Slaves of Righteousness

It's up to you to choose who you will obey, and you become a slave to that master. Romans 6 walks through this analogy in depth in verses 16-23.

"Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves to 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. "I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. 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." - Romans 6:16-19

If you choose to be a slave to sin, the fruit you produce will be lawlessness, impurity, and death. Yes, you'll be free from the burden of righteous living, but is it worth it? Is the weight of a sinful life really less than the weight of a righteous life?

Maybe it is for a time, but in the end, the fruit you yield will crush you and leave destruction in your wake.

"For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from in and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 6:20-23

However, the fruit of righteousness is obedience, sanctification, freedom, and ultimately eternal life.

In the verses above, Paul lays it out this way:
1. slavery to obedience leads to righteousness
2. slavery to righteousness leads to sanctification
3. slavery to God leads to sanctification and eternal life

It's a journey that starts with simple obedience, and as we mature, it becomes true righteousness, and the fruit of that is the process of sanctification. I know that's a big "church-y" word, so let's define it. Sanctification is basically being made more and more like Christ until He returns and we enjoy eternal life with Him.

Be wary of oversimplifying here and missing the truth of this teaching. Sanctification is more than just a step. It's an ongoing process in which we are always moving in one direction or another - either toward Christ or away. By the end (meaning Christ's second coming), the closer we are to Him, the more we will rejoice in eternal life with Him. While the further away we are, the less appealing that beautiful end will be.

So no, choosing righteousness will not be easy. That's why Paul dwells so much on this word "sanctification." It implies work to be done, but it will yield the best fruit. Obedience is not easy, and your life won't get easier just because you choose to obey the Lord. But it will get better, and in the end, the fruit produced from your decision today to be obedient will be sweeter than you could ever dream.

"And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. Bur the one who endures to the end will be saved." - Matthew 24:13-14

Church, let's choose today to be slaves of righteousness and hold fast through the journey of sanctification, keeping our eyes fixed on that glorious end!