To whom are you a slave?

When someone asks, to whom are you a slave, the immediate and indignant reply of a de-colonized citizen of the Developing World would be, ‘To no one, of course.’

Paul is asking the question in a century when slavery was the normal course of life. Roman Empire thrived on slaves. There were slaves slogging and sweating in the underground chambers to heat up the water, so that in the communal bath on the ground floor above, the rich and the aristocrats could have their most relaxing bath of the day.

Paul is answering the twisted argument raised by some in the church, why not go on sinning since we have a merciful God, ready to forgive our sins. Paul gave the illustration of baptism to prove this argument wrong in Rom.6:1-14. Here in Rom.6:15-23, Paul is using another illustration, that of slavery, to argue his case.

Basically, Paul’s premise is “through faith in Christ a man passes from the sinful order into a new order of life in which sin has no place.”

When a person offers himself or herself to someone to obey him or her as slaves, one becomes a slave to the one whom he or she obeys. Paul’s question is whether “you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness.” Verse 16.

A slave would totally belong to his/her master, unlike a servant who can be free after his/her working hours. Slaves were not even paid, except being maintained. Entire allegiance and exclusive obedience are expected from a slave. He belongs to his master, master’s property.

Remember Jesus’ words, no one can serve two masters? Matthew 6:24. Total loyalty is demanded. Same is true of marriage and the relationship between husband and wife. So also, is expected in apprenticeship under a skilled master. You are either God’s slave or slave of the world and its lust, and hence the slave of sin. The former leads to righteousness and the latter to death.

Paul, says once the followers of Christ were slaves of sin, but no longer, because they wholeheartedly have obeyed the teaching of the apostles, which is the Gospel or the Good News. Verse 17. Though we all inherited sinful nature from Adam in our flesh, on conversion, by accepting Christ in faith, there is a swapping of the owners of the slave, from one master to another.

When Paul says obey wholeheartedly, it means to love the Lord with all our heart, and with all our soul and with all our mind. Matthew 22:37. A Christian is one who has given complete control of his life to Christ. We cannot give one part of our life to Christ and another to the world. It is all for God or nothing. There is no neutral ground here.

Followers of Christ, according to Paul, have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. Verse 18. Once we were slaves to sin, but now we are slaves to righteousness. We are transferring our allegiances from sin to righteousness; from Satan to Christ. We have a different Master now and need to live accordingly.

So, Paul’s command is, just as the believers before conversion, gave themselves in slavery to impurity and wickedness, now that they have got a new Master, should offer themselves in slavery to righteousness, which would lead to holiness. Verse 19.

There has been the transfer of the slave to serve under a different master, which demands a transfer of allegiance too. A Christian is not someone who can never sin, but we are not under slavery to sin. We have been redeemed. We belong to God and His kingdom.

The Roman world of Paul’s time was steeped in vies, not unlike today’s Western world. Moral depravity was and is the order of the day. Not that other parts of the world are any better, but the leaders are those who wield supreme political power in the world. Such cultures probably seem to think that there is no one to question them. Others emulate them.

However, the new life in Christ is entirely different. It is a life given to righteousness. It is having the right relationship with God and human beings. It is a life that will lead to holiness. The process is called sanctification, that which leads us to holiness. It has to be seen in our everyday life.

We don’t become holy the day we accept Christ as our Saviour. It is a struggle that we will face as long as we are in flesh, living in the world. But we are on the road to holiness, to be transformed like Christ, by the work of the Holy Spirit, who resides in us. The direction of our life is set. There is no altering that.  

When people were slaves to sin, they were free from the demands of righteousness. But of what use was that freedom? Was it of any benefit? The things one did while being unsaved, one will blush to even recall after being saved. Aren’t we ashamed of what we did when we were not saved? Not only we did not gain anything by such conduct, but, in Paul’s categorical verdict, it would only condemn us to death. Verses 20, 21.

Paul now comes to the transformed life of the believers. After accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as our Master, we have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God. The benefit we would reap by this is a life that leads to holiness, which will result in eternal life. Verse22.

From death, we have passed on to life. From being slaves to sin, we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Master. We are no longer slaves to sin but are slaves to Christ and His righteousness. We have gained a life leading to holiness which would result in eternal life for us.

Paul concludes the chapter with a very poignant remark: wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ. Verse 23. There are two options before us; one is to lead a sinful life and face death; not just physical death but eternal death. For ever. The other is to follow Christ and accept the gift of eternal life that is guaranteed in Christ.

Sin offers wages, but God gives us a gift. A gift is never earned, but a wage is earned. So, do we work hard, indulge in sin and earn death and doom or do we accept Christ as our Master and receive the loving gift that He would give us, eternal life – that is the life-threatening or life giving question Paul is asking his readers in Roman church.

Same question faces us also. What would it be? Sin and death or Christ and eternal life? None of us can be righteous on our own strength, neither can we earn eternal life by leading a meritorious life. It is by pure grace of God that we get eternal life as a gift. We do not merit it, but grace of God offers it to us in His Son Jesus Christ.

When we count the cost God had to incur to buy our redemption from sin and death, by offering the supreme sacrifice of His Son’s life on earth, we will not argue that because of God’s grace let’s continue in sin.

Yes, Lord is merciful and will forgive our sins, but not wilful disobedience. That is equivalent to crucifying Christ again on the cross. Let us not commit such a crime, for which there will be no pardon, but just punishment.

God’s grace be upon us.