1 So what's our response? Should we continue to sin so we can have even more grace? 2 Of course not!* Since we're already dead to sin, how can we continue to live in sin? 3 Don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 Through baptism we were buried with him in death so that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father we too can live a new life. 5 If we've become one with him in dying like he did, then we'll be raised like him too.

6 We know that our old self was crucified with him to dispose of the dead body of sin so that we wouldn't be enslaved by sin any longer. 7 Anyone who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Since we died with Christ, we have confidence that we will also live with him, 9 for we know that because Christ has been raised from the dead he won't ever die, because death has no longer any power over him. 10 In dying, he died to sin once and for all, but now he lives, and he lives for God! 11 In just the same way you should consider yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God through Christ Jesus. 12 Don't let sin have control over your mortal body, don't give in to its temptations, 13 and don't use any parts of your body as evil tools of sin. Instead dedicate yourselves to God as those who have been brought back from death to life, and use all parts of your body as tools to do something good for God. 14 Sin won't rule over you, because you're not under law but under grace.

15 So then, should we sin because we're not under law, but under grace? Of course not! 16 Don't you realize that if you make yourselves someone's slaves, obeying their orders, then you are slaves to the one you obey? If you are slaves of sin, the result is death; if you obey God, the result is you are made right with him. 17 Thank God that though you once were slaves to sin, you whole-heartedly chose to follow the truth about God that you learned. 18 Now that you've been freed from sin, you've become slaves of doing what is morally right.

19 I'm using this everyday example because your human thinking is limited. Just as you once enslaved yourselves to immorality, piling up sin upon sin, now you must enslave yourselves to what is pure and right. 20 When you were slaves to sin you were not required to do what's right. 21 But what were the results back then? Aren't you ashamed of the things you did? Such things that lead to death! 22 But now that you're set free from sin, and have become God's slaves, the results will be a pure life—and in the end, eternal life. 23 The wage sin pays is death, but God's free gift is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.