In most places around the world today, slavery is illegal. People are no longer forced to work against their will with no pay, and belong to their master. When someone was a slave they had to obey the master, and were not free to do what they wished. None of us would ever want to be a slave. In our Scripture today, from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Church in Rome, he speaks of all of us as being slaves to one thing or another. So I’m a slave? You’re a slave? Let’s look at what God’s Word is saying.
So if I’m a slave, who is my master? Who or what am I giving servitude to? As Paul opens our Scripture, he tells us that we are slaves to either sin or to righteousness (vs. 16). All unbelievers, all those who have not given their lives to the Lord Jesus, are slaves to sin and to Satan, whether they know it or not. Satan is their master. Those who have been born-again, and given their lives to the Lord Jesus are slaves of righteousness, and He is their Master. Before salvation, we were slaves of sin and part of Satan’s kingdom of darkness. After we called upon Jesus to save our souls, we are now part of His kingdom and belong to Him. Ownership and allegiance has been transferred.
However, sometimes believers do not realize or live like they have been bought and purchased by Jesus, and are no longer slaves of Satan. They still live and follow their sin nature. Paul questions his readers as to who they are obeying. Are they obeying and continuing to live as slaves of sin, or are they following righteousness?
Picture a slave who has a harsh and cruel master, one who is very wicked, and mistreats his slaves. Then one day someone who is kind comes and purchases that slave, and ownership has been transferred to this new owner, who actually makes him a part of the family. Why would the slave continue to stay with the wicked and cruel former owner? Yet that is what we see happening to so many believers today. They still choose to serve sin and Satan. When we believe what Jesus has done for us, a relationship with God begins, and sin no longer has dominion over us (vs. 18). We are set free from bondage to Satan and sin.
Christians were once slaves to the sin nature, but are now servants of Jesus and righteousness. We are not free to do whatever we want. We are free only to do that which is consistent with the character of God. True freedom is freedom from sin. However, there are many Christians who think they can get real close to the edge of sin, and that they will be okay. But then they slip and fall. Their life and testimony, and often the lives of others are destroyed. Sin’s appetite only grows when it is fed.
Absolutely nothing of any value can come out of sinful experiences. There is no good fruit there, only spiritual death, and possibly physical death too (vs. 21). Being a servant of Jesus and of righteousness brings good fruit and eternal life. We had been slaves to sin, but through salvation, we have been set free. We should never go back to our old ways of sin. Sin is no longer our master. Jesus is. He should control our life, not Satan. Unlike being a slave of Satan, we discover that Jesus’ yoke is light (Matthew 11:28-30).
Paul wraps up this portion of Scripture by speaking of wages and a gift (vs. 23). A wage is what we get, what we deserve for something we do. We usually think of it positively, equating it with a job and a salary. However, it can also be a punishment, as it is here. Our sinful behavior has earned us something, and that is spiritual death and separation from God. A gift is something good that we get for free. Someone gives us a gift because they like or love us. We don’t work for it. It is freely given. Paul tells us here that when we accept Jesus as Savior, God has given us the gift of eternal life.
Every sin that has ever been committed must receive a just punishment, and the penalty for sin is death. That has been the case since the Garden of Eden, and God warned us of that then, and continually does to this day. However, because of His deep love for us, He provided a substitute to pay the penalty for everyone, Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God. It cost Jesus His life to pay the penalty for our sin. God gives us eternal life on the basis of Jesus’ righteousness, not according to what our sins deserve.
We are free to choose between two masters, but we will bear for eternity the consequences of our decision. We can choose to serve sin and Satan, which will bring death and separation from God for eternity, or we can choose to serve Jesus Christ, and have eternal life with Him in heaven. Everyone must make a choice by the time they die. Who do you choose for your master? The choice is yours.
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