Dead to Sin, Alive to God
(2 Corinthians 4:7–18)

1THAT then shall we say? Shall we abide in sin, that grace may abound? 2God forbid. We who are dead to sin, how shall we still live therein? 3Do ye not know, that as many as have been baptised into Christ Jesus have been baptised into his death? 4We have been buried therefore with him by baptism into death: that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so also we should walk in newness of life. 5For if we have been planted with him in the likeness of his death, so shall we be also of his resurrection: 6knowing this, that our old man hath been crucified with him, that the body of sin might be abolished, that we should no longer be slaves to sin. 7For he that is dead is discharged from sin.

8But if we have been dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death over him hath no more dominion. 10For in that he died, for sin he died once: but in that he liveth, he liveth to God. 11So also do ye account yourselves dead indeed to sin, but living unto God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

12Let not therefore sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in the passions thereof. 13Neither present your members as weapons of unrighteousness for sin: but present yourselves to God, as alive from the dead, and your members as weapons of righteousness for God. 14For sin shall not hold dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

The Wages of Sin

15What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. 16Do ye not know, that to whomsoever ye present yourselves servants to obey, ye are his servants to whom ye obey; if of sin unto death, or of obedience, unto righteousness? 17But thanks be to God, that though ye were the servants of sin, ye have obeyed from the heart the model of doctrine into which ye were delivered. 18Emancipated then from sin, ye became servants to righteousness. 19I speak humanly, because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have presented your members servants to impurity and iniquity for iniquity; so now present your members servants to righteousness for holiness.

20For when ye were the slaves of sin, ye were free from righteousness. 21What fruit therefore had ye then in those things at which ye are now confounded? for the end of those things is death. 22But now being set at liberty from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and at the end life eternal. 23For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is life eternal in Jesus Christ our Lord.