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Slaves of Righteousness

15 What then? (A)Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? (B)May it never be! 16 Do you not (C)know that when you go on presenting yourselves to someone as (D)slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of (E)sin [a]leading to death, or of obedience [b]leading to righteousness? 17 But (F)thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you obeyed from the heart that (G)pattern of teaching to which you were (H)given over, 18 and having been (I)freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19 (J)I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just (K)as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, [c]leading to further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, [d]leading to sanctification.

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 6:16 Lit to death
  2. Romans 6:16 Lit to righteousness
  3. Romans 6:19 Lit to lawlessness
  4. Romans 6:19 Lit to sanctification

15 Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! 16 Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. 17 Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. 18 Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.

19 Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy.

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