If I were to ask you if you are a slave, you would probably say no. You live in a free country. You come and go as you please. No person here on earth owns you and is your master. But there are different kinds of slavery. The Bible talks about a slavery to sin. John 8:31-34 “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’ They answered Him, ‘We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.’” Like many people today, the Jews didn’t think that they were in bondage to anyone. But Jesus plainly told them that those who commit sin are slaves of sin. Peter explains it a little differently. Speaking of false teachers, he says in 2 Peter 2:19 “While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage.” Whatever overcomes us brings us into bondage or slavery. Corruption or sin can be our master.
Something is going to be your master. Something is going to rule your life. Something is going to take your time and energy or thoughts and motivation and devotion. You cannot serve two masters. Jesus taught in Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” In this case, Jesus taught that you cannot serve both God and mammon which is riches or money. The second half of Romans chapter 6 explains that because of God’s grace, you have a choice as to what you are a slave to. Verse 16 “Do you not know that to 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?” It is one or the other. You either present yourself as a slave to sin or you present yourself to obedience to God. The slavery to sin results in death – spiritual death. The slavery to obedience leads to righteousness.
Verse 17 “But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.” Before you were a Christian, you were a slave of sin. But just as Jesus died on the cross, was buried in the tomb, and rose from the dead, you obeyed that doctrine by dying to your sins, being buried in baptism, and rising to walk in newness of live. It wasn’t just a matter of immersion in water. From your heart you desired to put to death your old life of sin, receive forgiveness by God’s grace, and rise to walk in newness of life.
As a result, you are no longer a slave to sin. Verses 18-19 “And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness. So now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.” You made a choice. You chose to die to sin and be free from the power and the consequences of sin. But your choice also means that you present yourself as a slave of righteousness for holiness.
Verse 20 “For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.” As a slave of sin, you were not doing what was right in God’s sight; you were free from righteousness. Verse 21a “What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed?” What was the fruit or the result that can be expected from sinfulness? Verse 21b “For the end of those things is death.” Death, spiritual death and separation from God, is what will result.
Verse 22 “But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.” Since you are a Christian, slavery to sin has ended. Your sins are forgiven. You are now a slave of God. Now, by God’s power you live a holy life and the resulting end is everlasting life.
Verse 23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Wages are owed to us and paid as a result of work performed. The wage of living in sin is death. On the other hand, you don’t earn eternal life. You can never do enough righteousness on your own to earn a wage of eternal life. That must be a gift to you from God through Christ Jesus our Lord. We each have a choice. We could continue in sin and be a slave to sin; the result of that life is death. Or we could die to sin and be set free from its slavery and become a slave of God and of righteousness resulting in receiving the gift of eternal life. Those were our only choices in this matter.
Although we are slaves of God, He does not treat us poorly as many slave owners have. Instead, we are treated as His children. Galatians 4:4-7 “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!’ Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” God treats you as a loving father would treat His children. Your natural response should be to trust, love and submit to your Father. He wants the best for you and wants to show you the best way to live.
I encourage you to first consider yourself dead to sin. Rejoice that you are free from the slavery to sin and the consequences of sin. But now consider yourself a slave of God and of righteousness. Praise God that He treats you as His child and gives you the gift of eternal life.