Romans 6:15-7:6

Christian Standard Bible

From Slaves of Sin to Slaves of God

¹⁵ What then? Should we sin because we are not under the law but under grace?^(A) Absolutely not!^{(B) 16} Don’t you know that if you offer yourselves to someone^[a] as obedient slaves,^(C) you are slaves of that one you obey^(D)—either of sin leading to death^(E) or of obedience leading to righteousness? ¹⁷ But thank God that, although you used to be slaves of sin,^(F) you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching to which you were handed^[b] over,^{(G) 18} and having been set free from sin,^(H) you became enslaved to righteousness. ¹⁹ I am using a human analogy^(I) because of the weakness of your flesh.^[c] For just as you offered the parts of yourselves as slaves to impurity, and to greater and greater lawlessness, so now offer them as slaves to righteousness, which results in sanctification. ²⁰ For when you were slaves of sin, you were free with regard to righteousness.^{[d](J) 21} So what fruit was produced^[e] then from the things you are now ashamed of?^(K) The outcome of those things is death.^{(L) 22} But now, since you have been set free from sin and have become enslaved to God,^(M) you have your fruit, which results in sanctification^(N)—and the outcome is eternal life!^{(O) 23} For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.^(P)

An Illustration from Marriage

7 Since I am speaking to those who know the law, brothers and sisters,^(Q) don’t you know that the law rules over someone as long as he lives? ² For example, a married woman is legally bound to her husband while he lives.^(R) But if her husband dies, she is released from the law regarding the husband. ³ So then, if she is married to another man while her husband is living, she will be called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law. Then, if she is married to another man, she is not an adulteress.

⁴ Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you also were put to death^(S) in relation to the law^(T) through the body of Christ^(U) so that you may belong to another. You belong to him who was raised from the dead in order that we may bear fruit for God. ⁵ For when we were in the flesh,^(V) the sinful passions aroused through the law were working in us^[f](W) to bear fruit for death. ⁶ But now we have been released from the law, since we have died to what held us, so that we may serve in the newness of the Spirit^(X) and not in the old letter of the law.