Study Desk

For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.

For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.

When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God.

Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.

Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God's grace.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

For example, when a woman marries, the law binds her to her husband as long as he is alive. But if he dies, the laws of marriage no longer apply to her.

So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God.

But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.

At one time I lived without understanding the law. But when I learned the command not to covet, for instance, the power of sin came to life,

But how can that be? Did the law, which is good, cause my death? Of course not! Sin used what was good to bring about my condemnation to death. So we can see how terrible sin really is. It uses God's good commands for its own evil purposes.

So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin.

I don't really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do what I hate.

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin's control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.

He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.

For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God's laws, and it never will.

For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God's children.