A New Master

READ: Romans 6

KEY VERSE: Romans 6:7

DEVOTIONAL:
Today's devotional is a short one, so I pray you will read the chapter before and after. It is marvelously beautiful and superbly simple.

Romans 6 is one of the best defenses for the doctrine of eternal security or "Once Saved Always Saved" ever conceived. Many critics of this Biblical truth claim it gives a license to sin. To this, Paul replies: "May it never be!" We are dead to sin and it has no sway over our inner man (v 14), but if we are saved, we also have a desire to serve the Lord. Verse 13 is very clear: if we are to continue living in sin, we will find ourselves acting as tools of the very Devil we hate. Our new man cannot sin, because it was crucified with Christ and a new, perfect soul was resurrected in His likeness. But we still dwell in a sinful flesh, which we must seek to master so we might bring glory to God, until our sinful flesh is made perfect in the resurrection/rapture.

In our birth, we are slaves to sin, inherited from the choices of the Garden of Eden. When we are born again, we become slaves of God, willingly giving ourselves to him. As slaves of sin, we do much work of value for our master and will reap his payment: death. As bond-slaves of God, our lifetime of work gives Him nothing he could not have made effortlessly. But since we earn no wages, he reaches out and gives us a gift. Eternal life. A bond-slave hands himself over voluntarily, but once he does, he cannot leave. We are secure in the service of our new master.

Verse 7 absolutely seals the matter. Reread it carefully and relish its simple truth. Sin has no more dominion over you. Allelulia, allelulia, the battle is won.

QUESTIONS:
(1) One simple question today: Who are you serving, God or sin?