Why are we slaves of righteousness?

 

 Why are we slaves of righteousness?

We have been duly admonished saying; “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness (Romans 6: 16-18).

As clearly shown man is not an independent being; he is either a slave to sin, or a slave to obedience which leads to righteousness. Therefore man has to denounce one master and be loyal to the other, as Jesus clearly says; "No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon" (Luke 16:13).

So why have we become slaves of righteousness? The answer is clear, it is to practice or be obedient to what leads to righteousness, for we have been instructed saying; ‘Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.” It is further stated; “In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother” (1John 3:7, 10).

The children of God who have denounced their former slave master of sin, and have become loyal and obedient to Righteousness their new master, have been admonished saying; “And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him” (1John 2:28-29).

To understand why we are to become slaves of righteousness, it is imperative that we first understand righteousness in its true perspective. The righteousness to which we are enslaved is not man’s righteousness because according to the prophet Isaiah; “we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away” (Isaiah 64:6).

Neither is it according to the law because; “by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in the sight of God, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. And the conclusion is that, “a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law” (Romans 8:20, 28).

It is therefore imperative that we have a good and thorough understanding of the act of righteousness, to which we are enslaved because it is definitely not of works lest anyone should boast, neither is it of the law because the law is there only to reveal to us what sin is and the way or principle by which one should live.

There are three aspects of righteousness just as there are three aspects of sin, which are, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, and similarly to the three that bears witness on earth, which are the Spirit, the water [flesh] and the blood and these three agrees as one.

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To be continued

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph