Slaves to Sin or Righteousness

 Matthew 10: 24-32, Romans 6: 12-23

Matthew 10 has Jesus talking about a slave being like its master. He mentions those whose master is Beelzebul who is a demonic presence attributed to Satan, the ruler of all sin and evil. They are told not to fear those who can only do damage to the body and not the soul. They are to fear God who can destroy both body and soul in hell.

In contrast to being a slave to sin and Satan, we are to have Christ as our master. Everyone who acknowledges Christ, he will acknowledge them to God the Father. Yet if you deny him and have sin and evil as your master, Jesus will deny you to the Father.

In Romans Paul tells us about the freedom we have from the law and how grace has forgiven our sins. However, some took this as a “Get Out of Hell” card and continued to live in sin. Paul after stating how we are now under grace raises the question, “Shall we sin so that grace may abound?” To which he gives a very bold answer, “By no means!”

He tells how they were once slaves to sin and lawlessness but are now slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. The dictionary defines sanctification as being free from sin or purified. This goes along with Paul saying, “Now that you are enslaved by God the fruit you have leads to sanctification while the fruits you had while being enslaved to sin brought death. Sanctification leads to purified spiritual life now not just eternal life.

Verse 23, which most of us have memorized, says it all. For the wages – what you earned – from sin is death but the free gift of God – one you don’t have to work for – is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

What types of sin do you find yourself enslaved to? Turn it over to Christ to purify you and turn away from it unto righteousness. Amen

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