Romans 6:12

10 For the death that He died, ^aHe died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, ^bHe lives to God.

11 Likewise you also,¹ reckon yourselves to be ^adead indeed to sin, but ^balive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

12 ^aTherefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.

13 And do not present your ^amembers as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but ^bpresent yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

14 For ^asin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

From Slaves of Sin to Slaves of God

15 What then? Shall we sin ^abecause we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!

16 Do you not know that ^ato whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?

17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart ^athat form of doctrine to which you were¹ delivered.

Commentaries:

Forerunner Commentary
What is the Forerunner Commentary?

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What Does Romans 6:12 Mean?

Romans 6:12

Paul is not saying the law is done away. Nor is he saying that grace gives us the right to live apart from the government of God. He really nails this down.

John W. Ritenbaugh
Grace Upon Grace

Romans 6:1-14

Repentance and righteousness are virtually inseparable. Without repentance, righteousness has no beginning. It is impossible for a person to be righteous while still on the old path that leads to death. One must turn away from that path and then begin living righteously. In the same way, without righteousness, repentance has no fruit, nothing to show for a person's contrition. Thus, one without the other is nothing. They must be done together.

This work in tandem is illustrated in the first occurrence of the word "repentance" (metanoia) in the New Testament, Matthew 3:8, in the preaching of John the Baptist: "Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance." What is repentance without righteousness? Nothing. True repentance is only verified by its fruit, right conduct.

Richard T. Ritenbaugh
Repentance: The Genuine Article (Part Five)

Romans 6:12-16

Is that not strong, plain language? "Certainly not" is translated as "God forbid," "perish the thought," or "may it never be," in other Bibles. In his epistles, Paul uses this exclamatory expression in relation to sin sixty times! Yet, this world's Christianity has succeeded in communicating to it adherents one of the most devastating of all false doctrines—that the works of keeping God's commandments are not required! They insidiously twist the truth that, though works most assuredly cannot save a person, stopping sin in one's life is absolutely required to provide evidence that one is indeed a Christian, to bring glory to God, and to grow. Jesus Christ died to provide forgiveness of sin. Therefore, if a person persists in sin following his forgiveness, he is trampling "the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified [as] a common thing, and insult[ing] the Spirit of grace" (Hebrews 10:29).

John W. Ritenbaugh
Communication and Leaving Babylon (Part Three)

Other Forerunner Commentary entries containing Romans 6:12:

Matthew 8:4
Galatians 4:7
Revelation 2:14-15

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Romans 6:13 >>

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From Slaves of Sin to Slaves of God

What Does Romans 6:12 Mean?

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