Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey…
Romans 6
Paul has already made the case for humanity being “dead in our sins.” Because of Adam’s sin, all humans are born with a sin nature and unable to save oneself. But, God, great in His love, grace and, mercy, has made the Way for humanity to be saved through faith alone in the works of Christ alone. Now, Paul addresses the saved sinner’s ongoing life in Christ. Once dead in our sins, the Holy Spirit has now brought life to our dead spirit within. So, do we continue to sin so that God’s grace will abound even more in us. NO, says Paul! Our outward baptism symbolizes our death, in Christ, to our sin and our coming out of the water of baptism symbolizes our rising in newness of life, in Christ, to not be sinful any longer. We are now spiritually united with our Savior, who lived a sinless life, and we now walk with Him in that newness of life. Now, Paul deals with the subject of “slavery,” but not the bondage of human slavery of Paul’s day. Paul writes that humans are born in slavery to their sinful nature and cannot be free from it. But, Paul continues to point out that the Christian goes from being a “slave to sin” to, now, being a “slave to Christ,” for man must be a slave, in this life, to one or the other. There is no true freedom, in this life, but only in Christ, in Heaven, will man be truly free. So, as long as the Christian lives in the worldly realm, he/she is a slave, doing the commands of his Master, Jesus. Our obedience, in this life, is spotty, at best because of our body of flesh we inhabit remains sinful flesh. But, at our conversion, the Righteousness of Christ was imputed to us and our sins, past, present and, future, are covered by the Blood of Christ shed upon the cross. Paul tells the Christian that the flesh must die but, the soul that belongs to God is what will be saved at death in this life. The Christian closes his eyes, in death, to this world of sin and misery and opens his eyes, in Heaven, to the realm of new life with Christ in Heaven. What a glorious thought to begin our day of worship to the one true God! May you have a blessed day in the Lord! Source: S C Ball August 27, 2023
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