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Verse

Romans 6:1

ESV What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?
NIV What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?
NASB What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?
CSB What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply?
NLT Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace?
KJV What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
NKJV What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?

What does Romans 6:1 mean?

Paul begins this chapter by posing a question about the implications of the statements that ended chapter 5. There, he wrote that where sin increased, God's grace "super-increased." That is, as sin increased, so did God's grace abound to cover the sin of all those who trusted in Christ's death to cover their sin. We literally cannot out-sin the grace of God.

What does that mean, though, for those who have been reconciled to God through faith in Christ? What are Christians supposed to do about sin now that we are Christians? As Paul asks here, should we just keep sinning so that God's grace can just keep increasing? This seems to have been a common criticism of Paul's teaching, as it is one he refutes often in his writings (Romans 3:8; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 5:19–24). It's a frequent charge against Christianity, even today, suggesting that the gospel is really just a license to sin. In the following verse, Paul will answer this slanderous charge with an emphatic "no!"
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