Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ
Study note
Paul emphatically rejects the idea that abundant grace is a license to sin. Through baptism, believers have been united with Christ in his death and resurrection. The old self was crucified so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless. Just as Christ was raised and death no longer has power over him, believers are to consider themselves dead to sin and alive to God. Sin is no longer their master because they live under grace, not law.
1 So should we keep on sinning so that God can keep giving us more grace? What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 Certainly not! We died to sin. How could we still keep living in it? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
3 Have you forgotten what happened when you were baptized into Jesus Christ? You were baptized into his death. Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 When we went under the water in baptism, it was like being buried with Christ in death. And just like the Father's power raised Christ from the dead, we came up to walk in a completely new kind of life. Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 If we shared in something like his death, you can be sure we will also share in something like his coming back to life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6 Understand this: our old way of living was nailed to the cross with Jesus. That happened so our sin-controlled selves would lose their power, and we would not be slaves to sin anymore. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 Once you have died, sin has no more hold on you. You are free. For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8 Since we died with Christ, we trust that we will also live with him. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
9 We know that Christ came back from the dead and will never die again. Death lost its grip on him for good. Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10 When he died, he dealt with sin once and for all. And the life he now lives, he lives completely for God. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11 Think of yourselves the same way: dead to sin, but alive to God because you belong to Christ Jesus our Lord. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12 So do not let sin boss around your body and make you give in to its cravings. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13 Stop handing over parts of your life to sin like tools for doing wrong. Instead, hand yourselves over to God as people who have been given new life. Let every part of you be a tool God uses for doing right. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
14 Sin is not your boss anymore. You do not live under a system of rules. You live under grace. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Slaves to Righteousness
Study note
Paul uses the analogy of slavery to illustrate the Christian's new allegiance. Everyone serves a master -- either sin, which leads to death, or obedience, which leads to righteousness. The Roman believers once offered themselves to impurity and wickedness but have now been set free from sin and become servants of righteousness leading to holiness. The chapter culminates in one of the most memorable contrasts in Scripture: sin pays its workers with death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.
15 So does that mean we should sin because we are under grace instead of rules? Certainly not! What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
16 You already know this: whoever you choose to obey becomes your master. You either serve sin, which leads to death, or you serve God by obeying him, which leads to being made right. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
17 Thank God! You used to be slaves to sin, but then you gave your whole heart to the teaching you received. But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18 You were set free from sin's control, and now you serve what is right. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
19 I am using a simple everyday picture because it helps get the point across. You used to hand over your body to do dirty and increasingly wicked things. Now hand your body over in the same way, but this time for doing right and becoming holy. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
20 Back when sin was your master, you did not care at all about doing the right thing. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
21 So what did you get out of all that? Nothing but things you are ashamed of now. Those things lead straight to death. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
22 But now you are free from sin and you serve God. What you get out of that leads to becoming holy, and it all ends with eternal life. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.