In
verse 17, Paul alludes to a form of teaching into which the Roman believers
were delivered. This most lik=
ely
alludes to the gospel they had received earlier. By receiving it, the truth had set=
them
free. They were not only free=
d from
the consequences of sin, but freed from sin itself.
We were
then enslaved to righteousness.
Being enslaved is, from the biblical perspective, not a bad thing,
depending on where that enslavement takes you. Before salvation, being enslaved to
uncleanness meant entering a downward spiral—“lawlessness unto
lawlessness.” Enslaveme=
nt to
righteousness, that is, presenting our bodily members to God, means an incr=
ease
of sanctification. Paul encou=
rages
us to use our freedom to continually present our members to righteousness. =
Previous
to our new status, we used our freedom to do shameful things. Those things were steadily leading=
us
into death. But now we have o=
ur
fruit unto the increase of God’s holy nature in our being. Ultimately,
this will lead us into the fully matured realm of life.
The pay-off for sin is death.
It is what the sinner has worked for. The free gift of God is eternal
life. This indicates that eve=
n as
we are enslaved to Him, he freely grants us the life supply to serve Him.