²⁰ For when you were slaves of sin, you were “free” as far as righteousness was concerned. ²¹ What benefit did you get from doing those things you are now ashamed of? For those things resulted in death. ²² But now that you have been freed from sin and have become God’s slaves, the benefit you reap is sanctification, and the result is eternal life. ²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in union with the Messiah^[a] Jesus our Lord.