Rom 6:16-20<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Williams)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(16) Do you not know that when you habitually offer yourselves to anyone for obedience to him, you are slaves to that one whom you are in the habit of obeying, whether it is the slavery to sin whose end is death or to obedience whose end is right-doing? (17) But, thank God, that though you once were slaves of sin, you became obedient from your hearts to that form of teaching in which you have been instructed, (18) and since you have been freed from sin, you have become the slaves of right-doing. (19) I am speaking in familiar human terms because of the frailty of your nature. For just as you formerly offered the parts of your bodies in slavery to impurity and to ever increasing lawlessness, so now you must once for all offer them in slavery to right-doing, which leads to consecration. (20) For when you were slaves of sin, you were free so far as doing right was concerned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Habitual obedience is slavery. What is our slavery in? Is it in doing right? Are we blameless? That is what Paul encouraged Timothy to be in 1Ti 6:14 (World English Bible) \u201ckeep the commandment without spot, blameless<\/strong>, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.\u201d The early Christians rejoiced in suffering and persecution. We know so little of that real Christian experience and have become weak, unholy, unrighteous, and guilty slaves. I know I am missing something when the Christian attitude of today towards perfection, blamelessness, righteousness, and holiness is that it is impossible and we can\u2019t be faulted for making mistakes. And I would tend to agree with that as Paul repeatedly talked to churches with plenty of faults. Were these a few instances or a pattern that had developed over time into a weakness of faith? Maybe by not addressing the issues in the lives of believers we have become weak in the faith and are very much to blame. We are unholy. Yet I recall that there are multiple verses that say \u201cbe holy\u201d and \u201cbe perfect.\u201d So something is wrong. Either scripture is wrong or we are. We need to chain ourselves to righteousness and not out of religious dogma, creed, or works; but out of each person striving to live holy lives based on lives walking in the Spirit. We need to choose who is our master and choose to be obedient from our heart to the teaching of the Holy Spirit and slaves to do doing right that leads to consecration and finally to eternal life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Habitual obedience leads to slavery. Choose your slave master. I choose righteousness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n