This month, the devotionals are all about Freedom.
Don’t forget to check out a FREE downloadable Bible verse coloring sheet at the end of the page!
Slaves of Righteousness
The verse we’re looking at today is Romans 6:18, “Having been set free from sin, you have become the slaves of righteousness.”
When we accept Christ as our Lord and as our Savior, we are then considered to be in Christ, and are therefore seen by God as righteous in Him.
When Jesus died in our place on the cross, His sacrifice set us free from sin’s consequence of death.
In Him and through Him, we are counted dead to sin; it no longer has power over us, so we can choose to live in submission to God and His ways.
Two Masters
In life we have two options, or “masters”, that we can choose to serve: sin or righteousness.
Whoever we obey determines who our master is and dictates the paths we take and our choices about how we live our life.
The consequence of following sin is death (Romans 6:23), but the result of following righteousness and obedience to God is life and goodness.
As Christians, we are called to choose righteousness instead of our sinful desires.
So how do we live out obedience to righteousness?
- By keeping God first above all other things (Matthew 6:33).
- By setting our minds on things of the Spirit, so that we can walk by the Spirit instead of setting our minds on things of the flesh (Romans 8:5).
- By casting off the old self and choosing to put on the new self (Ephesians 4:22-32).
- By taking every thought captive and comparing it to the Word (2 Corinthians 10:5).
- By having our minds renewed through reading the Word frequently (Romans 12:1).
- By giving thanks to God in all things (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
Free to Choose
While we’re here on earth, we will still have sinful desires and the capacity to choose sin, but since we are free from sin’s power, we are free to choose the right path and right actions.
Each day we make choices to either abide in Christ and follow His leading, or to walk in the flesh and follow after unholy desires and the false idols of our lives.
Even things that are seemingly innocent and not inherently wrong can become sin when they take first place in our lives.
When we place things like money, status and notoriety, success, or even entertainment and relaxation, as main goals of our lives, these things become masters over us that we live our entire lives to serve.
The Bible tells us that those who take another god for themselves will have multiplied sorrows (Psalm 16:4). In other words, choosing another master to follow other than God will only lead us to more pain and unfulfillment.
We should have frequent heart checks with ourselves and determine if God is truly Who we’re serving or if we’ve let minor gods creep in.
Takeaway
Let’s choose today to live fully committed to God, aligning our hearts with His and letting our actions line up with Who we confess to follow.
Consider the masters or idols in your life you may have chosen to serve instead of the one True Lord of your life.
Confess your weaknesses to Him and be covered by the grace and forgiveness He offers you.
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Click below to download a FREE printable Bible verse coloring sheet!
For the related Bible Reading Plan of the month that goes along with this devotional, click below.
Weekly Devotional
This devotional is part of a series of weekly devotionals posted each Wednesday that correlates to the Bible Reading Plan of the month.
