Rom.6:18,19 – Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. 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.
Paul’s words written two millennia ago are quite relevant in our modern world. For example, many today would claim to be free when they are enslaved to their own sinful lusts and lifestyle. As Peter said, “they preach freedom and they are slaves to corruption”. That pretty much covers our modern society, as much as things change nothing ever really changes. The gospel is the power of God that has the ability to bring us into true freedom setting us free from the sinful pleasures that enslaved us. Many confuse bondage to what they call old fashioned restrictions on their behavior. When repentance from sin is preached it is considered to be judgmental when repentance is the only way to true freedom. When the Lord grants repentance to someone they become a new creation. They are forgiven for the past but much more than that has happened. Repentance brings us out of bondage of sin but puts us into another bondage. We become bound to the Lord Who frees us from the sins of this age. Here is how the Reformed Expository Commentary describes this.
“Paul concludes that believers, “having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness”. This recapitulates earlier statements, but clarifies that freedom from sin does not represent absolute freedom. It is freedom to serve God’s cause and righteousness. We should be careful not to read current cultural ideas into this. Today, “freedom” means the liberty to do whatever one wishes as long as no one gets hurt. But in Paul’s startling concept, the Christian is freed, and then enslaved again. No one is absolutely free. The end of submission to sin is the beginning of submission to God.To use a contemporary analogy, when a professional athlete in a major sport becomes a “free agent,” his goal is not to play for no one, but to play for a better team, with superior coaches or higher salaries. Similarly, when Christians break with sin, we join God’s team. If we compare God to a head coach, we heed his instruction, follow his strategy, and play the position he assigns.”
So we have come out of one slavery into another. We have been joined to Christ, we have become slaves of His kingdom which is the only place true freedom exists. “If the Son has set you free then you are free indeed.” Freedom from sin but bond-slaves of love and purity, I will take that deal any day.
