The Wages Of Sin
THE WAGES OF SIN
ROMANS 6:19-23
Paul continues to write about the Christian’s new status and destiny.
Of course, says Paul half apologetically, in face of the implied thought that Christian living itself is a form of slavery, “I am simply using a human figure of speech to get my meaning across to you” (5:19). In fact, trained as he was in Greek rhetoric, he had been carried on by the neat contrast he was developing between the two masters and the two allegiances. He returns to the point to forestall an objection. Christianity is true freedom, not slavery. See also 3:5 and Galatians 3:15 for other examples of Paul’s apology for such a point of style. He was too good a scholar to treat an illustration of truth, or an illuminating analogy, as if it was an expression of truth itself.
Led on by his careful parallelism, Paul proceeds to develop the thought that in all states of life there is a bondage and a liberty. Bound like slaves “to immorality and lawlessness,” the pagan was at liberty in relation to righteousness, ie freed from the duty to do right (6:20).
What advantage lay in such a damning freedom? None, but only horrifying recompense. With a sharp contrast between “then” and “now” (6:21-22), Paul appeals to the fruits, the results of the contrasted attitudes. Shame and death lay on the one side. Sanctification and life lay on the other. Humanity is free to choose.
“Sanctification” (6:22) merits deeper study than a brief note can give it. Paul, in fact, is returning to the thought which appeared at the opening of the chapter: “reckoning ourselves dead to sin and alive to righteousness.” It is the process by which the indwelling Christ takes over a life, filling, purifying and transforming it into his own likeness. There is battle enough, as Paul is to show at the end of chapter 7, but the movement is begun as soon as a sinner in faith repudiates sin’s tyranny, and accepts the lordship of Christ. Such is the “free gift”—no “wage,” but a gracious gift (6:23).