Tag: Romans 6

You’re Gonna Have To Serve Somebody

Romans 6:15–23 confronts us with a profound truth: we all serve something or someone. As Bob Dylan famously sang, “You’re gonna have to serve somebody.” The question is not whether you’ll be a servant but what kind of master you’ll serve. Paul lays it out plainly: we are either slaves to sin, which leads to death, or slaves to righteousness, which leads to eternal life.

Sin often masquerades as freedom. It promises autonomy and the thrill of doing things “your way.” But in reality, it’s a cruel master. It gives the illusion of control while driving us toward destruction. Like a ship without a rudder, a life given over to sin doesn’t sail freely; it drifts toward the rocks. What seems like liberty in the moment chains us to habits, guilt, and the eternal consequence of separation from God.

On the other hand, serving Christ involves discipline and self-denial. This might sound unappealing at first, but consider what Paul means. Being a slave to righteousness is about rejecting the impulses of the flesh—denying sin’s hold on our lives—and living in obedience to God. It’s not an oppressive bondage; it’s a life of freedom to become who God created us to be. In Christ, discipline is not punishment but training for joy, peace, and eternal life.

Think about your daily choices. Every decision either aligns you closer with sin or with Christ. Sin leads to fleeting pleasure but lasting regret. Following Christ calls for self-denial in the moment, but the rewards are eternal: joy, peace, and the unshakable hope of life with Him. Which master are you choosing today?

Paul concludes this passage with the ultimate contrast: “For the payoff of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23, NET). Choosing to serve sin is like walking off a cliff blindfolded, believing you’re in control all the way down. Serving Christ, by contrast, is walking a narrow path that leads to life.

So, whose servant are you? Are you giving your life to a master that takes everything and leaves you empty, or to the One who gave everything to make you whole? The choice is clear, but the stakes are eternal. Don’t settle for the illusion of control—choose the freedom of life in Christ.

Forgiven Little, Loving Less: Why You Might Be Missing the Full Picture

In Luke 7:36-50, we find the story of a sinful woman who interrupts a dinner at the house of a Pharisee named Simon. She falls at the feet of Jesus, weeping, and pours expensive perfume on His feet, wiping them with her hair. Simon is shocked that Jesus would allow this woman, known for her sinful reputation, to touch Him. But Jesus uses this moment to teach a profound lesson about forgiveness and love.

Jesus tells a parable about two debtors: one who owes a large debt and another who owes a smaller one. Both debts are forgiven, and Jesus asks Simon which of the two will love the creditor more. Simon answers that it is the one who had the larger debt forgiven. Jesus agrees and says to Simon, “He who is forgiven little, loves little” (Luke 7:47).

This story illustrates an important truth about sin, forgiveness, and love. The woman’s extravagant love for Jesus stems from her awareness of the great debt she owed—her sins were many, and her forgiveness was much. But Simon, who saw himself as righteous, believed he owed little to Jesus. His view of sin was small, and as a result, his love for Jesus was shallow.

A Theology of Sin

At its core, sin is not just bad behavior; it is a rebellion against God, a failure to meet His standard of holiness (Romans 3:23). All of us are born into this state, separated from God (Ephesians 2:1-3). Sin is more than just breaking moral rules—it is the rejection of God’s authority, resulting in both personal and cosmic consequences.

Throughout the Bible, we see the seriousness of sin:

Isaiah 59:2 explains that sin creates a barrier between us and God, cutting off our relationship with Him.
Romans 6:23 tells us that the wages of sin is death—spiritual separation from God that leads to eternal separation unless reconciled through Christ.
James 2:10 reminds us that even if we fail in just one part of the law, we are guilty of breaking all of it.

The Bible’s portrayal of sin makes it clear that every human being is in a state of great need—each of us is a debtor to God. Sin isn’t a small misstep; it’s a complete severance of our relationship with God, one that can only be restored through the grace extended in Christ. Without this understanding, we are likely to minimize the gift of forgiveness that God offers.

A Small View of Sin Leads to a Small Love for God

Jesus’ point to Simon—and to us—is that the way we view our sin directly impacts how we relate to God. When we minimize sin, we minimize the need for God’s grace. This results in a shallow, distant relationship with Him. If we think our sin is small, we’ll see Jesus as little more than a moral teacher or good example. But if we understand the depth of our need, we will respond with deep gratitude, just as the woman in Luke 7 did.

The truth is, we all owe a great debt—whether we realize it or not. The woman in this story knew her need for forgiveness, and her love for Jesus reflected her awareness of how much she had been forgiven. Simon, in contrast, saw no great need for forgiveness and, consequently, showed little love.

Why This is Good News

Here’s the beauty of this story: Jesus doesn’t rebuke the woman for her past or even for the nature of her sins. Instead, He honors her act of love and forgives her because of her faith. This tells us that no matter how great our sin, God’s forgiveness is greater. But it also serves as a reminder that if we don’t fully acknowledge our need for forgiveness, we may miss out on the depth of the relationship God wants to have with us.

The challenge for us today is to ask: How do I view my sin? Do I minimize it, thinking of myself as mostly good and only in need of minor forgiveness? Or do I recognize the profound debt I owe—a debt that Christ paid in full? Those who are forgiven much, love much. And the truth is, we have all been forgiven much. If we fail to see the greatness of God’s grace, it is because we have too small a view of sin.

The great news is that we are not left to bear the weight of our sin. Jesus has already borne it for us. When we understand this, it transforms our relationship with God, just as it did for the woman at the feet of Jesus. The more we grasp the depth of our forgiveness, the more we will love Him in return.

What is the Wrath of God?

When we think of or hear about the ‘wrath of God’, the temptation is strong to imagine a vengeful God having a fit of rage and throwing fistfuls of lightning bolts down on a wicked populace to strike them dead. This idea comes from the capricious human-like gods popularized in Greek and Roman mythology, this is not the God of the Bible.

“Nice try, cowboy!” I hear some retort, “If God is not wrathful like Zeus or Jupiter, then explain Lot’s Wife (Genesis 19:26), Uzzah (2 Samuel 6:6-7), and Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11) !”

These are all examples of disobedience stemming from lack of proper respect for God. Lot’s wife looked back when she was explicitly told not to do so. Uzzah reached out to touch the Ark of the Covenant when that was expressly forbidden (after choosing to transport the Ark in a way OTHER than what God’ had instructed), and Ananias and Sapphira lied to the church and withheld God’s portion from Him. So God met out the ultimate punishment for this after rescuing her family (Lot’s Wife), restoring glory to Israel (Uzzah), and raising the church (Ananias & Sapphira).

This was not some reckless decision based on a whim. These were consequences for actions taken in defiance of God. And as I read today’s Psalms of Asaph, I noticed a trend…

In Psalm 80 Asaph feels like God is blessing another nation due to Israel’s disobedience. But is this the case? Was God blessing Israel’s oppressor? Or was Israel a decidedly weak nation being propped up by Yahweh? Was God blessing ANOTHER nation, or did He simply remove His hedge of protection from Israel and allow the attacks of their enemies to proceed unencumbered? This is the wrath of God.

Is Psalm 81 we see that God WANTS to rescue us, He loves us! His sincere desire is that none should perish, but that all would come to a saving knowledge of Christ Jesus. However, He will not override our free will. God has chosen to restrain Himself so that only those who freely choose Him will draw near to Him, and those same people will be saved. So what happens to the rest? That is the wrath of God.

In Psalm 82 we see a scenario where God sits in judgement of all the other gods and warns them of the folly of their wickedness. Of course those gods do not exist (except in the minds of the people who created them), so the people who “follow” them are the ones who will bear the responsibility for the actions of their “gods”. This is the path of destruction. This is the wrath of God.

The worker earns his wages (1 Timothy 5:18). And the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). This is the wrath of God. It’s really not that complicated.