Free from Sin and Servants of Righteousness Romans 6:18

Paul the apostle told the people in Rome, “God be thanked, that you were the servants of sin, but you have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.” In chapter six and eighteen of Romans, Paul told the Romans how they were, “made free from sin” and “become the servants of righteousness” where we read:

Being then made free from sin, you became the servants of righteousness.

The verse begins, “Being then made free from sin, ...” Paul began with the words, “being then” which means “existing therefore, accordingly, consequently and these things being so” “made free” which means “set at liberty and delivered from the dominion” “from sin” or “away and departed from missing the mark, erring and being mistaken”. Paul shared how his readers were “set at liberty” from “missing the mark, erring and being mistaken”.

The verse goes on to say, “... you became the servants of righteousness.” Paul began with the words “you became the servants” or “Paul's readers were made, formed and fashioned as slaves, bondmen and people of servile conditions” or “” “of righteousness” which means “of the state of him who is as he ought to be and the condition acceptable to God”. Paul's readers were brought to the place where they were “slaves” to the “conditions” which are “acceptable to God”.

When we meditate upon these words of Paul, we see how Jesus made his believing readers “set at liberty” from the power of “sin”, and now they were “bondmen” to “God's righteous” ways. This is what happens to the person who “believes and trusts” in Jesus. He wipes away their “sin” and “cleanses” them “from all unrighteousness”. (See 1 John 1:9) Now “God's ways” become the most important, and “submitting” to God provides “eternal” or “age abiding life”.

Next time Paul tells the people in Rome, “speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.