Dead to Sin, Alive to God

Paul opens with the obvious objection — should we go on sinning so grace may increase? — and rejects it outright. Those baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death and buried with him, so that just as Christ was raised, they too might walk in newness of life.

W¹hat then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase? ²Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer? ³Or aren’t you aware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? ⁴We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may walk in newness of life.

If believers have been united with Christ in his death, they will also be united with him in his resurrection. The old self was crucified with him so the body of sin is rendered powerless — a death that sets a person free from sin.

⁵For if we have been united with Him like this in His death, we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection. ⁶We know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin. ⁷For anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

The pattern is Christ’s own. His death was to sin once for all, and his life is lived to God. Because he was raised, death no longer has dominion over him. Count yourselves the same — dead to sin, alive to God in Christ Jesus.

⁸Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him. ⁹For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has dominion over Him. ¹⁰The death He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God. ¹¹So you too must count yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Therefore sin is not to reign in the mortal body. Do not present the body’s parts to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those brought from death to life. Sin will not be master, because believers are not under law but under grace.

¹²Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires. ¹³Do not present the parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and present the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness. ¹⁴For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.