Romans 6:22 - Free Slaves
Feb
23
Written by:
2/23/2009 11:37 AM
Rom 6:21-23
The pleasure and profit of sin do not deserve to be called fruit. Sinners are but ploughing iniquity, sowing vanity, and reaping the same. Shame came into the world with sin, and is still the certain effect of it. The end of sin is death. Though the way may seem pleasant and inviting, yet it will be bitterness in the latter end. From this condemnation the believer is set at liberty, when made free from sin. If the fruit is unto holiness, if there is an active principle of true and growing grace, the end will be everlasting life; a very happy end! Though the way is up-hill, though it is narrow, thorny, and beset, yet everlasting life at the end of it is sure. The gift of God is eternal life. And this gift is through Jesus Christ our Lord. Christ purchased it, prepared it, prepares us for it, preserves us to it; he is the All in all in our salvation. (Matthew Henry)
Rom 6:22
But now being made free from sin - As being free from righteousness is the finished character of a sinner, so being made free from sin is the finished character of a genuine Christian.
And become servants to God - They were transferred from the service of one master to that of another: they were freed from the slavery of sin, and engaged in the service of God.
Fruit unto holiness - Holiness of heart was the principle; and righteousness of life the fruit.
(Dr. Adam Clarke)
But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. (NASB)
But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. (KJV)
But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. (NLT)
But now, freed from sin and enslaved to God, you have your benefit leading to sanctification, and the end is eternal life. (NET)
John 3:36 And anyone who believes in God's Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn't obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God's angry judgment." (NLT)
The "end fruit," the culmination and completion (telos - completion as in a state of perfection) of God's plan is our sanctification and eternal life. There is no more perfect example than that of Christ Jesus Himself who yielded to the will of the Father. This is our fruit (derived benefit) of His holiness permeating every fiber of our being by His presence in our lives. We are now delivered from sin's slavery and have been transformed into slaves of His righteousness (bond slaves of Christ) who is Lord. It is hard for the American mindset to understand that there can be such amazing liberty in slavery because what our flesh really desires is freedom to do what our fallen nature desires. But as we have seen this has been described as bondage with the illusion of freedom. Only in Christ is there true liberty because our current tent of habitation is a vessel of corruption. So we wait patiently for our Lord's return when these earthly bodies will be raised incorruptible and our final perfection realized. However, the here and now is life in the Spirit who will lead us in the way everlasting.
In the Greek mind the idea of freedom (eleutheroō) was in contrast to slavery (douloō) and was considered in the political context. Aristotle phrase this as κοινωνία τῶν ἐλευθέρων ,the assembly of freedom (The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament). In this sense we are now the congregation of the liberated!
Copyright ©2009 Robert Flynn