Romans 6:20 - Done Wronger
Feb
18
Written by:
2/18/2009 11:52 AM
Since no servant can serve two masters, much less where their interests come into deadly collision, and each demands the whole man, so, while ye were in the service of Sin ye were in no proper sense the servants of Righteousness, and never did it one act of real service: whatever might be your conviction of the claims of Righteousness, your real services were all and always given to Sin: Thus had ye full proof of the nature and advantages of Sin’s service. (A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments by Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown)
Ye were free from righteousness - These two servitudes are incompatible; if we cannot serve God and Mammon, surely we cannot serve Christ and Satan. We must be either sinners or saints; God’s servants or the devil’s slaves. It cannot be as a good mistaken man has endeavored to sing: -
“To good and evil equal bent,
I’m both a devil and a saint.”
(Dr. Adam Clarke)
For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. (NASB)
For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. (KJV)
When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. (NLT)
For when you were slaves of sin, you were free with regard to righteousness. (NET)
There couldn't be a stronger way to describe the prevalence of sin as Paul does here. We were free from righteousness — in no way capable of doing good! The word reprobate seems to be an understatement (tested and found to be no good). I suppose one could argue that we do some good (at least in our eyes) but the Word says our righteousnesses are but filthy rags. The lie is on our lips as we deceive ourselves deeper into the pit where darkness appears as light and we are unable to distinguish the difference. How sad is our plight before a Savior's love enters onto the scene with a love that is able to overcome our piteous estate and deliver us out of death and into a new life!
Copyright ©2009 Robert Flynn