As I continue reading in the wonderful New Testament book of Romans I find baffling truths about our human condition. As a result of becoming a "New Creature" by faith in Christ I learn in chapter 6 that we are called to do two things our culture discourages and/or disparages. We are called to 'Volunteer' and we are called to be 'Slaves'. Volunteering is often frowned on in our culture because it implies you will be used for unpleasant work...possibly even dangerous or life-threatening tasks and it isn't considered wise to step forward. Keep a low profile we're told and fade into the crowd to avoid the sweat and risk. Slavery has rightly become a universally despised condition of freedom deprivation and abuse of individual worth. But in Romans, chapter 6, we are told to combine these two. Paul puts it this way in Romans 6:17But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. 18You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. What we have not realized is that we have been slaves our whole lives until we have embraced Christ in our hearts as savior. We have been slaves of the human spiritual disease called "sin", or our chronic tendency to choose our own way over God's way. The chains of that bondage have been cut at the moment our trust comes to rest on Jesus and now Paul exhorts us to willingly become a different kind of slave...a slave to righteousness. We learn in the rest of this passage (verses 19-23) that slavery to sin meant we were free from the rule of righteousness and the end result was ultimate death. As we become slaves to God we have the one worthy Master who will hone us in ways of holiness and give us eternal life. I suppose the question comes down to what kind of slavery we will volunteer for (slaves to sin or slaves to the Savior)!
blessings,
Rob Smith
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