Whose Slave Are You?

Romans 6:15–23 ESV

15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We need to understand the context of slavery in the 1st century audience to which this letter was written.

We need to practice good hermeneutics.

That means practicing exegesis, not eisegesis.

Even with what we know about slavery in the 1st century, Paul’s analogy is not a perfect one, as he admits. V.19

So why does Paul use the analogy of slavery to compare and contrast life with Christ and without Him?

Surely there is something that he intends to teach us by this strong illustration.

We can understand easily enough what he means when he says we were slaves of sin.

Jesus Himself said this:

John 8:34 ESV

34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.

Paul has already stated it in Romans 6:6-7

Romans 6:6–7 ESV

6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin.

But now we are free from sin! And of course the Bible testifies to this fact:

John 8:36 ESV

36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Galatians 5:1 ESV

1 For freedom Christ has set us free;

Galatians 5:13 ESV

13 For you were called to freedom, brothers.

2 Corinthians 3:17 ESV

17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

Yes, we boast in our freedom, and rightly so, but what do we mean by free?

This is the heart of what Paul is getting at in these verses.

The freedom of Christ is not a freedom to do what we want, it is a freedom to do what HE wants!

Though we may be free from sin, and free from the law, we are not free from God.

We have been freed from sin, so that we can be slaves of God.

For the true believer, we wouldn’t have it any other way.

It was the disciples great privilege to refer to themselves as slaves (servants) of Jesus.

Romans 1:1 ESV

1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,

Philippians 1:1 ESV

1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:

James 1:1 ESV

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

2 Peter 1:1 ESV

1 Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,

We are all slaves to something, the question is: Whose slave am I?

How do you know?

Who do you obey?

Romans 6:16 ESV

16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?

Jesus said:

Matthew 6:24 ESV

24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

1 Peter 2:16 ESV

16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.

Have you ever been in a situation where you know what God wants you to do, but you did what you wanted anyway?

What benefit did you get from that?

This isn’t blind obedience. I know that God’s way is better because I have seen the outcome.

It is a privilege to be a servant of Jesus because we know the benefit that comes from serving Him.

Obedience to God, though difficult at the time, produces joy and peace.

Have you ever wondered what God’s will is for your life?

Did you know that He tells you in His Word?

1 Thessalonians 4:3 ESV

3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification:

God’s will for every Christian is that we would be sanctified. That we would become more like Christ.

The Freedom Cycle