₁₂Sin must no longer rule in your mortal bodies, so that you obey the desires of your natural self. ₁₃Nor must you surrender any part of yourselves to sin to be used for wicked purposes. Instead, give yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life, and surrender your whole being to him to be used for righteous purposes. ₁₄Sin must not be your master; for you do not live under law but under God's grace.

₁₅What, then? Shall we sin, because we are not under law but under God's grace? By no means! ₁₆Surely you know that when you surrender yourselves as slaves to obey someone, you are in fact the slaves of the master you obey — either of sin, which results in death, or of obedience, which results in being put right with God. ₁₇But thanks be to God! For though at one time you were slaves to sin, you have obeyed with all your heart the truths found in the teaching you received. ₁₈You were set free from sin and became the slaves of righteousness. ₁₉(I use everyday language because of the weakness of your natural selves.) At one time you surrendered yourselves entirely as slaves to impurity and wickedness for wicked purposes. In the same way you must now surrender yourselves entirely as slaves of righteousness for holy purposes.

₂₀When you were the slaves of sin, you were free from righteousness. ₂₁What did you gain from doing the things that you are now ashamed of? The result of those things is death! ₂₂But now you have been set free from sin and are the slaves of God. Your gain is a life fully dedicated to him, and the result is eternal life. ₂₃For sin pays its wage — death; but God's free gift is eternal life in union with Christ Jesus our Lord.