Slavery v. Freedom

This morning I was reading in the book of Romans, and came across an interesting biblical paradox. I don't normally dig into scripture as much as I probably should during my morning quiet time, but after I found out I didn't have to go into work, I decided to look at the text more closely to see what I might find. My mind was blown...

"Do you now know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to life?"

- Romans 6:16-17

So whatever we are obedient to, we are also slaves to. The word slavery has an immediate negative connotation, especially in our politically correct society that is still wounded by an ugly history of slavery. We have been studying the Atlantic Slave Trade and colonialism in my West and The World class, and so my emotions are a little bit raw concerning the evils of slavery. Although the ESV translation of this verse uses the word "slave" the footnote says the Greek translation is "bondservant" which I know has other connotations. I have not done a word study on this, so I'm not sure what all of the implications are. Regardless, the next few verses are what captured my attention...

"But thanks be to God that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.... For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.... But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life" (v. 18-22).

Paul clearly states in these verses that as believers in Christ we are not slaves to sin anymore, but to righteousness and God. So therefore slavery to God, is in fact freedom from sin. I wrestle with this paradox because it is hard for me to reconcile the two, and the proclivity of my heart is to harden at the thought of being enslaved to something or someone even God himself. I suppose you could attribute this to my innate sense of "God given rights". But that's a whole other blog... I also at times wrestle with how this even plays out practically, in day to day life. But the other amazing thing is that according to this passage, the fruit which is produced from being a slave to God leads to sanctification!

We discussed the idea of slavery in my Christian Scriptures class a few weeks ago when we were studying Exodus. We talked about the transition from the Israelite's enslavement to Pharaoh, to their enslavement to Yahweh after God liberates them from Egypt. I was a bit disoriented by this statement, but Paul clearly echoes this same sentiment in this chapter in Romans. He is, however, speaking to the Christians now under grace, not the law (v. 14).

So how then do we live as freed sinners under grace? Paul ends chapter 6 with a brilliant statement which reminds us of why we need to be freed by Jesus' work on the cross in the first place.

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (v. 23) This gift (Jesus' death on the cross) is free! We get to receive it. A free gift that brings freedom? Now that is evidence of an amazing God. And so I can confidently embrace my enslavement to God and righteousness. The alternative, the enslavement to sin, however, is very costly.