Free From Sin In Christ Jesus
Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living. Romans 6:17-18
One of the biggest black marks in American history came at the legalization of slavery. Slave owners forced those they owned to do all types of labor using abuse and other methods.
A slave remained a slave even if they escaped from their master. The reason, because they had to continue running, always looking over their shoulder. Fortunately, America abolished slavery.
Americans, however, paid a price to set the slaves free. It took the Civil War and the loss of many lives to free people from their bondage.
A different type of slavery exists that has had people in bondage for centuries. Paul called it slavery to sin and told us how we can live a life free from it.
We know slavery existed before the birth of Moses. The Egyptians forced the Israelites to make bricks and build cities for them. Taskmasters made sure they completed their jobs.
The slave master of sin operates in just a little different manner. It offers things that aren’t good for us and hard for us to resist. And we get to choose who or what we will serve.
Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? Romans 6:16
I’m sure you’ve heard someone say something like this before, “I know I shouldn’t do this, but…” Or maybe you’ve even said it yourself.
The Influence of Sin
Sin leads us to do things that make us feel good, regardless of how we make others feel. We often feel free to sin because we only think of the moment. We don’t consider its eternal effect.
You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Romans 6:16
Sin’s influence can cause a monster to arise within us that takes over in our lives. In other words, it makes a slave out of us from the inside out.
Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Romans 6:19
Sin will also try to override our consciences. It will guilt us into doing what we know is wrong. Sin works to convince us that “I need to take care of me” no matter what it costs.
Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Romans 6:19
The worst part about the bondage of sin is we can’t free ourselves from it. So, we must give ourselves to a master who can free us. The third part of verse 19 addresses that.
Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy. Romans 6:19
A Life Free from Sin
So, how do we change masters? We have a free choice to choose between sin and righteousness. God gave us the ability to make the following choices with the help of the Holy Spirit.
- Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires.
- Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin.
- Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life.
- So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.
- Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law.
- Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. Romans 6:12-14
Take another look at our verse for today about how sin used to enslave us. It says, once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you.
What teaching? The Word of God! All the things Paul taught them became a part of the bigger picture, the Bible. Freedom from sin comes from obedience to God and His Word.
Just like sin enslaves us from the inside, when obeying God, we begin to change first on the inside. We become less selfish and more righteous. We continually become free from sin.
In fact, we become a slave to righteousness, which means we want to live a life pleasing to God. Being free from sin also changes our view on how we deal with the people in our lives.
It’s wanting to treat others with respect and dignity and with love and compassion. Look at what Jesus taught in Matthew 7, which we call the Golden Rule.
The Golden Rule
Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets. Matthew 7:12
So, let’s say that you feel free from sin and living in righteousness. Plus, you treat everyone in your life the way you want them to treat you. And now you can just coast along.
I don’t think so! As humans, we will always serve as a slave in one way or another. If we don’t consistently and consciously serve the Lord daily, our coasting will lead in the direction of sin.
Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living. Romans 6:18
Anyone who remains or reverts back to living as a slave of sin will forfeit the gift of God. Sin only produces wages, which results in a payday no one should desire.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23
Lord, because you have made a way for us, we can be free from our slavery to sin. It is only through your son Jesus we can become slaves to righteousness.
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