’s transgression the many died, how much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one person Jesus Christ overflow for the many. ¹⁶ And the gift is not like the result of the one person’s sinning. For after one sin there was the judgment that brought condemnation; but the gift, after many transgressions, brought acquittal. ¹⁷ For if, by the transgression of one person, death came to reign through that one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of justification come to reign in life through the one person Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ In conclusion, just as through one transgression condemnation came upon all, so through one righteous act acquittal and life came to all.^{(K) 19} For just as through the disobedience of one person the many were made sinners, so through the obedience of one the many will be made righteous.^{(L) 20} The law entered in^[f] so that transgression might increase but, where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more,^{(M) 21} so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through justification for eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.^(N)

IV. Justification and the Christian Life

Chapter 6

Freedom from Sin; Life in God. ^1 [a]What then shall we say? Shall we persist in sin that grace may abound? Of course not!^{(A) 2} How can we who died to sin yet live in it?^{(B) 3} Or are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?^{(C) 4} We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life.^(D)

⁵ For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in the resurrection.^{(E) 6} We know that our old self was crucified with him, so that our sinful body might be done away with, that we might no longer be in slavery to sin.^{(F) 7} For a dead person has been absolved from sin. ⁸ If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him.^{(G) 9} We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him.^{(H) 10} As to his death, he died to sin once and for all; as to his life, he lives for God.^{(I) 11} Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as [being] dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus.^(J)

^12 [b]Therefore, sin must not reign over your mortal bodies so that you obey their desires.^{(K) 13} And do not present the parts of your bodies to sin as weapons for wickedness, but present yourselves to God as raised from the dead to life and the parts of your bodies to God as weapons for righteousness.^{(L) 14} For sin is not to have any power over you, since you are not under the law but under grace.^(M)

¹⁵ What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? Of course not!^{(N) 16} Do you not know that if you present yourselves to someone as obedient slaves,^(O) you are slaves of the one you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?^{(P) 17} But thanks be to God that, although you were once slaves of sin, you have become obedient from the heart to the pattern of teaching to which you were entrusted.^{[c] 18} Freed from sin, you have become slaves of righteousness. ¹⁹ I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your nature. For just as you presented the parts of your bodies as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness for lawlessness, so now present them as slaves to righteousness for sanctification. ^20 (Q)For when you were slaves of sin, you were free from righteousness.^{[d] 21} But what profit did you get then from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.^{(R) 22} But now that you have been freed from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit that you have leads to sanctification,^[e] and its end is eternal life.^{(S) 23} For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.^(T)