“Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not 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 righteousness? 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.” (Romans 6:15b-17)
We believers have been set free from slavery to sin through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus on the cross. And yet, we must still contend with our flesh with its propensity toward sin until Jesus returns. We feel this inclination almost constantly these days through the various media voices which we access through our smart phones and tablets. We find that we are faced with choices about whom we will serve. Will we allow sin to reign in our mortal bodies, and thus serve sin, or will we present ourselves to God as instruments of righteousness?
Every time we subscribe to and embrace worldly values and succumb to our fleshy desires, we allow sin to reign in our bodies. We are enslaved to it though we claim to be in Christ Jesus, confirmed in righteousness.
But now, since we live under grace, that grace works to address our ongoing struggle with sin as long as we choose to offer ourselves completely in service to God rather than to sin.
Paul addresses this conflict that rages within us in our chaotic times. Paul constantly stressed salvation by grace, but realized that some would raise a question: since we have salvation not based on works, why not just continue to sin so that God’s grace will be even further exalted? Why not do evil so good can come of it?
Paul’s emphatic answer is that grace never gives anyone license to sin. Grace does not cancel out our responsibility to pursue righteousness or to do good for our neighbor whoever that may be. We have died to sin so it should no longer have any hold or power over us. We allow sin to rule over us because we choose to allow it. It continues to appeal to us. Like so many of those in our society and culture we have redefined sin to excuse or commend personal lifestyle choices regarding sex, pleasure, money, material goods, violence, and political ideals.
Paul warns us that we cannot have it both ways. Those who give in to sin become enslaved by it. Those so enslaved lose their ability to choose freely. They go along thinking they are willingly pursuing their personal lifestyle preferences or exercising their rights. In fact, Satan is dragging them around by the nose. But those who are in Christ are His servants bound no longer live for self but for Him. They seek to act in His righteousness and walk in His will. By His grace only those in Christ can choose to do good and reject evil. The struggle against sin and evil is real and it is intense and unremitting but so too is the grace of God alive in us.