WHOSE SERVANT ARE YOU?

WHOSE SERVANT ARE YOU?

Romans 6:20-22 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. (v.21) What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. (v.22) But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

“When ye were servants of sin” is a description of everyone who is unsaved. This state or condition is one not readily accepted by the unregenerate. They would say they are only doing what they enjoy, what they choose to do. But according to this passage and several others every one of us, if we are not born again, are the slaves of sin.

Look again at what Jesus told the Pharisees in John chapter 8 (Read the entire text. I selected 3 verses for brevity and continuity of thought.) John 8:34 “Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin….(v.41) Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, we be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. (v.44) Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do….” He says they “will do” these things. It is not a choice it is evidence of their family relationship. He is telling them that even though they outwardly claim to be religious and followers of Abraham their deeds, the daily activities of their lives, reveal a different story. They cannot give up the sins they practice every day because they are the children of Satan and they will, they in fact must, obey their father…they will sin. Some will be like Hitler or Mussolini and some will be like your kindergarten teacher but all will sin.

Look at verse 21 again. We view sin wrong. We are not seeing the wickedness of our actions. Paul said those days of sin are days we should be ashamed of. Most today, claiming to be saved, have no real shame or remorse over the ungodliness of their past. They easily fall back into sin because they never really felt godly sorrow over it in the first place, I Cor. 7:10 “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” When we see sin as God sees sin we turn from it by choice not by command. Our own hearts see the wickedness of sin and we are repulsed by it. We do not need to see a Bible verse saying ‘thou shalt not…” because we are fully aware of the vile nature of sin in the presence of a holy God.

When we truly get saved we are freed from that bondage. We no longer serve sin. But we will always be servants. If we do not serve sin then we serve God. Look again at verse 22. Paul makes an interesting statement here. Read it carefully and you will see he is not asking for any change in behavior. Rather he is stating a fact he believes his readers already comprehend, “But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God….” In other words, since it is a fact that you are free from sin and have become servants of God you will be producing good works.

So then, why are so many who claim to be Christian still living in sin? Why are so many church members still looking like they did before they joined their local church? Why do we not see a greater difference between the world and those claiming to be children of God? Because we will, and in fact we do, serve our master. And our service will proclaim our true allegiance.

Whose servant are you?