"For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. (21) What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. (22) But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. (23) For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:20 - 23
In this world there are two types of servants, servants of
God and servants of Satan. Sometimes a servant of God may serve Satan, but a
servant of Satan never serves God. God said, “For when ye were the servants
of sin, ye were free from righteousness.” Why is a servant of sin free from
righteousness? It is because a lost person cannot serve God, he is not under righteousness
because the lost soul is enslaved to sin. The lost sinner is living in total
depravity which means there is no good in the lost soul. Jesus said, “Jesus
answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the
servant of sin.” John 8:34 This means there is no good in a lost soul
because the lost sinner is totally controlled by their enslavement to sin and
Satan. God said, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that
the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”
Romans 6:6 The “old man” must have been crucified so that the body of sin might
have been destroyed. When Jesus went to the cross, He took our old man with
Him, our old nature sinful nature was crucified on the cross with Jesus. A
saved soul has the ability to serve the Lord unlike the lost. Jesus Christ took
our sinfulness with Him to Calvary and shed His blood to cleanse our sins,
therefore releasing us from the curse of sin and the power of Satan. The very
reason God calls the lost soul dead is because their inner spirit is dead to
God, and God deals with us within our spirit. The reason God calls them dead is
because God does not allow them to serve Him in righteousness. Why is this, it
is because they are not God’s servant, God knows His servants and He allows
nothing glorious to come from a lost soul. Paul wrote these words, “For I
know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is
present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.” Romans
7:18 Paul always remembered that he was a Jew, he always remembered what he did
as a Jew. When Paul said that nothing good was in him, he was speaking of his
lost Jewish works. Paul certainly did many wonderful things for God after Jesus
saved him. Therefore, Paul wrote these words, "For I am the least of
the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted
the church of God. (10) But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace
which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than
they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." 1
Corinthians 15:9 – 10 Paul recognized that because of his sinful life he never should
have been called an Apostle, but no Christian should have ever been saved, that’s
why it’s called grace. Paul also said, “…his grace which was bestowed upon
me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I,
but the grace of God which was with me." Paul did not waste the wonderful
grace that God had given him, and neither should any Believer in Jesus Christ.
How is your service to the Lord, are you wasting God’s grace or are you
redeeming the time? Since God gave us His blessed grace, we now have the fruits
unto holiness, “…and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto
holiness…”. While the lost soul can only serve the sin they are enslaved
too, Christians have been freed from that sin enslavement. The Holy Spirit has
given us some new spiritual gifts, "But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, (23) Meekness,
temperance: against such there is no law." Galatians 5:22 – 23 The
lost sin enslaved sinner has none of these, they only have the sinfulness they
were born with. The saved soul has a living spirit and new godly fruits to
serve God with. We are supposed to use our new spiritual gifts and our living
spirit to serve the Lord. "And they that are Christ's have crucified
the flesh with the affections and lusts. (25) If we live in the Spirit, let us
also walk in the Spirit." Galatians 5:24 – 25 Even though we see all
God has done for us in Jesus Christ, some still have an issue serving the Lord.
Jesus crucified the old flesh for us, God gave us the fruits needed to serve
Him, God even commands that we walk in the Spirit, that is the Holy Spirit,
that is in God’s word. Why are so many Christians having such an issue walking
in the Spirit? God even gave us, “…the gift of God is eternal life through
Jesus Christ our Lord." Eternal life is a gift, our pay as His
servants is the rewards, He gives us. Salvation is not a reward, it is not
earned, it is a gift, you must work to earn rewards. 1 Corinthians 3:13 - 15
"Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it,
because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work
of what sort it is. (14) If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon,
he shall receive a reward. (15) If any man's work shall be burned, he shall
suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire." What will your pay be?
