It is against this backdrop of man's despair and apparent hopelessness that we will search for a way out of bondage just as the children of Israel escaped the bondage of the Egyptians almost 3,500 years ago. In our quest we must reconcile seeming contradictions since the wisdom of God is foolishness to man (1 Corinthians 1:21-27, 2:14). Just as we must first lose our life in order to gain it (Matthew 10:39, 16:25) we must trade one enslavement for another in order to gain our freedom (Romans 6:22, 1 Peter 2:16). That such a process defies human logic is of no consequence since God has made foolish the wisdom of the world (1 Corinthians 1:20, 3:19) and a man must become foolish in order to become wise (1 Corinthians 3:18) and it is God, not man, that is the source of our salvation. Perhaps no place in scripture is this transformation more thoroughly addressed than in the 6th, 7th and 8th chapters of Romans upon which we will devote a considerable portion of our attention.
However, before we direct our attention to the Book of Romans let us, as is our custom, first define* our terms and identify applicable scripture. We must never forget the deceitfulness and lies of satan and his servants and the enslaving/entangling nature of sin. As Peter wrote, "...for by what a man is overcome (hettao), by this he is enslaved (douloo)."(2 Peter 2:19). As Jesus said, "... everyone who commits sin is the slave (doulos) of sin." (John 8:34). Bondage by sin is associated with spiritual immaturity, a correctable condition. Paul wrote in Galatians 4:3, "So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage (douloo) under the elemental things of the world."
Because of differences in English translations we often cite the applicable Greek word used. The following Greek words are germane to our discussion:
G2274. hettao; to make worse, i.e. vanquish; be inferior, overcome.
G4097. piprasko; dispose of as merchandise or into slavery:-- sell.
G1398. douleuo; to be a slave to:--be in bondage, (do) serve (-ice).
G1401. doulos; a slave:--bond (-man), servant.
G1402. douloo; to enslave: To bring into (be under) bondage, X given, become (make) servant.
G1343. dikaiosune; equity (of character or act); justification: -- righteousness.
G1658. eleutheros; unrestrained (to go at pleasure), i.e. (as a citizen) not a slave (whether freeborn or manumitted), or exempt (from obligation or liability):--free (man, woman), at liberty.
G1659. eleutheroo; to liberate, i.e. to exempt (from mortal liability):--deliver, make free.
G38. hagiasmos; purification, i.e. (the state) purity; a purifier:--holiness, sanctification.
G936. basileuo; to rule: -- king, reign.
G5219. hupakouo; to hear under (as a subordinate), i.e. to listen attentively; to heed or conform to a command or authority: -- hearken, be obedient to, obey.
G1939. epithumia; a longing (especially for what is forbidden): -- concupiscence, desire, lust (after).
G3696. hoplon; an implement or utensil or tool (especially offensive for war): -- armor, instrument, weapon.
G93. adikia; (legal) injustice; moral wrongfulness (of character, life or act): -- iniquity, unjust, unrighteousness, wrong.
G266. hamartia; sin: -- offence, sin (-ful).
G2961. kurieuo; to rule: -- have dominion over, lord, be lord of, exercise lordship over.
G1344. dikaioo; to render (i.e. show or regard as) just or innocent: -- free, justify (-ier), be righteous.
G5485. charis; graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act; spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude: -- acceptable, benefit, favor, gift, grace(-ious), joy liberality, pleasure, thank (-s, -worthy).
Getting back to our primary text from the Book of Romans let us read what Paul had to say about the nature of sin in general starting with the concept of freedom. (Rom 6:5-7) "For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves (douleuo) to sin; for he who has died is freed (dikaioo) from sin." (See also John 8:36).
Paul continues by stating the standards that are to be applied in our lives. (Rom 6:12-22) "Therefore do not let sin reign (basileuo) in your mortal body that you should obey (hupakouo) its lusts (epithumia), and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments (hoplon) of unrighteousness (adikia hamartia); but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments (hoplon) of righteousness (dikaiosune) to God. For sin shall not be master (kurieuo) over you, for you are not under law, but under grace (charis). What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves (doulos) for obedience, you are slaves (doulos) of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness (dikaiosune)? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves (doulos) of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed (eleutheroo) from sin, you became slaves (douloo) of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves (doulos) to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves (doulos) to righteousness, resulting in sanctification (hagiasmos). For when you were slaves (doulos) of sin, you were free (eleutheros) in regard to righteousness. Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. But now having been freed (eleutheroo) from sin and enslaved (douloo) to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification (hagiasmos), and the outcome, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
2673. katargeo; to be (render) entirely idle (useless): -- abolish, cease, cumber, deliver, destroy, do away, become (make) of no (none, without) effect, fail, loose, bring (come) to nought, put away (down), vanish away, make void.
2722. katecho; to hold down (fast), in various applications: -- have, hold (fast), keep (in memory), let, X make toward, possess, retain, seize on, stay, take, withhold.
4506. rhuomai; to rush or draw (for oneself), i.e. rescue: -- deliver (-er).
Many of us may be familiar with Paul's agonizing self appraisal in the 7th chapter of Romans and some may even use his words as supportive of the concept of powerlessness. However, one should consider Paul's thoughts in their totality and not in isolation. In fact, at the beginning of chapter 7 Paul writes, "But now we have been released (katargeo) from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound (katecho), so that we serve (douleuo) in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter."(verse 6). Toward the end of chapter 7 Paul poses the searching question, "Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free (rhuomai) from the body of this death?"(verse 24). Paul answers his question in chapter 8 verse 2 when he states, "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free (eleutheroo) from the law of sin and of death."
While the bondage of sin can be put in our past (Titus 3:3) we must never forget that we can loose/forfeit our freedom and our salvation (Galatians 4:8-9, 5:1,13, 2 Peter 2:20). We must also be aware of the trap of trying to serve two masters (Matthew 6:24 and Luke 16:13). In essence, escape from enslavement by sin is ours for the taking (Acts 2:38 and 2 Corinthians 3:17) and continuation of that freedom is ours for the choosing (James 1:25, 4:1-8, 1 Peter 2:16).
*All definitions are taken from the Dictionary of the Greek Testament by James Strong.
Copyright &Copy: 1996 by R.W. Sutliff, All Rights Reserved.