Romans 6:20, Spiritual Vigilance

Romans 6:20 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. 19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. 20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.

The Apostle Paul is reminding the Christians at Rome for the fourth time in verse 20 of their privilege in Christ. He wanted to reiterate the glorious truth concerning their salvation. He contrasted the life of sin before conversion and the life of righteousness therafter again and again. He tells them there is a stark difference. God through Christ has done a marvellous work of grace in their lives freeing them from the oppression and stranglehold of sin in their lives.He uses the word “uncleanness” and the phrase “the infirmity of the flesh” to describe the heinous nature of sin.

To help us see more clearly the burden in the heart of Paul, we shall examine a detailed description of what exactly are these heinous sins in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 

Verse 2 (1) Man will be lovers of themselves – selfish, self-centred and self-seeking or self-lovers (2) covetous – lover of money, (4) boasters – arrogant, (5) proud – haughty, (6) blasphemers – slanderers, speaking words against God, speaking evil of others (7) disobedient to parents – parental authority in the home breaks down, (8) unthankful, (9) unholy

 Verse 3 (10) without natural affections – lacking normal human affections – homosexuals/lesbians, (11) trucebreakers – cannot keep promises, (12) false accusers, (13) incontinent – lack of self-control, (14) fierce – abusive, (15) despisers of those that are good.

 Verse 4 (16) traitors – betrayers, (17) heady – rash, (18) high-minded – arrogant and proud, (19) lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God – pleasure-seekers

Verse 5 (20) having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof – seemed godly but it is not genuine.

He wanted them to jolt them to be spiritually vigiliant, to live in holiness. May these verses remind us what God had done in our lives and cause us to be thankful to Him. Amen.