Slaves To Sin

Romans 6:16-23

It is probably fairly safe to say that none of you reading this has ever been a slave to someone else.  Some may feel that their boss treats them as a slave, or that their parents or spouse does, but in actuality they are not true slaves.  People who suffer from addictions, such as to alcohol, illegal drugs, or anything else that seems to hold control over them, often speak of being like a slave to that thing.  Some of us may have been told by others that we are slaves to our work, our hobbies, sports, or something else, as they seem to control our life. In our Scripture passage for today from Paul’s letter to the Romans he teaches us of a slavery that we all were under at one point in our life, and some may still be under, and that is a slave to sin.

Paul begins our passage by stating something that would seem to be obvious - a slave will obey his master.  The slave is under subjection. What the master says he has to do, he is the slave. Sin whispers in our ear to do this or that sinful act or behavior.  The Holy Spirit also speaks to our heart to follow Him. Who do we obey? Who do we follow? Paul tells us here that whoever we follow and obey, that is who we are a slave to.  The Lord Jesus said the same thing when He said in John 8:34 that whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.

Sin draws us to itself like a fish to a lure.  That lure sparkles and seemingly promises something good.  But it is like standing on the edge of a very steep and deep cliff.  One more step and we fall into danger and death. Flirting with temptation is a fool’s dream.  To do so will draw us into deeper and darker evil. Sin and Satan are hard task masters, paying a wage of death.

Being a slave has a penalty.  Slavery brings loss of freedom.  The slave cannot do whatever they want, or come and go as they please.  They must obey their master and stay on the plantation. The slave to alcohol or drugs pays the price of a ruined life and ruined relationships.  When someone breaks the law there is a penalty that must be paid. Sin is breaking God’s law, and He decreed that the penalty for sin is death. Our sins earned us death.  One way or another the debt must be paid. We cannot leave prison until there has been a death. How was there a death if we are still alive, we might ask. There was a death, though, and that death occurred on Calvary.  God offered a graphic solution to the world’s sin problem. He gave His Son, Jesus, who shed His Blood for us. Jesus came and paid our penalty. He served our time. He satisfied the penalty and set us free from the slavery to sin.

Either we attempt to pay the penalty ourselves, and get eternal death, or we accept that Jesus paid it, and we get eternal life.  All of our attempts at good works will not earn us a place in heaven. God paid for the mess we made with the Blood of His Son. He forgives that debt when we accept Jesus as our Savior.  Without blood, a body is a lifeless corpse. Without the Blood of Jesus we are just as spiritually dead. Jesus gives us a gift of eternal life, something we could never achieve otherwise.

Today’s culture has influenced many Christians to soften the Gospel message, focusing exclusively on the joy, peace, and love of Christ, and downplaying sin.  There is joy and peace when we find Jesus. But that follows acknowledging that one is a sinner, and in need of a Savior.

Who are we obeying?  Who are we a slave to?  Sin or righteousness? Is sin, and thus Satan our master, or is Jesus our Master?  Everyone has one or the other. Let’s be sure to choose Jesus!