Romans 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end everlasting life. I. THEIR FREEDOM FROM SIN. Consider — 1. Wherein this freedom consists. It does not mean that they are made free from the being of sin. This will be the case by and by, when they shall be like Christ as well as see Him as He is. But it does mean that they are free from — (1) Its penal consequences. Christ hath redeemed them from the curse of the law, being made a curse for them. (2) As to its empire. "Sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the law, but under grace." And what is grace if it suffers sin to conquer? (3) From its love. Persons may leave what they do not loathe, and still may be hankering after it. This was the case with the Israelites and Lot's wife, but it is not the case with the real Christian. The streams of sin are embittered to him; he can never love that again which killed Him, who is all his salvation and all his desire. And this aversion extends not to sins to which he has no propensity, but to his darling lusts, to those which are as dear as a right eye or a right hand. 2. But a deliverance supposes a Deliverer. Did they make themselves free? Did creatures, ministers, or angels? No, it was the work of God Himself. II. THEIR CONSECRATION TO GOD'S SERVICE. Negative religion is not enough. It is not enough that you cease to do evil; you must learn to do well. It is not enough that you are made free from sin; you must become the servants of God. 1. God has every claim. We are His absolutely. He made us. Were He to suspend His sustaining influence we should relapse into nothingness. And you are not your own in a much nobler sense; you are bought with a price, and therefore you are bound to glorify God, etc. 2. Notice the nature of this service. (1) There is a sense in which all are God's servants. Nebuchadnezzar was "the rod of His anger and the staff of His indignation, but he meant not so, neither did his heart think so." He maketh the wrath of man to praise Him, and restrains the remainder of it, just as the miller draws off the hatch and lets in as much water as the grinding requires, and then lowers it again and restrains the rest. (2) But there are servants from conviction and disposition. They are made willing in the day of His power, and hold themselves at His disposal, asking, "Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?"(3) This service is not confined to official characters. Moses, Job, David, etc. Ministers are called the servants of God, but the name itself is applicable to all real Christians. The highest angel is no more than a servant of God, and the poorest believer on earth is nothing less. The man of five talents can serve God as well as the man of ten. (4) This service is not confined to attendance upon the means of grace. These are not religion, but are the means, because they are those things in the use of which we obtain the supply of the Spirit to go forth and live to God entirely. Whether, therefore, a Christian is on the throne or on the bench, in the shop or on the road, he may be still serving God and have the testimony that he pleases God. (5) This service is passive as well as active. They also serve who wait, and they who suffer. And perhaps God's people never glorify Him more than in the fires. Perhaps nothing impresses others so much as the passive graces in Christians. III. THEIR PRESENT PRIVILEGES. The fruit of a tree is something from which we derive pleasure and profit, and by which it is known and identified. "Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit." What fruit? 1. True profit. In the days of Job, infidels asked, "What is the Almighty, that we should serve Him?" etc., and in the days of Malachi they were audacious enough to say, "It is vain to serve God," etc. To all which the apostle returns a perfect answer: "Godliness is profitable to all things," etc. 2. Safety. "If God be for us, who can be against us?" 3. Peace. "Great peace have they that love Thy law." "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace," etc. 4. Pleasure that deserves the name, pleasure that reaches the very soul, and produces sunshine and satisfaction there. "Blessed are the people that know the joyful sound," etc. 5. Health, if it be good for you; sickness, if it be good for you; wealth, if it be good for you; reputation, if it be good for you; for "no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly." Therefore the Saviour says, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God," etc. IV. THEIR FINAL BLESSEDNESS. "The end everlasting life." (W. Jay.) Parallel Verses KJV: But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. |
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