Surrender: Finding Freedom in JesusSample

Slaves to Righteousness

You are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness. (v. 16)

Bob Dylan sang, “You gotta serve somebody. It may be the devil, or it may be the Lord, but you’re gonna have to serve somebody.” This is a New Testament principle. In Romans 6 the apostle says that we are all slaves to something, either slaves to sin or slaves to Christ.

Paul explains that as we have been baptized into Christ, our old self was “put to death” in the sense that we now walk in newness of life. Through Christ, we have been set free from the bondage of sin and therefore are no longer slaves to it. Our “slavery” now comes in a different form; as Paul says, we are to present ourselves “as slaves to righteousness” (v. 19).

“Slaves of Christ” are also “slaves to righteousness.” As we grow closer to him and get to know him better, to love him more, we will also become more like him. It is important for us to remember that we are “slaves to whom we obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness” (v. 16). Because of our life in Christ, we can be set free from our slavery to sin and become slaves to righteousness “and its end, eternal life” (v. 22). Slavery, in the gospel sense, is the only way to experience life to the fullest.

As you pray, offer praise to God that through Christ you are no longer a slave to sin.