This Does Not Mean That We Should Keep Sinning Because Salvation Is By Grace
6 Therefore, what shall we say? Should we[a] be continuing in sin in order that grace might increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?
Don’t You Know That We Died With Christ In Order To Live a New Life With Him?
3 Or do you not know that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried-with Him through baptism into death in order that just as Christ arose from the dead through the glory of the Father, so also we might walk in newness of life.
For We Share In His Death To Sin And His Life With God
5 For if we have become united-with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this: that our old person was crucified-with Him in order that the body of sin might be done-away-with[b], so that we no longer[c] are-slaves[d] to sin. 7 For the one having died has been declared-righteous from sin. 8 And if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live-with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having arisen from the dead, dies no more. Death lords-over Him no longer. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once-for-all. But the life that He is living, He is living to God. 11 So also you, be counting yourselves to be dead to sin but living to God in Christ Jesus.
So Don’t Let Sin Reign In You, But Present Yourselves To God As Alive From The Dead
12 Therefore do not let sin be reigning in your mortal body so that you are obeying its desires, 13 nor be presenting your body-parts to sin as instruments[e] of unrighteousness. But present yourselves to God as-if [f] being alive from the dead, and your body-parts to God as instruments of righteousness. 14 For sin shall not lord-over you— for you are not under the Law[g], but under grace.
This Does Not Mean We Should Sin Because We Are Not Under Law, But Under Grace
15 Therefore, what? Should we sin[h] because we are not under the Law but under grace? May it never be!
You Were Freed From Slavery To Sin. So Present Yourselves As Slaves of Righteousness
16 Do you not know that to whom you are presenting yourselves as slaves for obedience, you are slaves to whom you are obeying— whether slaves of sin leading-to[i] death, or slaves of obedience leading-to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that you were slaves of sin, but you obeyed from the heart the form[j] of teaching to which you were delivered. 18 And having been set-free from sin, you were enslaved[k] to righteousness 19 (I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh). For just as you presented your body-parts as slaves to impurity and lawlessness leading-to lawlessness, so now present your body-parts as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness.
The Fruit of Sin Is Shame And Death; Righteousness Leads To Holiness And Life
20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free to[l] righteousness. 21 So what fruit were you having at that time? Things[m] over which you are now ashamed! For the outcome of those things is death. 22 But now having been set-free from sin and enslaved to God, you are having your fruit leading-to holiness. And the outcome is eternal life! 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Footnotes
- Romans 6:1 If salvation is all by grace (3:24), and we stand in grace at peace with God (5:1), and where sin increased grace abounded (5:21), then would not God’s grace be magnified even more by my continuing in sin?
- Romans 6:6 Or, rendered powerless, brought to nothing.
- Romans 6:6 Or, we might no longer be-slaves.
- Romans 6:6 Or, are serving as slaves.
- Romans 6:13 Or, tools, weapons, equipment.
- Romans 6:13 That is, as-if presently possessing full resurrection-life like Jesus, v 4. Or, ‘as’; that is, as being alive from the spiritually dead.
- Romans 6:14 The escape from the lordship of sin is due to our release from the Law, which occurred when we died to it. Paul explains this in chapter 7. The Law is the power of sin, 1 Cor 15:56.
- Romans 6:15 That is, commit a sin.
- Romans 6:16 Or, resulting in. Same word as in v 19, 22.
- Romans 6:17 Or, pattern.
- Romans 6:18 Or, made slaves.
- Romans 6:20 That is, with regard to.
- Romans 6:21 Paul states the answer. Or, at that time, over which things you are now ashamed?, the implied answer being ‘None’.