Breaking Free from Being Slaves to Sin
- meetgodattheedgeof
- Jun 22
- 3 min read
Romans 6:19-23
[19] Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy. [20] When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. [21] And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. [22] 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. [23] For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
"Slaves to sin" is an interesting phrase. As it says in this chapter, it is used so that it is easier for us to understand. Being slaves to sin is an addiction to fulfilling our unholy desires. To the world, this is freedom. Living from one desire to the next is what we see everywhere the cameras are pointed. In reality, these people are bound to their habits and to what they are told is good.
This is a lifestyle where people end up doing what they hate and feeling completely unfulfilled.
It's amazing to see the dedication and drive people put into hiding a gambling addiction. The lengths someone will go to in trying to conceal a drug addiction. I've seen Cops—they shove that stuff everywhere! The time spent finding the perfect place and moment to finally watch those disgraceful videos. The effort put into hiding, pretending, and lying about cheating on a spouse.
A lot of decisions are made and acted on in a moment of sinful desire, only to result in resentment, shame, and hating ourselves afterward. We hate it, it disgusts us, but we do it anyway. That is what it means to be slaves to sin.
What this chapter in Romans is trying to show us is that now that we are followers of the Lord, we need to put that same amount of effort into aligning our hearts with God's. Imagine where you would be if you put as much time and dedication into obeying God as you do into scrolling, lusting, lying, eating, playing, or working. Some of these things, in and of themselves, are not bad, but when they replace or take priority over a deeper relationship with the Lord, they become sin.
Each direction creates a snowball effect. Choosing our desires and remaining slaves to sin snowballs into deeper and more destructive habits, guilt, and self-hate. Choosing God snowballs into a deeper and more intimate relationship with our perfect Father, allowing us to live out our calling and a life of purpose.
Just as we once dedicated our lives to the pursuit of worldly desires, now we must dedicate our minds, bodies, and actions to our Heavenly Father.
Thank you, Father, for one more day. Amen
Romans 7:21-23
[21] I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. [22] I love God’s law with all my heart. [23] But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.
