What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? Of course not! 16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, although you were once slaves of sin, you have become obedient from the heart to the pattern of teaching to which you were entrusted. 18 Freed from sin, you have become slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your nature. For just as you presented the parts of your bodies as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness for lawlessness, so now present them as slaves to righteousness for sanctification. 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free from righteousness. 21 But what profit did you get then from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been freed from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit that you have leads to sanctification, and its end is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
In Romans 6:1-14, Paul addresses the transformative power of baptism, explaining that believers have died to sin and are now alive in Christ. Through baptism, Christians are united with Christ’s death and resurrection, symbolizing the death of the old sinful self and the beginning of a new life of grace. Paul emphasizes that sin no longer has dominion over those who live under grace rather than the law. In Romans 6:15-23, Paul addresses the relationship between sin, grace, and righteousness. He contrasts the life of sin with the life of grace, using the metaphor of slavery to illustrate the believer's transition from bondage to sin to service of righteousness.
Paul asks the rhetorical question: if Christians are not "under the law" but "under grace," does that mean they have a license to sin? Paul emphatically rejects that line of thinking and argues that grace does not give one freedom to sin, but requires a higher moral responsibility and a deeper commitment to God. Paul uses the metaphor of slavery to explain the relationship between sin and righteousness. He states that human beings are slaves to something and must serve one master or another. If they are slaves to sin, they are under the control of their sinful passions which ultimately leads to spiritual death. But slavery to obedience to God leads to liberation from the bondage of sin and the self-destructive tendencies that accompany it – to a life of righteousness and ultimately eternal life. Christian freedom allows one to become a servant of righteousness. One can only be truly free by being a servant of God.
Paul acknowledges that his readers may have difficulty grasping the spiritual realities he is explaining without using concrete, human imagery. To make his point clearer, he uses the metaphor of slavery. Although they have been saved by the gratuitous gift of grace, they should now conduct their daily lives in a way that reflects their new life in Christ. By “presenting the parts of their bodies,” Paul calls them to offer every aspect of their being—mind, will, and actions—in service to righteousness and sanctification, instead of living as they did in their former sinful ways. Before their conversion, they were alienated from righteousness. Now, they are ashamed of their past actions and understand, through grace, that the ultimate end of sin is eternal separation from God. In contrast, slavery to God leads to sanctification and eternal life, participation in the divine life of the Trinity (Jn. 17:2-3). Sin, when fully matured, results in death (James 1:15), but eternal life is presented as a free gift, not something earned (Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-7).
Almighty God, we thank You for the gift of Grace that frees us from the bondage of sin. Help us to present ourselves wholly to You, offering every part of our lives in obedience to Your will. Lead us on the path of righteousness, that we may grow in holiness and receive the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen!
References
- McSorley, Joseph. An Outline History of the Church by Centuries (From St. Peter to Pius XII). 2nd ed., B. Herder Book Co., 1944.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Charpentier, Etienne. How to Read the Old Testament. Translated by John Bowden, 1981.
- Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.
- McKenzie, John. Dictionary of the Bible. Collier Books, 1965.
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