What does it mean to be set free from something (sin in this case), to become slaves to something else (God in this case)? Are we really being set free if we become slaves to something else? The answer is YES! Lets go back to what Paul said in verse 13 "Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness."
Then, he takes this a step further in verse 16 "Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?"
Ultimately, we serve what we follow - either God, or something other than God - and anything that we follow for purposes other than God's glory is sin. So, we either follow God as His children, driven to serve and please Him as our loving, merciful, gracious Father...willing 'slaves' to the One who saved us - OR - we purse something other than Him, driven by our flesh, our selfish desires, our prideful lusts, willing 'slaves' - loving and serving that which will ultimately destroy us.
Through Paul, God continually brings it up...
we are not 'our own' - we serve something bigger than us...either sin and death, following the prince of darkness...or we serve Almighty God, where true freedom is found!
In verse 21, Paul talked about the fruit that comes from being a slave to sin, that being death...eternal death and condemnation is the guaranteed result for every person who dies having not entered into a relationship with God, having not been set free from the bondage of sin.
Now, Paul talks about the fruit that flows from a life that has been set free from sin, free from condemnation and bondage, free to experience a relationship with God. "The fruit you get leads to sancitification"...what does that word sanctification mean?
The Greek word here is also translated as 'holiness' and is defined as: purification, i.e. (the state) purity; a purifier:—holiness, sanctification.
To be 'sanctified' by English definition means: to be set apart for a sacred purpose, to be free from sin, to impart or impute sacredness or respect to.
So, when Paul says we receive fruit that leads to sanctification, what does he mean?
First: Who we serve will have an affect on our life. That affect on our life, known as fruit, is evidence of who we serve...either sin or obedience, as Paul put it in verse 16. As lost sinners, that fruit is evident through our love and willing pursuit of sin...in opposition to God...and Paul reminds us in verse 21 that at the end of that path is eternal death.
Second: Being purchased by God through the blood of His Son, being adopted into His family, experiencing the washing of the Holy Spirit that is regeneration, reveals a different type of fruit - fruit that comes from walking with the God that saved us. Here, we experience a life that is continuously being molded by the Potter.
As God brings us through experiences, through trials, ups and downs, and as we mature in our walk, we learn who He is and the fruit that comes from walking with Him. We learn what true faith, love, peace, joy and goodness (among so many others) are - we experience the living fruit of God taking root in our lives!
As the fruit of God takes root in our lives, we are being sanctified. We are being purified, being made holy by the One who is Holy! These things, when seen in the life of a Believer, are evidence of God, and reveal the working of His power in the lives of His children! This sanctification is not only the result of a soul experiencing salvation and eternal life, but will result in eternal life...that is the eternal life with God that awaits us when we pass from this earth!
What a contrast! A life free from the convictions of righteousness, free to serve sin and pursue the love self, which will ultimately reveal the bondage of the soul to sin through eternal death and condemnation - OR - a life that is truly free...free from bondage to sin, free from eternal death and condemnation, free to serve the God that set us free!
Not only should we recognize that God performs the work of sanctification in our lives, we need to embrace it and seek after it...it reveals the power of God in our life!
What fruit is being revealed in your life? As Christians, we need to give ourselves over to pursuing God with all of our heart, mind, and soul...that He will become our sole priority, that He influences everything we do or say. This will give way to His fruit taking root, and will reveal the sanctification that He is working in our lives...pray that He will be revealed through us to the world around us...
FOR HIS GLORY!
