Today I’d like to talk about living as a slave of God. Verse 23 says, “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God.” Before we were slaves of sin, but now we are slaves of God. We are to live as slaves to God. In the present world the word “slave” makes us feel uncomfortable. This is because we think that a slave as no freedom and is a person who is in a condition of being restrained. .
However, when we look at the Bible we can see that Paul had an inexpressible joy, thankfulness, and pride towards being a slave of God and living as slave. Compared with other people he left the largest number of books in the Bible, but when he had to emphasize that he was an apostle, he clearly wrote, “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ”, but at other times, when he talked about himself, he said, “a slave of Christ”. When he didn’t need to emphasize that he was an apostle, he always wrote “Paul, a slave of Christ”.
This wasn’t just Paul. Peter and James were the same. For example, Peter was set free of sin by Jesus Christ and as a person who was set free he said, “live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover up for evil; live as servants of God.” (I Peter 2:16) Peter had a personality where he always thought that he was number one among the disciples. He intruded with “I” “I”. This Peter was joyful, honored, thankful and proud that he was a servant of Christ.
Paul was the same. He said that he was thankful that he was a slave of sin, but now is a slave of righteousness. This is not just Paul, but all Christians have been set free from sin. Today let’s look at 3 aspects of living as a slave of God.
I. From a slave of sin to a slave of righteousness (vs. 15-18)
First let’s look at the point that Christians have been set free from sin and have become slaves of righteousness. First let’s look at verse 15.
Paul from 6:1 talks about the thinking that if as sin increases grace increases then shouldn’t we continue in sin. He says that “By no means.” (2) We have died to sin so there is no way that we can continue to live that way. We have been united with Christ so we are no longer under sin, but we are under grace. Then “Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace?” (15) No. The reasons are given in verses 15 to 18. That is because Christians have been set free from sin, and have become slaves of righteousness.
Here we are shown what kind of person a Christian is. A Christian is set free from sin and is a slave of God. A Christian was originally a slave of sin, but he “wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching”.(17) This “form of teaching” is the Gospel. By the Gospel we are set “free from sin, and become slaves of righteousness”.(18) A “slave of righteousness”(18) is a “slave of God”. (22) All men are born as slaves of sin. There is no one that is born as a slave of God. Also there is no one born that is in the middle, neither a slave of sin nor a slave of God. Everyone is a sinner, a slave of sin. A slave of sin is brought before God by the redemption of God’s son, Jesus Christ on the cross.
Ephesians 2:1-5
I Cor. 6:20
We were bought by the price of Jesus on the cross. Those who believe in Jesus Christ are God’s, they belong to God.
In this age people are not accepting of the word, slave. A slave goes against his will, and even if he doesn’t want to is used to do anything. He is sold and bought. To be set free from sin and to become a slave of God sounds like you are being restrained by God with no freedom at all. At the time this letter was written there were 6,000,000 slaves in the Roman empire. There were some who loved their masters and lived an abundant life, but a large portion of the slaves were used like working animals, and like working animals were marketed. Especially those who worked at the bottom of the ship oaring all throughout the year had a very difficult time. When they were tired and wanted to take a little break, they were whipped. They didn’t have time to rest until the next shift took over and so they just had to keep oaring. They always had to live in the dark bottom part of the ship.
However, what Paul is calling a “slave of God” is definitely not this kind of slave. He is referring to a person who really lives in freedom. That is because real freedom is in God. Solomon who was arrayed with glory said, “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” ”What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun.” (Eccl. 1:2,3) Without God, for example, learning, pleasures, business, skills, everything is meaningless. These types of things give us a temporary joy, feeling of contentment, a feeling of blessedness, but it is nothing more than the empty joy of sin. Therefore, in this age there is no contentment. We work to have a life that is better. In that busyness we seek to have enjoyment through sake and movies and T.V., but we are not able to have real rest. People seek after fads. They think they are living in the present and are content, but our hearts never find contentment in such things. We will never find real freedom and peace, joy and contentment if we are separated from God and living a life separated from Christ. In Jesus Christ there is real rest. In Jesus Christ there is real freedom.
That is the freedom of being forgiven of sin, being set free from sin. Sin does not own us at all. Who can accuse us? Who can make us guilty of sin? No one. God’s son, Jesus Christ, died for us. He rose and now sits at the right hand of God and makes intercession for us. Through Christ we are set free from the penalty of sin and the judgment of sin. By the redemption of Christ on the cross all of our sin is gone. And it is all forgotten. All of our sin has been washed away and we are cleansed by the blood of Jesus. It is just as if we had never sinned. That is what it means to be made righteous. There is nothing more agonizing than to be condemning yourself for your sins. Lots of people are struggling with a guilty conscious. However, Jesus sets us free from the judgment of sin, our wounds of sins, from our guilty conscious of sin. But that’s not all. We are also set free from the power of sin.
The Gospel has power.
Romans 1:16
We have been made God’s slave so we have been set free from the control of sin, and from being a slave in sin and have real freedom and peace, joy and contentment and live by God’s power and control. At any time we can go before God, and freely pray and our prayer will be heard. When comfort in needed, comfort is given. When encouragement is need, encouragement is given. When forgiveness is needed, forgiveness and cleansing is given, when leading is needed, we are led. When endurance is needed, endurance is given. When love is needed, we are given love. When wisdom is needed, we are given wisdom. Everything is given to us. This is a wonderful privilege.
Exodus 21:5,6
The Israelites had a custom that after six years as a slave, the slave was to be set free. There were some slaves who felt the love of their master and chose not to be set free. They were allowed to continue as a slave. In that case they were brought to the door and had their ears pierced. This was a sign that the slave had decided that he would be the master’s slave for life. The slave wanted to be a slave that much. To be God’s slave is to be changed into such a wonderful position that we desire to be a slave to Him.
Galatians 6:17
“The marks” are the brand of your owner. Paul was branded, “Jesus”. He is confessing that he was Jesus’. He was owned by Jesus. We are the same. We have been set free from sin, and are God’s slave. By the cross of Jesus we have been atoned and redeemed and become a slave of righteousness.
II. Living as a slave of God.
The second point is that we have been bought by God and are a slave of God so let’s live as a slave of God. Let’s look at verse 19.
Here Paul is saying that since we have been set free from being a slave of sin and have become a slave of righteousness, then we should use our body parts for God as His slave and live in holiness.
Here Paul uses the phrase “weak in your natural selves”.(19) This refers to people who believe in Christ and are already saved, but their Spiritual understanding is weak.
Hebrews 5:12
This is the meaning of weak. In other words, even though a person is a Christian, because he hasn’t matured spiritually, he has an inability to have spiritual understanding. Therefore, Paul used the example of slaves that Christians are set free from sin, and are slaves to righteousness so that they could understand. No one wants to be a slave. Even if the meaning of slave is different, we are set free from sin and are made righteous which is the same thing as being completely a slave of God. Therefore as a slave of righteousness, as a slave of God, we need to live holy lives. “Parts of your body”(19) refers to all your heart and body. We need to give our all to God who loves us and gave his son Jesus Christ to die on the cross to redeem us. ”Leading to holiness”(19) means the same. This does not mean that we don’t sin. It means sanctification. It means making holiness your goal and live striving to be holy. A person who knows the Gospel does not want to live in sin. Even a person that sins over and over again, even so he wants to live a life that is pleasing to God and live in holiness. He continues on the road “leading to holiness” (19)
II Cor. 5:14,15
Christ’s love surrounds us. Christ died for all men “that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who dies for them and was raised again.” (II Cor. 5:15) When we realize this love of Christ we want to give our all and live for Him. It is only natural.
III. Death or eternal life (vs.20-23)
The third point is the result. Let’s look at verses 20 to 23.
These verses record the fate of two kinds of people: those who don’t have faith and those who have faith and live as God’s slave. Generally, the people in this world do not know the big difference between the fate of these two types of people. It is more important than the differences in nationalities or differences in gender, or any other of the societal differences. By it our eternity is decided. Those who are in sin, who die in sin will go to eternal death. This isn’t just a physical death, but a spiritual death. In Revelations it is called “the second death” (20:14) They are eternally separated from the source of blessings, God.
The slaves of God receive “eternal life”. Eternally they continue in the blessings of God. Our life isn’t just on this earth. Even though our physical body perishes, our soul lives on eternally. Where are you going to spend your second life? With God and with God’s blessings or separated from God under His curse?
Vs. 23
Even if you search every where in this world, there is no eternal life to be found. Eternal life is to be found only in Jesus Christ. There is no other name by which we can be saved. After such a huge earthquake disaster and the problems at the nuclear plant, many people in this country are full of uncertainties and confusion, but the hope of life is in Jesus Christ.
II Cor. 6:2
We need to make Jesus’ heart our heart and Jesus’ thoughts our thoughts and so that Christ’s name is spread throughout the country, preach the Gospel. We need to give our whole life to the Lord. This is how we should respond to Christ who loves us and died for us and rose again. Our life as God’s slave is really full of fruit. When we go to heaven full of joy and strength and rewards we will receive a wonderful crown from God.