Romans 6
1 What shall we say, then? shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
So what's our response? Should we continue to sin so we can have even more grace?
2 God forbid. For we that are dead to sin, how shall we live any longer therein?
Of course not! Since we're already dead to sin, how can we continue to live in sin?
3 Know you not that all we, who are baptized in Christ Jesus, are baptized in his death?
Don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
4 For we are buried together with him by baptism into death; that as Christ is risen from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also may walk in newness of life.
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 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.
If we've become one with him in dying like he did, then we'll be raised like him too.
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin may be destroyed, to the end that we may serve sin no longer.
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 For he that is dead is justified from sin.
Anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall live also together with Christ:
Since we died with Christ, we have confidence that we will also live with him,
9 Knowing that Christ rising again from the dead, dieth now no more, death shall no more have dominion over him.
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 For in that he died to sin, he died once; but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God:
In dying, he died to sin once and for all, but now he lives, and he lives for God!
11 So do you also reckon, that you are dead to sin, but alive unto God, in Christ Jesus our Lord.
In just the same way you should consider yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God through Christ Jesus.
12 Let no sin therefore reign in your mortal body, so as to obey the lusts thereof.
Don't let sin have control over your mortal body, don't give in to its temptations,
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of iniquity unto sin; but present yourselves to God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of justice unto God.
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 For sin shall not have dominion over you; for you are not under the law, but under grace.
Sin won't rule over you, because you're not under law but under grace.
15 What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
So then, should we sin because we're not under law, but under grace? Of course not!
16 Know you not, that to whom you yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are whom you obey, whether it be of sin unto death, or of obedience unto justice.
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 But thanks be to God, that you were the servants of sin, but have obeyed from the heart, unto that form of doctrine, into which you have been delivered.
Thank God that though you once were slaves to sin, you whole-heartedly chose to follow the truth about God that you learned.
18 Being then freed from sin, we have been made servants of justice.
Now that you've been freed from sin, you've become slaves of doing what is morally right.
19 I speak an human thing, because of the infirmity of your flesh. For as you have yielded your members to serve uncleanness and iniquity, unto iniquity; so now yield your members to serve justice, unto sanctification.
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 For when you were the servants of sin, you were free men to justice.
When you were slaves to sin you were not required to do what's right.
21 What fruit therefore had you then in those things, of which you are now ashamed? For the end of them is death.
But what were the results back then? Aren't you ashamed of the things you did? Such things that lead to death!
