12 So, do not let the desire to sin [PRS] control your bodies [MET] with the result that you do the sinful things that you desire to do. Remember that your bodies will surely die, but your spirits will never die. 13 Do not let any of your body parts do wicked things, as you did [MET] when you were spiritually dead. Instead, present yourselves to God as people who are alive spiritually. Present all your body parts to God, to allow him to use them to do righteous things. 14 Do not let a desire to sin control you [PRS]. The laws that God gave Moses did not enable you to stop sinning. But now God controls you and kindly helps you not to sin.

15 I suppose that certain people might think about what I have just said and they might say [RHQ], "You say that the laws God gave Moses did not enable us to stop sinning, but that God is now treating us kindly in ways we do not deserve. ◄That seems to mean that God permits us to continue sinning./Does that mean that God permits us to continue sinning?► [RHQ]" My reply to that is no, we should certainly not continue sinning 16 Slaves have to obey what their masters command [MET] them to do. ◄I want you to remember this./Do you not know this?► [RHQ] Similarly, if you present yourselves to someone in order to obey him, you will be the slaves [MET] of the person you obey. Similarly, if you have yielded yourselves to do the sinful things you desire, you are slaves of your sinful desires [PRS], and you will be eternally separated from God. If you have yielded yourselves to obey God, you are slaves of God and you need to live righteously. 17 You were once slaves to your sinful desires. But you began to sincerely obey the new teaching [MET] that you were taught {that people taught you}. I thank God for that. 18 I also thank God that you have been freed {that he has freed you} from being controlled by a desire to sin, and that you have become as though you were slaves [MET] to living righteously [MET].