Let me tell you: we do this all the time. What Paul is describing here is the attitude, so common, that I can sin because I know Jesus will forgive me! Or, I love to sin and Jesus loves to forgive – what a system! So, I know I shouldn’t do this, I know I shouldn’t say this, but I really want to, so . . . what the heck! God will forgive me!
Paul calls that being a slave to sin. The world calls it freedom – being able to do whatever you want and follow your lusts and urges, whatever they may be. And that must be good because freedom is good, right? But the world gets it wrong. That’s not freedom when you are controlled by your lusts and urges, temper and pride, your despair and moods. That’s not freedom when something else controls you – that’s slavery, masking itself as freedom and deceiving you into thinking this is a good thing. That you continue in its grip and control and not see the danger. And to which Paul then adds: What good was that doing? What were you getting out of doing those things that lead only to death? Perhaps we would answer: a moment of pleasure, a little satisfaction. But is it worth it?
So given the long history of the rebellion and stubbornness of God’s people, beginning with Adam and Eve down to you and me today, you could hardly blame God if He threw His hands up and gave up on us. That’s the way you want to be? Fine. I’m done.
But He didn’t. He didn’t leave us to our slavery to sin. Instead He threw up His hands onto the cross. His cross proclaiming: You are worth it! But not so we can go on sinning and continue to be slaves and sin as much as we want -only now not have anything to worry about! But to set us free from that slavery, for something better. That we not continue down the road of bitterness and division that leads to death and hell, but walk on the road of faith and love that leads to eternal life.
And so Jesus – the One who really was free – becomes the slave in our place. Though born as we are, He was not born in slavery to sin as we are, but freely put Himself there for you. A perfect life lived and a sacrificial death died, to set you free from sin. To slay that which enslaves us, that sin not reign in our bodies; that sin not control us; that we do not just what our bodily urges tell us to do, but freely resist such sin and keep instead the Word of God. Walk in the way of righteousness. Even describing ourselves – as Paul did – as slaves of righteousness – or slaves of the right, not of sin; slaves of good, not of evil; slaves of God unto holiness and eternal life.
Now you may at this point be thinking: slavery is slavery and I don’t want to be a slave to anyone or anything. I want to be free. But can you see? Your desire to be free, to be your own master, is itself a form a slavery and idolatry? For it is not really a question of either being free or being a slave. That’s really a false distinction or understanding. In the world that might be true, but in spiritual matters it’s not. For spiritually, the question is not whether or not you will have a master, but who is your master? Is it sin or is it God? Is it the taskmaster leading you to death, or the Saviour leading you to life?
Holy Baptism is where you are given a new master. Holy Baptism is where this divine re-yoking takes place. The words we heard from St. Paul today are from his famous baptism chapter, and so we need to hear them in that light. And so what he says here happens in baptism. When you are baptized, Jesus throws off the yoke of sin that we are not strong enough to throw off, and re-yokes us to Himself. To Him whose yoke is easy and His burden light (Matt 11:30). A much better master, indeed. A Good Shepherd, who forgives our sin, binds our wounds, and feeds us with Himself – His Body and Blood. And who does not give up, even leaving the 99 to go in search of that one who rebelled and wandered (Matt 18:12). Not willing that any – not a single one – should perish.
Which is why he sent Jeremiah to Judah, why He sent the disciples out, and why He is still calling and sending pastors and missionaries today. To call you and all people to repent – to confess that I have lived as if God did not matter and as if I mattered most, that I have lived as a slave to sin, that I have followed my own urges and desires – to repent and receive His unburdening forgiveness and life. For as Paul so clearly put it: the wages of sin – the wages of living as your own master, the wages of your so-called freedom – is death, but the free gift of God – to those who are yoked to Him, who are baptized into Him – is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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