Saturday July 1st, 2017 Romans 6:12-23
Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? (verse 16)
We Canadians prize our Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and today is a good day to reflect on the freedom we enjoy in this good land.
We are quick to become offended or even to seek legal redress when we think our rights or those of others are being violated. We resent restrictions placed on our actions. Our exercise of freedom can result in great excess and in actions which harm ourselves or others. Many claim the freedom to formulate their own theology and to believe what seems good to them about God.
Paul agrees that we are free and calls us to celebrate our freedom. But he also tells us that freedom is an illusion except as we are under God’s grace. We will be, Paul says, slaves either of sin, which leads to death, or of righteousness, which leads to sanctification and eternal life.
We are free, and yet we are not. We are slaves of the one whom we obey. Choose wisely and find true freedom by being slaves of our God, whose free gift is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Set us free, Lord, to serve and follow only you. Amen. — DLK
Contributed by Slaves of Righteousness
We Canadians prize our Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and today is a good day to reflect on the freedom we enjoy in this good land.
We are quick to become offended or even to seek legal redress when we think our rights or those of others are being violated. We resent restrictions placed on our actions. Our exercise of freedom can result in great excess and in actions which harm ourselves or others. Many claim the freedom to formulate their own theology and to believe what seems good to them about God.
Paul agrees that we are free and calls us to celebrate our freedom. But he also tells us that freedom is an illusion except as we are under God's grace. We will be, Paul says, slaves either of sin, which leads to death, or of righteousness, which leads to sanctification and eternal life.
We are free, and yet we are not. We are slaves of the one whom we obey. Choose wisely and find true freedom by being slaves of our God, whose free gift is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
