Romans chapter 6 explains that now that Christians have been set free from the bondage of sin we have now become servants of righteousness.
This is not something many Christians like to hear.
Remember that Paul is talking from the perspective of the Roman Empire. There was no such thing as a servant who could come and go as he pleased. The servant was the property of his master. He had no individual rights. Jesus said in scriptures that whoever you obey or take your orders from is your Lord.
Let us examine Romans chapter 6 which says that because we have been bought with a price we are now to live in a way that glorifies God. We are no longer to serve sin but rather from our new born again natures we are called to serve the Lord.
Christians have been purchased by God. That means bought or redeemed.
God paid the randsom through Jesus. He bought us back from another master.
In other words the life of Jesus was given to redeem us from being the property of Satan in captivity to his corruption of the fallen nature. We now have being given another master.
Having been bought by God through the redemption of Jesus Christ we are now called to submit to God. When we Obey God we walk in his blessings but when we do not obey or yield to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and the word of God we fall back under the curse of the law. Then Satan can cause havoc in our life. Grace does not abound to those who continue to live in sin. Grace leads to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. If some one is continuing to live in sin then it is evident who their Lord is.
Being made free from sin we are now called to be servants of righteousness. This means that we are serving in newness of life and have a new master.
Our lives like a mirror reflect who we belong to. If we live according to the dictates of the Holy Spirit through the word of God being separate from the world system we are revealing that we are servants of God. Continuing to live a life of sin and worldliness reveal that we are really a slave of the darkness.
Romans 6
- What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
