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?"

Sin is stupid. Paul uses strong words in the Greek. The world thinks that righteousness is stupid and sin is fun. Look at the popularity of TV programs that regularly highlight sinful behavior. The letter to the Romans taught when men reject the revelation of God in nature, they become fools, but they think of themselves as wise.

We become the slave of what we obey. We are blessed today to vote for leaders in our state and country. One historian summarized the beginning of our nation with these words, “Our nation at the beginning was under the tyranny of King George III of England. As a new country under its domination, taxes and laws need to be followed. As far as Jefferson was concerned, King George III was an overbearing tyrant, enslaving his colonists to his will. Only 100 years before, when King Charles behaved the exact same way, his countrymen beheaded him. The eleven years that followed were so bad that the country had to beg his son Charles II to come back and be king.

Thomas Jefferson, Richard Henry Lee, Patrick Henry – these patriots all knew that “no law” just meant “just another bad law”. So our county’s leaders decided it was time to throw off a bad master and choose a good law. The selfishness of master King George was opposed. When Jefferson asked this question about serving King George III, the answer was pretty simple. It meant you couldn’t go over the Appalachian Mountains. It meant you couldn’t trade with anyone but Great Britain; and it meant everywhere you looked; there was another tax. The Revolutionary War of our nation resulted in many deaths to withstand tyranny and provide all citizens with freedom.

There was a spiritual war fought for your freedom by Jesus and this opportunity was provided for us to throw off the chains of slavery to sin. Those who trust in Christ are set from the worst of cruel masters, Satan.

Baptism shows that in the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord we have a new life in Christ. The Apostle Paul is making the argument - will you allow yourselves to once again be enslaved to sin or will you take a stand and enjoy your freedom in Christ by considering yourselves dead to sin and alive to Jesus?

When I was in India and Russia, I first heard the term used for those Christian by name only and not lifestyle. They are called “nominal Christians”. They talk the talk, but do not walk the walk. Paul needed to tell and show the new church, who they were in Christ as new creatures with a new lifestyle that is supposed to show. Why would you want to be enslaved to sin when you have been set free?

In tyranny there is domination. Nations and dictators can imprison you to serve them. That is what sin is like. That is what Satan is like. You are under his control. You are by nature caught up in lusts, selfishness, pride, and anything that is opposed to the Lordship of Jesus.

Many nations served a king. Many nations submit to a dictator. Democracy became a threat to the control over the people whether it be a communistic country, or a fascist country, or an Islamic country, or control by those who called themselves Christian and force their view on others which deny them freedom of their own conscience. People love to have power over other people and be served by them.

Look at the Scripture through the eyes of a 1st Century Roman Christian. Slavery was an important part of the Roman economy. Most of the population were slaves who were citizens from countries that had been conquered by Rome and forced to move to serve their new owners. When a slave was passed in ownership from one master to another – the old master’s authority came to an end. But with a master who could free you, you could voluntarily be under his authority and protection.

That is how it is with Christ. He is the new master that we voluntarily submit to for He has liberated us from the power of sin. Now you have passed from the service of Satan into the service of God. Your business now is to do what pleases God, not what Satan dictates. We find purpose and pleasure living in the power of the Lord, how we were intended to live and the way we were created to be.

To live in selfishness is only a continuation of bondage to sin.

 

Dale