¹⁷ But ^(A)thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the ^(B)standard of teaching to which you were committed, ¹⁸ and, ^(C)having been set free from sin, ^(D)have become slaves of righteousness. ^19 (E)I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For ^(F)just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members ^(G)as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.

^20 (H)For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. ^21 (I)But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things ^(J)of which you are now ashamed? ^(K)For the end of those things is death. ²² But now that you ^(L)have been set free from sin and ^(M)have become slaves of God, ^(N)the fruit you get leads to sanctification and ^(O)its end, eternal life. ^23 (P)For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

⁶ not by the way of eye-service, as ^(A)people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,