Romans 6:12-23.                                 Whose slave are we?               26/6/11

(12)  Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. {13} Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. {14} For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. {15} What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! {16} Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey--whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? {17} But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. {18} You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. {19} I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. {20} When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. {21} What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! {22} But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. {23} For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 Whose slave are we? Who or what are we serving in our life day in and day out? That surely is the base question that comes out of this reading here this morning. The answer that we give [not just verbally] determines either death or life for us. So this is an important question that we have to face in our lives all the time. So let us prayerfully consider this issue as Paul addresses it to us.

 It is here today, that our society, and all too often we ourselves, have a huge problem with this whole idea of being a slave and of serving. This whole concept is abhorrent to us. We are our own person. We are to be free to be who we are and who we want to be. No one should be a slave to anyone or anything. Each person must be able to do what he or she wishes.

This has become the ruling philosophy in our society and in our own lives; and pedantically so. We can see this coming out in so many laws and attitudes today. In fact it has become something that is being pursued with great determination: to the point that we have become slaves to this way of thinking. We must obey this philosophy at all costs.

If you are not so sure, just look around at what is being taught to our young people; what the media is presenting to us continually; the songs that we are singing; the laws that are being passed and the judgements that are being made. Then look even to our own attitudes and thinking, and I am sure that we can see this more and more coming to the fore.

And saddest of all, we can even see that this philosophy has taken a hold within the Christian church today as well. Again and again it is me and what I want that is determinative of what is right and good. The teachings and Confessions of the church are no longer important. What makes me feel good must be what I must have. Even Scripture must be read in such a way that it fits within this philosophical framework. Look at those who are running to hear what their itching ears want to hear. He who has ears to hear let him hear, and eyes to see, take note.

 Here then let us take serious note of what God says to us here through Paul.

Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey--whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?

Slaves to sin – surely not! Surely now I have gone too far! But is not what I have said thus far, sin? Is not this focus on me and what I want at all cost, sin? Yes this is the heart of sin itself. This selfish, self-centred attitude has reign in our mortal body so that we obey its evil desires. It is the placing of me and myself at the centre that is open rebellion against God. And we are making ourselves slaves to this very thinking.

To this attitude let us remember the clear consequence that results: it leads to death.  This selfish, self-centred approach to life is a disaster in the making. We can already see it happening; even though we are hell-bent on following this philosophy. In just a few ways we can see the consequences: the loneliness and alienation the come with greater selfishness; The breakdown in relationships and the increased violence: the degradation of sex and the open abuse of others, simply for ones own pleasure is growing: The corruption and heartlessness of so many; and list could go on. The end result will be the death of the society that is built on this philosophy and the individuals within it. And most tragic of all, is the death of any meaningful relationship with God Almighty himself and therefore eternal death. So, what a disaster we have in our midst!!

Surely however, we have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. Surely because we have been baptized into Christ Jesus, we will have died to the old sinful, selfish, self-centred way of life; and have been raised with him into a new life; a life that is centred on righteousness. In fact we have become slaves to this righteousness. Surely!

Because of God’s love for us in sending Jesus to die on the cross for us so that we might be forgiven and restored back into God’s family, our focus now will be on him and what he wants, not ourselves. Because the wages of our sin brought about the death of Jesus, we now know that the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord, so now all that we say and do will be in aimed at that which is in accord with a right relationship with him.

That is what this righteousness is: recognising and living in a right relationship with our great God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. That is: recognising that we are selfish, sinful people, who constantly need to be forgiven and redirected away from a focus on ourselves, to Christ and the cross. Then in response to this love and forgiveness we will constantly look to God and his Word to lead and direct us in all that we say and do. We will always look to him and his Word because we know that he and what he says is what is good and right for us.

Knowing all this then, we will see to it that we are slaves to this righteousness. Instead of being slaves to sin, we will see ourselves as being in total submission to God and his Word. Everything we say and do will be directed by this righteousness that is now ours through Jesus Christ our Lord. Christ and the cross will be that which determines who we are and what our status is in the world. Because we are forgiven, we will forgive others. His Word will no longer be interpreted by us to suit our ends, but will be God’s Word which directs and enlightens us. When he says take up your cross and follow me, we will do so knowing that he has gone before us in doing so. He is now Lord, not me. He is the absolute Boss of my life.

So now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to 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

As a result now slavery is no longer an abhorrent thing. It is no longer a thing to be fought against and looked down on as such a terrible thing. In fact now that we have been set free by Jesus Christ and been assured of eternal life with him, we will willingly give of ourselves and serve him in every way that we possibly can.

He is the great and loving Almighty God who truly has good in mind for us. His Word is right and true and so will be taken as that which is good for us: that it does tell us what we really do need to know with regard to our salvation, without us having to add to it our sinful reason and feelings; it will also tell us what is good for us to know with regard to issues such as ‘women’s ordination,’ homosexuality and other church practices, without us having to twist it to suit the societal whims of the day;  it will also guide us in that which is a good and right way for us to live and act as we go about our day to day life, without us seeing those good things as bad and boring. Also the Teachings and Confessions of the church will be seen and held up as that which is good to keep us on track, in the face of ‘wolves in sheep’s clothing’ who are trying to lead us up the garden path to death’s door.

Yes now the Lord Jesus Christ will be the centre and focus of all of who we are and what we do. Now we can sing his praises and give him all glory and honour; now and always. AMEN.

 Pastor Roger Atze

Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish