19I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. 20When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:19-23
If you are of working age and are blessed to be have a job, then you know what it is like to have a value placed upon the work that you do; to have a salary that is somewhat relative to the difficulty of the tasks that you have to do in your place of work. It’s a monetary right that we receive every month in return for services rendered. When we do our work we get paid. When we don’t do our work, we don’t get paid. It’s a directly proportional equation.
In this passage, it also doesn’t get any simpler than that. It says that when we were slaves to sin, the only thing that we can expect is death. The inevitable outcome of living in wickedness and impurity is of the same. We reap what we sow, and earn exactly what we work for.
The death that is described here is not that which comes out of our physical bodies ceasing to function, like literally being brain dead or having our hearts stop beating. In a way, it is even worse. The death that is being talked about here is one which refers to a drastically decreased quality of life, an emptiness or meaninglessness. It’s the darkness of depression, the depths of despair.
However as Christians, one of the bases of our faith is salvation and eternal life in Christ. Through Him we have redemption, and through Him we can be renewed. And He has chosen to give this to us as a gift, despite the death sentence that what we have earned for ourselves. As new creations, the blessings that we receive are not based anymore on a directly proportional value, that would not be beneficial to us at all. Our loving God bestows forgiveness and eternal life to us as a gift freely given, no strings attached.
Given this, how can we help but not throw ourselves into His service, wholeheartedly and with joy in our hearts?
I believe the word ‘slave’ was used in this passage because in the period when it was written, it was the most understandable analogy that Paul could have drawn. Which is not to say that it is not applicable in this modern time as well. Indeed, I think using the word slave gives an urgent ring to it, suggesting that the manner in which we should be serving should be as desperate and humble and servile as a slave would be to his master. It also implies that one is owned by a higher authority, and here again the relationship comparison is apt.
Being called by God, owned by God, should be our heart’s desire.
Reflection Question
Are you fully recovered from the bonds and chains that held you in your past life, to the point where you can think back on it without giving over to despair? Is the value that you put in the forgiveness and redemption that God has given you showing through in the way that you lead your prayer and daily life right now?
Heavenly Father you have forgiven me time and time again for my many transgressions. You have forgiven me even for things that I have forgotten about. You have forgiven me so thoroughly that You have allowed me to stand in your service, to be filled with Your Holy Spirit, to call out Your Name. I thank You for this forgiveness Lord, and I pray that I will forever be in possession of this knowledge that I might never be stumbled into falling away from Your grace. Amen
