Who’s Pulling Your Strings?

Have you ever felt like you were "free," but you didn't actually feel in control? Maybe it started with a subscription, a "free trial" that ended up charging your card for three years because you forgot to cancel.

Or maybe it’s that app on your phone. You downloaded it to stay connected, but now, three hours a day, it’s telling you what to think, how to feel, and what to buy. You’re "free" to use it, but it feels like the app is the one using you.

We have a bit of a misunderstanding about freedom in our culture. We tend to think freedom is the absence of any boss. We think freedom is the ability to do whatever we want, whenever we want, with whoever we want.

We think of freedom like a blank check. But if you’ve lived long enough, you’ve discovered that doing "whatever you want" often leads to being stuck in a place you never wanted to be.

That’s where Paul takes us in the second half of Romans 6. He’s already told us that we’ve died to sin and been raised with Christ. He’s told us to stop letting sin reign. But now, he deals with the "freedom" objection. Someone in the back of the room is thinking, "Since I’m under grace and not the Law, it doesn't really matter what I do, right? I’m free!"

Paul’s response is a reality check. He wants us to see that everyone is serving someone. There is no such thing as a life without a master. The only question is: which master are you picking?

Here is what I want us to understand today:

True freedom isn't found in doing whatever you want; it’s found in serving the Right Master.

Let’s look at the text together. Romans 6:15-23

Romans 6:15–23 NKJV

15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! 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? 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. 18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19 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. 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 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. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Paul is circling back to a question he asked at the beginning of the chapter, but with a different focus. In verse 1, he asked if we should persist in sin. Here, in verse 15, he asks if we should commit an act of sin. "Since the Law isn't hanging over my head with a magnifying glass anymore, does it really matter if I trip up on purpose?"

Paul’s "Certainly not!" is his way of saying that grace isn't a license to be reckless. He’s spent the first half of the chapter talking about our identity (who we are in Christ). Now he’s talking about our industry (who we work for). He uses the imagery of the first-century slave market, a concept his readers knew all too well, to explain that our actions actually reveal our allegiance.

Let’s go back to verses 16-18… Romans 6:16

Romans 6:16 NKJV

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?

What is Paul telling us?

Realize that Your Habits Reveal Your Master (vv. 16-18)

Paul asks, "Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey…?"

The keyword here is "present," or, “yield,” which means to offer oneself or to stand at someone’s beck and call. It’s the same word Paul used in the previous section. But here, he links it to "obey.” This literally means "to hear under,” it’s the idea of listening to a command and then positioning yourself under it to carry it out.

Paul is making a point here: Direction, not intention, determines destination. You might intend to follow of Jesus, but if you "present" your time, your money, and your body to the "boss" of Greed or Lust, you are what you really are is a slave to that thing. You can't claim one master while clocking in for another.

As the Lord Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters.… You cannot serve both God and money” (Matt. 6:24; Luke 16:13). Paul also pointed out that being a slave to sin leads to death (cf. Rom. 6:21, 23). This is not physical death only or even spiritual death only, but death in general as the natural consequence and inevitable collateral of sin (cf. Gen. 2:17). On the other hand being a slave to obedience (to God and His gospel obviously) leads to righteousness (again righteousness in the general sense as equivalent to eternal life or glorification). Death is the normal consequence of sin (which is disobeying God); righteousness is the normal consequence of obeying God and living for Him.

Romans 6:17–18 NKJV

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. 18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

He says we were once slaves of sin, but something changed. We "obeyed from the heart." So, to whom is Paul speaking in chapter 6? That’ll make a difference if we want to rightly interpret God’s Word as we move on in this chapter. That word in verse 17, "form," or typon (τύπον), refers to a mold. Like a master artist pouring metal into a mold, God’s truth has a specific "shape." When you trusted Christ, you were poured into the mold of the Gospel. You were "delivered" to it.

Here’s one thing we can do this week. Audit your "presenting, or yielding." Look at your calendar and your bank statement this week. Ask yourself: "If an outsider looked at my habits, who would they say my master is?" We don't become slaves of righteousness by accident. We become what we obey. If you want to be free, you have to stop "presenting" yourself to the things that used to own you. Stop giving the keys back to sin. It will drive you where you never wanted to be.

Let’s move on… Romans 6:19

Romans 6:19 NKJV

19 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.

Trade Your Handcuffs for a Towel (vv. 19-22)

In verse 19, Paul apologizes for using the slave and master analogy. He says he’s speaking in "human terms" because we’re a little slow to catch on. He says just as you used to offer your body to "uncleanness" (impurity) and "lawlessness," you now need to offer your body to "holiness."

The word "holiness" or "sanctification" means to be set apart for a special purpose. Think of it like the "fine china" in your grandmother's cabinet. You don't use it to feed the dog; it’s set apart for something special. Paul is saying that your life has been set apart for God’s exclusive use.

He points out a paradox in verse 20. Romans 6:20

Romans 6:20 NKJV

20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

When you were "free" from righteousness, meaning you didn't care about God’s standards, you were a slave to sin. You weren't really free; you were just off the leash in a graveyard. But now, having been set free from sin, you have become "slaves of God."

Look at verse 21. Romans 6:21

Romans 6:21 NKJV

21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.

If you serve a master, you can expect to receive wages. Sin pays wages, death! God also pays wages, holiness and everlasting life. In the old life, we produced fruit that made us ashamed. In the new life in Christ, we produce fruit that glorifies God and brings joy to our lives.

Now verse 22. Romans 6:22

Romans 6:22 NKJV

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.

Wait, slaves of God? That doesn't sound like "freedom" to our 21st-century ears. But here is the secret: The only way to be free from the things that destroy you is to be bound to the One who created you. Think about it this way. A fish is only "free" when it’s "bound" to the water. A train is only "free" to move when it’s "bound" to the tracks.

Do you get it? We’re only truly free when we allow ourselves to be “bound” to God’s design for our lives.

Here’s the second thing we can do this week: Accept your "bound-ness." Stop trying to be "totally independent." It’s an illusion. Instead, choose every morning to tie yourself to God. Say, "God, I am Your servant today. I’m not my own boss. Tell me where to go and what to do." When you trade the handcuffs of sin for the towel of service to God, you find the life you were actually looking for.

Now let’s look at one of the Bible’s most well-known verses. Romans 6:23

Romans 6:23 NKJV

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

To fully understand verse 23, we need to remember who his readers were. Who were Paul’s readers? Who was he writing to?Do you remember how many times he said, “you once were.” And, “now you are?” Paul is obviously writing to Christians. They were followers of Christ. Throughout the book Paul talks about “how you once were, but how you should live now.”

This entire section we’ve been studying has been about living under grace, not going back under the law and serving sin.

I mean just look back at verse 22. Paul says, “but now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves to God.” He’s talking to believers.

This puts verse 23 in perspective. Paul is making the argument that the believer not go back and give the control of their life back to their sin nature. But to yield themselves to God. He continues that same argument in verse 23.

In other words, Paul is telling them…

Check the Retirement Plan (v. 23)

Romans 6:23 NKJV

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Paul closes this section with one of the most famous verses in the Bible, but we often miss the context. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

We have the word "wages.” In the Roman world, this referred to a soldier's pay or a slave’s rations. It’s what you earn. It’s the "paycheck" for your work. Paul is saying that if you work for Sin, Sin is a very faithful employer. He never misses a direct deposit. And the "currency" Sin pays in is "death" thanatos (θάνατος). This isn't just physical death; it’s the slow rot of relationships, the death of peace, and ultimately, eternal separation from God for those who never trusted Christ as their Savior.

But look at the contrast. God doesn't give "wages." He gives a "gift," or charisma (χάρισμα). This is a free gift of grace. You didn't earn it, and you can't pay it back. And that gift is "eternal life" zōē aiōnios (ζωὴ αἰώνιος). This isn't just a long life; it’s a "quality" of life that starts the moment you pull your strings away from the old master and hand them to Jesus.

The culture says, "Work for yourself, and you'll get what you want." Paul says, "Work for yourself, and you'll get exactly what you deserve, and you won't like the paycheck."

For the follower of Jesus, if you give the keys back to sin, you’ll probably soon see the “death” of your joy, possibly the death of relationships, or the loss of your health.

If you’re a follower of Jesus, you may be secure in your relationship with God, but you’ll pay the consequences in this life.

We usually apply Romans 6:23 to the lost, and, for sure, it does apply; you can still use Romans 6:23 when you share the gospel. But it was primarily a warning for the saved. (After all, it was written to Christians.)

“There is a sin unto death” (1 John 5:17). “For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep” (1 Cor. 11:30, nasb).

Samson, for example, would not yield himself to God, but preferred to yield to the lusts of the flesh, and the result was physical death (Judg. 16).

If the believer refuses to surrender his body to the Lord, but uses its members for sinful purposes, then he is in danger of being disciplined by the Father, and this could mean death. (See Heb. 12:5–11, and note the end of v. 9 in particular.)

We see the same thing in 1 Corinthians.

These three instructions of chapter 6 need to be remembered each day that we live.

KNOW that you have been crucified with Christ and are dead to sin.

RECKON this fact to be true in your own life.

YIELD your body to the Lord to be used for His glory.

Now that you KNOW these truths, RECKON them to be true in your life, and then YIELD yourself to God.

Conclusion

We started by asking, "Who’s pulling your strings?"

Paul’s message to us is clear: True freedom isn't found in doing whatever you want; it’s found in serving the Right Master.

You were never meant to be your own master. That’s a burden you weren't designed to carry. You were designed to be in a relationship with a Master who loves you, who died for you, and who gives you a life you could never earn.

So this week:

Audit your habits. Who are you handing the strings of your life to?

Accept your "bound-ness" to God.

And remember that the paycheck of sin is death, but the gift of God is life.

Let’s stop being "free" to destroy ourselves. Let’s become "servants" of the King who gives us everything.

Because when Jesus is your Master, you are finally, truly free. Don’t go on letting sin pull your strings.