Romans Part 3 - LIFESample

Two Masters

This passage focuses on two masters. In verse 19, Paul says he speaks in human terms. He is using language that is common and understood in his culture, the language of slavery. He will bring us from the common to the complex through this illustration.

The natural person, the ethical, moral, spiritual person, has already been captured, and enslaved to a master called sin. That person is without strength or ability to do anything other than what the master of the carnal nature dictates. This master uses the bondage to sin to ensure depraved disobedience and to keep the person captive, even in death.

In verse 18, Paul makes a dramatic contrast to that slavery when he says,

“You have been set free from sin…”

How can one born into the slavery of sin be set free from what is the very nature of that person? To answer that, we must go back to 6:8-12; we have a new master! Though we were shackled to sin and death, now, we have been set free by faith. Verse 8 says, “…we believe.” Faith in the One who died in our place now opens a new way to live, a new way to think.

This passage shows that in Christ we have died to sin and now must choose to live in His righteousness, becoming holy, as He is holy. We have gone from our bondage to sin to a new bond with God, through Christ Jesus (6:11).

Verse 15 raises a question for those used to being governed by the legalism of the law, just as verse one did.

“Won’t the freedom of grace allow us to sin without restraint?”

This question doesn’t take into account that we are no longer captured by a tyrant master, but are bonded to One who offers, not only freedom from bondage to sin, but His own righteousness, to govern that old nature. His grace is greater than our sin. We were doomed to death by sin and now we have been given a magnificent gift: eternal life (6:23). We are not separate from God, trying to be good and to do right; we are now united with Him, bonded. When we acknowledge His death for our sins, we receive His life. He comes to live in us by His Holy Spirit, the Guide to a holy, set-apart life.

As Martin Luther taught about the justified life of grace, someone said to him, “If this is true, then a person can live any way he pleases.” Martin Luther responded, “Indeed! Now what pleases you?”

-Jinet Troost