Romans 6:19-23
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. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death. 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. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Devotion
Paul uses the imagery of slavery to make his point. In first century Rome, half of all people were slaves. Many Christians were slaves. Paul is making the point that we are either going to serve one master or another. Before Christ, we served our sinful nature. This is all we knew. After trusting Christ, God sent His Spirit to unite with our spirit. Now there is a new Master who we can serve. Every day we decide which master we will follow. Paul also points out the benefit of choosing to serve Christ: “[it] leads to holiness and the result is eternal life.” The result of surrendering to the sinful nature is death. Peter likens it to a dog returning to its vomit. The result of surrendering to God is eternal life.
Questions to Ponder:
Why is surrender so difficult in our culture? Why is surrender a positive thing in the context of Christianity? Why is surrender so difficult for you? Joshua wrote, “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Who will you serve this day?
Prayer Points
- Worship the LORD as our Holy Father.
- Thank Him for his perfection, holiness, glory, power, and might.
- Apologize for any sin that you are aware of or that He brings to your mind/heart. Allow time to grieve over that broken fellowship. Picture yourself giving that sin over to Jesus Christ. And receive His amazing grace, forgiveness, and love. “Sit in” that forgiveness knowing that You have been forgiven, and Abba remembers it no more.
- Ask the Lord to prune and refine you so you and your life reflect our Father in heaven and His holiness. Pray this for our church family and the greater one church.
Suggested Prayer
Holy Father, You are holy, and You call me to be holy as You are holy. God, I am asking that You would infill me by the power of Your Holy Spirit to put to death the old man and his old ways. For I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live but Christ in me. I am weak, Lord. I need Your dunamis power to strengthen me, to strengthen my inner man, and to lead me into You and Your heart. Lead me out of temptation and deliver me from evil. I ask in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.