“SLAVES!”

 

Romans 6:15-19                       (ESV)

“SLAVES” to Righteousness

“[15] What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! [16] Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as OBEDIENT “SLAVES”, you are “SLAVES” of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? [17] But thanks be to GOD, that you who WERE ONCE SLAVES OF SIN have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, [18] and, having been SET FREE FROM SIN, have become “SLAVES” OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. [19] I am speaking in human terms, because of your NATURAL LIMITATIONS. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.”

Never being PHYSICALLY held as a “SLAVE”knowing what having FREEDOM restrained is totally foreign to me.  But being SPIRITUALLY captive as a “SLAVE” to sin is a familiarity that I can attest to!  Not being FREE from sin is a death sentence that can be cured, but ONLY through FAITH in JESUS CHRIST!  

Sin is similar to a cancer!  It can be cut out, poisoned with chemotherapy and radiation, and fought with everything that humans are able to imagine.  However we have no guarantee that the cancer will never return.  The pastor who was preaching when GOD saved my soul experienced this.  He had previously had a cancerous tumor removed from his body, but many years later the cancer returned and ended his physical existence.  He is NO LONGER a “SLAVE” to drugs and treatments as on February 11, 2009 he finished his course on earth and entered his eternal reward!

Being SET FREE from the eternal effects of sin is akin to no longer being a “SLAVE”!  We don’t have to be concerned with eating the right things, avoiding certain exposures, or doing the “right things”!  Celebrating LIFE with NO CANCER would be something that would be fantastic as we all have lost loved ones to numerous types of carcinomas.  FREEDOM from the affects of SIN has that result. When we understand that the SAME JESUS WHO died on Calvary’s cross to forgive our sins ALSO gives us VICTORY over sin in our lives!  

Will I ever get to where I can PHYSICALLY live without sinning?  It has been said that “The closer you get to JESUS, the more imperfections you are able to see”!  1 Peter 2:11 says “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.”  We MUST ABSTAIN FROM THE PASSIONS OF THE FLESH and refuse to be a “SLAVE” to sin, through the POWER and GRACE of JESUS!!!