Servants to Whom You Obey Romans 6:16

Paul the apostle asked the people in Rome, “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace?”, and he answered, “God forbid”. In chapter six and sixteen of Romans, Paul told the Romans, “you are servants” “to whom you yield yourselves” where we read:

Know you not, that to whom you yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

The verse begins, “Know you not, that to whom you yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are to whom you obey; ” Paul began with the words, “know you not that” which means “did Paul's believing readers perceive, notice, discern, discover, ascertain or pay attention to”, “to whom” or “to the person or entity” “you yield yourselves” or “Paul's believing readers present, show and bring themselves into fellowship and intimacy with” “servants” which means “slaves, bondmen and people of servile condition” “to obey” or “to listen, harken and submit”, “his servants” which means “that person's slaves, bondmen and people of servile condition” “you are to whom” which refers to “Paul's believing readers are to the person they” “obey” or “listen, harken and submit”. Paul questioned whether his believing readers knew if they “show themselves in fellowship or intimacy” with someone, they have “submitted and harkened” to them.

The verse goes on to say, “whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” Paul continued with the word “whether” or “either indeed” “of sin” or “pertaining to missing the mark, erring and being mistaken” “unto death” which means “toward that separation (whether natural or violent) of the soul and the body by which the life on earth is ended”, “or of obedience” or “or through compliance, submission and observing the requirements of Christianity” “unto righteousness” which means “toward the state of him who is as he ought to be and the condition acceptable to God”. Paul identified the two options to which his readers might “yield” themselves; “missing the mark to the end of life” or “obedience” to the state and “condition acceptable to God”.

When we think through these words of Paul, we see how he desired for his readers to “know” that to which they “submit” themselves becomes their “master”. In other words, they are “slaves” to that which they “obey”. Jesus Christ came to free people from their “sins” which mastered over them, and now those who put their faith and trust in Him are to concern themselves with “obedience unto righteousness”. God desires to have a relationship with people that leads them away from the “servile condition” to “sin” and toward behavior that is pleasing to Him.

Next time Paul asks the people in Rome, “you were the servants of sin, but you have obeyed from the heart”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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