Word of life - Rom 6:19

Word of life: “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.” (Rom 6:19 ESV /English Standard Version 2001/)

Studying this verse from God’s Word, we can focus on two principal questions:

1)      Which truth (word) is emphasized in this verse?

2)      What connection does it have with other verses of this chapter?

Special emphasis is placed on the words present your members as slaves. In the Greek original the word “dou/la” is used twice. This word expresses slavery. There is a difference between a slave and a servant. A servant is free and may leave his master but a slave is not free. Nowadays many people are slaves to drugs, alcohol, sexuality, playing machines, television, bad music, computers, public opinion, lies, egoism, occultism, false ideologies. Only those who have received Jesus as their Saviour and Lord are free. “Christ set us free, so that we should remain free.” (Gal 5:1)

Reflection upon Rom 6:19

“For just as you once presented...” – this should be the past, the time before we received Jesus as our Lord. This should no longer be our present or future. What did we once present? Our members! As what did we present them? As slaves! Slaves to what? To impurity and to lawlessness! What was the end, the fruit? A life of lawlessness! Lawlessness is liable to judgement and punishment both here on earth and after death.

“...now...” – this speaks about the present. Not tomorrow, not an hour later, but now.

“...so...” – this indicates the same extent. Of what? Of presenting our members. Presenting them as what? As slaves. As slaves to what? As slaves to righteousness. No longer as slaves to impurity and lawlessness. What fruit do I get from it? Sanctification. Sanctification results in peace and happiness here on earth and after death. How did we once present our members as slaves to sin? We obeyed, that means embodied, evil and false thoughts and feelings. Now we are to obey good thoughts – God’s Word – and embody it. Believe that the Lord Jesus can give you the victory over the power of the evil thought, feeling or bad habit which is threatening you right now. First of all realize the spiritual reality: He is with you! He is your strength! Give Him your problem and trust wholly in Jesus! You can gain this victory over sin and lie every day, every hour and every time the temptation comes. The secret of a victorious life lies in entering time and time again into Jesus’ presence through an act of contrition. In His presence give yourself wholly to Him with confidence. Righteousness is that we belong to God because He created us and redeemed us by the death of His Son. “In Him you have become the righteousness of God.” (2Cor 5:21)

Find the connection with some other verses from Rom 6. How many times and where in particular does it mention the words present and slave?