Nkwa Wɔ Kristo Mu
1Afei, asɛm bɛn na yɛbɛka? Yɛbɛkɔ so atena bɔne mu, sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a adom bɛdɔɔso ana? 2Ɛnte saa koraa! Yɛawu ama bɔne, na adɛn nti na ɛsɛ sɛ yɛkɔ so tena bɔne mu? 3Anaa munnim sɛ bere a wɔbɔɔ yɛn nyinaa asu hyɛɛ Kristo Yesu mu no, wɔbɔɔ yɛn asu hyɛɛ ne wu mu? 4Bere a wɔbɔɔ yɛn asu no, yewui na wosiee yɛn ne Kristo. Sɛnea Agya Onyankopɔn nam nʼanuonyam so nyan Kristo fii awufo mu baa nkwa mu no, saa ara nso na mprempren yɛte ase wɔ nkwa foforo mu.
5Na sɛ yɛne no ayɛ koro wɔ ne wu mu a, wɔbɛfa saa ɔkwan koro no ara so anyan yɛn aba nkwa mu, na yɛne no ayɛ baako. 6Yenim sɛ wɔbɔɔ yɛn nipadua dedaw no ne Kristo asennua mu. Wɔyɛɛ eyi sɛnea nipadua dedaw a ɛyɛ bɔne no renyɛ bɔne nkoa bio, 7efisɛ sɛ onipa wu a, na wɔayi no afi bɔne tumi ase.
8Sɛ yɛne Kristo awu a, yɛwɔ gyidi sɛ yɛne no bɛtena. 9Efisɛ yenim sɛ wɔanyan Kristo afi owu mu, na ɔrenwu bio. Owu nni ne so tumi bio. 10Ne wu a owui no yɛɛ owuprɛko maa bɔne, na nʼase a ɔte yi, ɔte ma Onyankopɔn.
11Ɛno nti saa ɔkwan koro ara so na ɛsɛ sɛ mofa mo ho sɛ moawu ama bɔne, na motena ase ma Onyankopɔn wɔ Kristo Yesu mu. 12Ɛnsɛ sɛ bɔne di mo nipadua a ewui no so na amma mo anyɛ bɔne. 13Saa ara nso na ɛnsɛ sɛ mugyaw mo honam akwaa biara ma bɔne sɛ nneɛma a wɔde di amumɔyɛsɛm. Na mmom momfa mo ho mma Onyankopɔn sɛ nnipa a wɔanyan mo afi owu mu aba nkwa mu. Momfa mo ho nyinaa mma no, na ɔmfa mo nyɛ trenee nnwuma. 14Ɛnsɛ sɛ bɔne di mo so, efisɛ monhyɛ mmara ase, na mmom mohyɛ adom ase.
Trenee Nkoa
15Dɛn bio? Esiane sɛ yɛnhyɛ mmara ase na yɛhyɛ adom ase no nti, ɛsɛ sɛ yɛkɔ so yɛ bɔne ana? Dabi da. 16Munnim sɛ, nea mutie no ara na ne nkoa ne mo anaa? Sɛ ɛyɛ bɔne a ɛde kɔ owu mu, anaasɛ osetie a ɛde kɔ trenee. 17Nanso yɛda Onyankopɔn ase. Efisɛ bere bi a atwa mu a na moyɛ bɔne nkoa no, mode mo koma nyinaa tiee nkyerɛkyerɛ a wɔde maa mo no. 18Wɔagye mo afi bɔne mu ama moabɛyɛ nkoa ama trenee.
19Esiane mo nipasu nti, mede nkoasom ho mfonitwa reboa mo ama moate eyinom nyinaa ase. Sɛnea mmere bi mode mo ho nyinaa maa sɛ afide ne amumɔyɛsɛm nkoa no, afei de momfa nyɛ nkoa mma trenee nkɔ kronkronyɛ mu. 20Bere a na moyɛ bɔne nkoa no, na treneeyɛ nni mo so tumi. 21Moyɛɛ nneyɛe a afei de mo ani wu wɔ ho no, mfaso bɛn na munyae? Nea ekowiei ne owu. 22Nanso mprempren wɔagye mo afi owu mu ama moabɛyɛ Onyankopɔn nkoa. Mfaso a munya wɔ mu no kɔ kronkronyɛ mu, na nea efi mu ba yɛ nkwa a enni awiei. 23Na bɔne so akatua yɛ owu, nanso Onyankopɔn akyɛde yɛ nkwa a enni awiei, wɔ Kristo Yesu yɛn Awurade mu.
Living a New Life in Christ
1What should we say then? Should we keep on sinning so that God’s grace can increase? 2Not at all! As far as sin is concerned, we are dead. So how can we keep on sinning? 3All of us were baptized into Christ Jesus. Don’t you know that we were baptized into his death? 4By being baptized, we were buried with Christ into his death. Christ has been raised from the dead by the Father’s glory. And like Christ we also can live a new life.
5By being baptized, we have been joined with him in a death like his. So we will certainly also be joined with him in a resurrection like his. 6We know that what we used to be was nailed to the cross with him. That happened so our bodies that were ruled by sin would lose their power. So we are no longer slaves of sin. 7That’s because those who have died have been set free from sin.
8We died with Christ. So we believe that we will also live with him. 9We know that Christ was raised from the dead and will never die again. Death doesn’t control him anymore. 10When he died, he died once and for all time. He did this to break the power of sin. Now that he lives, he lives in the power of God.
11In the same way, consider yourselves to be dead as far as sin is concerned. Now you believe in Christ Jesus. So consider yourselves to be alive as far as God is concerned. 12So don’t let sin rule your body, which is going to die. Don’t obey its evil desires. 13Don’t give any part of yourself to serve sin. Don’t let any part of yourself be used to do evil. Instead, give yourselves to God. You have been brought from death to life. So give every part of yourself to God to do what is right. 14Sin will no longer control you like a master. That’s because the law does not rule you. God’s grace has set you free.
Slaves to Right Living
15What should we say then? Should we sin because we are not ruled by the law but by God’s grace? Not at all! 16Don’t you know that when you give yourselves to obey someone you become that person’s slave? If you are slaves of sin, then you will die. But if you are slaves who obey God, then you will live a godly life. 17You used to be slaves of sin. But thank God that with your whole heart you obeyed the teachings you were given! 18You have been set free from sin. You have become slaves to right living.
19Because you are human, you find this hard to understand. So I am using an everyday example to help you understand. You used to give yourselves to be slaves to unclean living. You were becoming more and more evil. Now give yourselves to be slaves to right living. Then you will become holy. 20Once you were slaves of sin. At that time right living did not control you. 21What benefit did you gain from doing the things you are now ashamed of? Those things lead to death! 22You have been set free from sin. God has made you his slaves. The benefit you gain leads to holy living. And the end result is eternal life. 23When you sin, the pay you get is death. But God gives you the gift of eternal life. That’s because of what Christ Jesus our Lord has done.
