1 ARST { Someone might say,}{“If what you have said is true,} then surely we{ believers} should keep on sinning in order that, even more, God might show how kind he is even more!” BSB BSB: What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase?
2 ARST { Then I would say,}“Of course not!” We who are no longer controlled by sinning surely must not continue living sinfully! BSB BSB: Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer?
3 ARST You surely know that God unites to the Messiah Jesus whomever someone baptizes, and it is as if that baptized person also died with the Messiah! BSB BSB: Or aren’t you aware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
4 ARST So, by being baptized as if we died with{ the Messiah}, it is like God buried us{ in the tomb} with{ Jesus}.{ This is so} in order that, just as God the Father’ s glorious power caused the Messiah to become alive again after he had died, in the same way, we too can live a new way of living. BSB BSB: We 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.
5 ARST Indeed, since we share in what resembles Jesus dying, we will surely also share in God making us alive again. BSB BSB: For if we have been united with Him like this in His death, we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection.
6 ARST We know that God{ also} did away with our former{ sinful} way of living when people crucified Jesus.{ He did this} in order to totally remove the way sin controls us, so that we no longer have to live sinfully. BSB BSB: We 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.
7 ARST { This is} because, when people{ who live sinfully} share in{ Jesus’} death, God frees them from having to live sinfully. BSB BSB: For anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
8 ARST Now since{ it is as if} we died with the Messiah, we trust that we will also live with him{ eternally}. BSB BSB: Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him.
9 ARST We know that the Messiah can never die again, because God caused him to become alive again after he had died. Nothing can ever cause the Messiah to die again! BSB BSB: For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has dominion over Him.
10 ARST { This is} because when Jesus died, he only had to die that one time only in order to remove{ the way} sin{ controls people}. Now that he is alive{ again}, he lives in order to glorify God. BSB BSB: The death He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God.
11 ARST Similarly, you too regard yourselves as no longer controlled by sinning. Indeed,{ regard yourselves} as alive in order to glorify God because God has united you to the Messiah Jesus. BSB BSB: So you too must count yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
12 ARST Since this is true, do not allow your sinful desires to control you.{ This would} result in you doing{ the sinful things} that you want to do. BSB BSB: Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires.
13 ARST Do not use your body parts in order to do unrighteous things{ or} to sin. Instead, live in order to do what God wants you to do, like people whom God caused to live again after they had died. Also, use your body parts in order to do righteous things to glorify God. BSB BSB: Do 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.
14 ARST Indeed, do not allow your desire to sin to control you because the laws{ God gave the Jews} do not control you. Instead, how kind God is controls you. BSB BSB: For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.
15 ARST { Someone might say,}{“If what you have said is true,} then surely we{ believers} should keep on sinning because the laws{ God gave the Jews} do not control us. Instead, how kind God is controls us!”{ Then I would say,}“Of course not!” BSB BSB: What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law, but under grace? Certainly not!
16 ARST You surely know that if you submit yourselves to be controlled by a thing or person, you become like slaves to that thing or person you submit to!{ This is true} whether you submit yourselves to living sinfully, which will kill you{ eternally}, or you submit yourselves to God, which will make you righteous. BSB BSB: Do you not know that when you offer yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves to the one you obey, whether you are slaves to sin leading to death, or to obedience leading to righteousness?
17 ARST Although you used to submit yourselves to living sinfully,{ now} you are sincerely submissive to the type of teaching to which God has submitted you. Thank God! BSB BSB: But thanks be to God that, though you once were slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were committed.
18 ARST Indeed, since God liberated you from living sinfully, you are{ now} serving{ God} righteously. BSB BSB: You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
19 ARST (I{ Paul} am speaking in human terms, because you are spiritually immature.) Indeed, just as you{ previously} used your body parts to live impurely and to increasingly break God’ s laws, in the same way, now use your body parts to live righteously.{ This will cause you} to live like God’ s people should live. BSB BSB: I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to escalating wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.
20 ARST { This is} because when you used to submit yourselves to living sinfully, you were not living righteously. BSB BSB: For when you were slaves to sin, you were free of obligation to righteousness.
21 ARST So, formerly you did not benefit from those{ sinful} things{ you did} that now embarrass you.{ This is because} those things will eventually kill{ you}{ eternally}. BSB BSB: What fruit did you reap at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? The outcome of those things is death.
22 ARST But now{ that you trust in Jesus}, God has freed you from living sinfully and has caused you to serve him the way slaves would serve him. Therefore, you receive what is beneficial, which results in you living like God’ s people should live. Indeed,{ living in that way} will eventually result in you living eternally. BSB BSB: But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the fruit you reap leads to holiness, and the outcome is eternal life.
23 ARST { I say this} because living sinfully causes those who do so to die{ eternally}, but God graciously causes those who are united to our Lord, the Messiah Jesus, to live eternally. BSB BSB: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.