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Romans 6:20–22
But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life (Rom. 6:22).
In the verse we covered in Friday’s study, Paul taught the Romans that they must obey God, for that is what is expected of Christians, just as unquestioning obedience is required of slaves. He seems to be trying to help the believers in the Roman church see unbelief and belief, sin and righteousness, death and life as the antitheses they are.
To drive home this point, Paul turns in verse 20 to what appears to be the device of irony: “For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.” What does this strange statement mean? Paul is telling the Romans that, in their former lives before Christ, sin alone was their master; righteousness held no claim upon them. In other words, they were not enslaved to righteousness but were “free” from its mastery. In fact, sin was such a tyrannical taskmaster that they could not give heed to righteousness at all. Yes, some of them may have been more morally upright than others, but none of them ever did anything purely righteous. As Paul already has shown, God declares that “ ‘There is none righteous, no, not one’ ” (Rom. 3:10b) among the unredeemed peoples of earth. Even the best deeds of the slaves of sin are as “filthy rags” (Isa. 64:6) in the sight of God.
Perhaps nothing shows just how antithetical are the old and new lives than the “fruit” they produce, according to Paul. His rhetorical question about the old life of slavery to sin—“What fruit did you have . . . ?”—clearly has no answer. The only thing those days produced was a lasting shame. Furthermore, the “end” of that servitude was death, spiritual death, separation from God’s grace for eternity and punishment for rebelling against His reign. Then Paul again employs those two precious words, “But now . . .” Under their new Master, God, the Romans no longer are slaves of sin. Indeed, they are as free from sin as they once were free from righteousness. Though their actual deeds are more or less in line with God’s law, just as no “good” deed could earn God’s favor then, no evil deed can earn His eternal wrath now, for Christ has died for all their sins. Because He did, the fruit of holiness is growing within them, whereas they once were barren fields. Finally, having been justified by God through the imputation of the righteousness of Christ, their sure and certain end is eternal life, which is the pure antithesis of death.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
We must grasp the change God has wrought in us, and one good way to do so is to look for the fruit of righteousness. Such fruit will be present only if we are in Christ. And if such fruit is present, our end is certain—eternal life. Ask God to help you see where you are growing. Be sure to thank Him and pray for aid to be even more fruitful.
For Further Study
- Psalm 1:3
- Proverbs 11:30
- John 15:2
- 2 Corinthians 9:10
- Galatians 5:22–23