1What then will we say? Will we persist in sin that the grace might abound? 2May it never be! We who died to sin, how will we still live in it? 3Or are you ignorant (not knowing) that, as many as have been baptized (dipped under, submerged, immersed) into Christ Jesus, have been baptized into His death? 4We were buried along with Him, then, through baptism into the death, that just as Christ was raised up out of the dead, through the glory of the Father, so also we should walk (going full circle) in newness (freshness) of life. 5For if we have become united with (grown together) in the likeness (sameness) of His death, so also we will be of the resurrection (rising again to stand). 6Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of the sin may be rendered ineffective, that we should no longer be subject to (serve as a slave, be in bondage to) sin. 7For the one who has died has been shown justified from the sin.

8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live together with Him. 9Knowing that Christ having been raised up from out of the dead, dies no longer, death no longer lords over Him. 10For in that He died, he died to sin once for all, but in that he lives, He lives to God. 11So also you, reckon yourselves to indeed be dead to the sin and living unto God in Christ Jesus.

12Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so as to hearken to (obey what is heard, under hearing) its lusts (being focused on/eager for the passion of strong urges). 13Neither present (stand close beside, ready to exhibit) your members as implements (weapons to wage war) of unrighteousness (injustice) to the sin, but present yourselves to God, as living out from among the dead, and your members as tools of righteousness to God. 14For sin will not lord it over you, for you are not under law but under grace (freely extended favor).

15What then? May we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? May it never be! 16Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves bond slaves for hearkening, you are his bond slaves to whom you hearken, whether of sin resulting in death or of hearkening resulting in righteousness? 17But thanks be to God that you used to be bond slaves of sin, but you have hearkened out of the heart, to that type (form, pattern) of teaching which you were given over to (pledged to, delivered to, give from close beside). 18And having been freed away from sin, you have become bond slaves to the righteousness. 19Humanly, I speak because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members in bondage to impurity and lawlessness resulting in lawlessness, so now present your members in bondage to righteousness resulting in sanctification (the process of advancing in holiness).

20For when you were bond slaves of sin, you were free in regard to the righteousness. 21For what fruit had you then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end result of those things is death. 22But now, having been freed from sin, and having become slaves to God, you have your fruit resulting in sanctification, and the end result life eternal. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the free grace-gift (charisma-the operation/endowment of grace) of God- life eternal in Christ Jesus our Lord.