A Christian isn't someone who has eliminated sin from his life. But he has determined that God—not sin—will be in the driver's seat of his life. In this passage Paul draws on the Roman culture of his day with the image of masters and slaves. We need to be clear about whom we are owned by and what we have been liberated from.

1. What, according to verse 18, was our former master?



2. In what (v. 19) did that slavery entangle us? With (v. 21) what results?



3. What is our new master? With what outcome (vv. 19, 22)?



4. What choice does this voluntary form of slavery require? Is this decision one-time or recurring?



5. What is the "new teaching" (v. 17) that Paul writes about (See 1 Corinthians 15:1-4)?



6. Would you rate your efforts to avoid sin and adhere to righteousness as whole- or halfhearted?



7. You've heard Verse 23 quoted to explain the basis of salvation. But viewing it as a summary of this passage's focus on lifelong choices and commitments, what dimension is added?

Thank God for the gift of eternal life. Ask Him for the desire to pattern your life after Christ and the power to do good rather than evil.

¹⁵Well then, since God's grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! ¹⁶Don't you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. ¹⁷Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you.

¹⁸Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living. ¹⁹Because 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. ²⁰When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right.

²¹And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. ²²But 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. ²³For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Prayer for the Week

Forgive me, Lord, for minimizing the gift of my reconciliation to You through Christ by failing to confront my sinfulness.

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