Romans 6
What, or who, are you a slave to? Romans 6 starts to bring out the implications of the wonderful truths we have been looking at in the preceding chapters. Because we are saved by grace, not by works or religious trappings, we are free to live for God. Free to obey His commands. Free to be the people we were created to be. And slightly confusingly this chapter calls this slavery! But what it means is slavery to God (and what more loving a Master could we want?), in contrast to the alternative, slavery to sin.
In Christ we died to sin (6:2). This conquering of sin and its ultimate consequence (death) was achieved by Jesus Christ’s death on the cross and subsequent resurrection from that death. And if we are “in Christ”, that is trusting in Christ for our salvation as in the preceding chapters, we have symbolically died and been raised with Christ too (6:3-4). And this unity with Christ means we are no longer a slave of sin, compelled to live for sin alone (6:6-7,14). Instead we are free from this and alive to God (6:11), that is considered free of sin in the eyes of God – because of Jesus’ work on the cross. So living with sin reigning in our hearts, minds and bodies is completely at odds with who we are as people united to Christ (6:12-14). Sin is not our master – the risen Lord Jesus Christ is!
6:15-23 expands this idea. Reread Romans 1:18-32. This is what slavery to sin looks like. This is what unbelievers look like to God (6:19). And this only brings shame and death (6:21). As people set free from sin we can now consider ourselves slaves to God, free to obey and work for Him. And as we do this we will reap the fruit of holiness (6:19) and the gift of eternal life (6:23).
In what areas of your life are you tempted to be a slave to sin rather than a slave to God? Why is that attractive? How can you remember how much better it is to be a slave to God in the weeks ahead?
(friend of Christ Church)
(friend of Christ Church)