Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ

6 What shall we say, then?^(A) Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?^(B)

¹⁶ Live as free people,^(A) but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil;^(B) live as God’s slaves.^(C)

Life by the Spirit

¹³ You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free.^(A) But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh^[a];^(B) rather, serve one another^(C) humbly in love.

Slaves to Righteousness

¹⁵ What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace?^(A) By no means!

⁴ Or do you show contempt for the riches^(A) of his kindness,^(B) forbearance^(C) and patience,^(D) not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?^(E)

⁵ But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly,^(A) what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.)^{(B) 6} Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world?^{(C) 7} Someone might argue, “If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory,^(D) why am I still condemned as a sinner?”^{(E) 8} Why not say—as some slanderously claim that we say—“Let us do evil that good may result”?^(F) Their condemnation is just!

²⁰ The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase.^(A) But where sin increased, grace increased all the more,^{(B) 21} so that, just as sin reigned in death,^(C) so also grace^(D) might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life^(E) through Jesus Christ our Lord.

³¹ Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

⁴ For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about^[a] long ago have secretly slipped in among you.^(A) They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.^(B)