Emancipation and the New Enslavement

“When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? The end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:20-23).

Many of you have heart verse 23 some hundreds of times, but I wonder how often we have taken it in its context. The text sets before us two fully opposed situations, slavery to sin and slavery to righteousness. The slavery to sin is a wide path and full of many fellow journeyers. The slavery to righteousness is a narrow path with a few good (by grace) men and women (cf. Matt. 7:13,14). How good the God of Scripture is to do more than command, but to teach as well. Be careful to notice the often-used panoramic view of life that the Bible contains. So often it speaks of the “end.” The eyes of faith see along with the holy writer to the conclusion of the matter. In hope seeing 10, 20, 30, or more than 40 years ahead. The wide road has a large dropoff. Both the present separation as the result of present sin and the future end (after death), the soul is now and, if grace is ignored till the that date, will be permanently separated from the possibility of friendship with God.

However, the greater enslavement is to God. But do not be deceived, men are slaves—me and you included. The question is not are we slaves but to whom we are enslaved. We often think we are our own masters, but that is a lie from the devil (who is quite happy to have us think he doesn’t exist and that we rule our own destiny). As reborn slaves to God we have the finest of Masters. He has paid the whole price, therefore there is nothing He cannot ask of us. But who can challenge the wisdom of His commands?! Who has better servants (not the pretenders)? Whose servants worry less or have more spiritual food to dine upon? Has not our master given us His words? Are they not life to the soul? Can we not say with Bunyan’s Christian as he labored in battle with that destroyer Apollyon (his former master):

“What I promised thee was in my non-age; and besides, I count the Prince under whose banner now I stand is able to absolve me; yes, and to pardon also what I did as to my compliance with you; and besides, O you destroying Apollyon! to speak truth, I like his service, his wages, his servants, his government, his company, and country, better than yours; and, therefore, leave off to persuade me further; I am his servant, and I will follow him.”
–Pilgrim’s Progress, “The Valley of Humiliation”

Amen to that. He is truly the Master of masters. If He is yours, bless Him for that wonderful eternal occupation!