“Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness.” ~Apostle Paul

Tags

Apostle Paul Sayings, Good News, Love, Obedience, Obey, Reward, Romans 6, Slave

Love and Obey

Obedience is a willingness to submit myself to the will of God and to put it into effect. Scripture emphasizes the necessity for me to follow the commandments of Jesus, gives examples and reasons why I should, and describes the rewards that will be mine for obedience.

There is a reality of being a slave. You only have one Master. Jesus is clear on this when he says you can’t be a slave to God and money (aka wealth). Jesus drives the point home in many places. Being a slave is different from being a servant. I am the slave of Jesus.

Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves (dŏulŏs) for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves (dŏulŏs) of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves (dŏulŏs) of righteousness. | Romans 6:16–18

Paul isn’t talking about being a servant. Paul is talking about be a slave. The word is δοῦλος (dŏulŏs).

I know. Obeying runs against the grain of what I want to do. Jesus demands that I am an obedient slave. That doesn’t sound like fun. It is demeaning. NO one wants to be a slave. I am not different in that regard.

Obedience is demanded of God’s people. Paul draws the connection to obedience in being a slave. Paul sees himself as a slave to Jesus. At the start of Romans, he declares “Paul, a slave of the Messiah Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the good news of God.”