“When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
- Romans 6:20-23 -

Christians have exchanged slavery to sin, ‘which leads to death’ (v 16) and become ‘slaves to righteousness’ (v 18). The difference is massive. One leads to ‘ever-increasing wickedness’ (v 19), the other to holiness and eternal life (vs 19,22). It’s a binary choice. It is far more than a good career move. It is a journey into what is good, beneficial and of eternal worth. To invest our lives in serving a good and gracious master is, paradoxically, that which sets us free.

A word of caution here: it is not right to serve God for what we can get out of it. We love God for God’s own sake. We embrace goodness and righteousness, because it is the right thing to do. If we sin, we earn the appropriate ‘wages’ – death (v 23). If we live for righteousness, we do not earn life on the basis of personal merit: rather it comes to us as a gift from God (v 23). Christians serve God out of love, not the self- interested desire to gain a reward. Love is its own reward. Because love will never pass away, when we live, in love we live in God.

Apply: ‘Grant us so to know you that we may truly love you, and so to love you that we may fully serve you, whom to serve is perfect freedom’ (St. Augustine)

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, I want to be like You in Your incarnation, Your service and love, Your endurance and Your mission. Keep me daily in tune with Your values.

From Encounter with God.