Romans 6:1-14 - Formerly Dead To Sin, Now Alive In Christ

¹ What shall we say, then? Should we continue sinning so that more of God's unearned favor will [have to] be shown? ² Certainly not! How can we, who died to sin [i.e., stopped living under its power], go on living in it [i.e., practicing it] any longer? ³ Or, do you not know that all of us who were immersed into Christ Jesus were immersed into His death? ⁴ Therefore, we were buried with Him through [our] immersion [in water] into [a relationship with] His death, so that, just like Christ was raised up from the dead through the glorious power of the Father, so we also can [be raised up from the water to] live a new life. ⁵ For, if we have become united with Christ in an act similar to His death [i.e., by being buried in water], we will also be [united with Him] in an act similar to His resurrection from the dead [i.e., our rising from the water to live a new life]. ⁶ We know that our old self was [figuratively] crucified with Christ, in order that the body of sin [i.e., our whole life of sin] might be destroyed [i.e., become powerless to control our actions and thoughts], so that we should not be enslaved to the practice of sin any longer. ⁷ For a dead person is freed from [the control of] sin. ⁸ Now if we have died with Christ [i.e., to the practice of sin], we believe we will also live with Him. [Note: This "living" probably refers to our spiritual relationship with Him during our Christian life]. ⁹ We know that Christ was raised from the dead, never to die again, because death does not have control over Him any longer. ¹⁰ For [in] the death He experienced, He died to sin [i.e., to remove sin] once for all. But the life that He [now] lives, He lives [fully] for God. ¹¹ So, you [too] should consider yourselves dead to sin [i.e., no longer under its power], but [spiritually] alive to God, in [fellowship with] Christ.

¹² So, do not allow [the practice of] sin to rule your mortal bodies, so that you obey its desires. ¹³ And do not offer the parts of your bodies [i.e., hands, eyes, etc. See Matt. 5:29-30] as tools for [accomplishing] evil purposes; but [instead] offer yourselves to God, as [people who are] alive from the dead [i.e., no longer under the power of sin] and the parts of your bodies as tools for [accomplishing] righteous purposes for God. ¹⁴ For sin must not be your master [i.e., it must not have power over you], for you are not governed by law, but by God's unearned favor.