Thoughts on Romans - Day 16

                                                Romans 6:17-23
But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. ¹⁸ You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
¹⁹ I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. ²⁰ When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. ²¹ What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! ²² But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. ²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.


    Allegiance. If someone asked me if that word is in the Bible, I would have said no. So, I looked it up in the Greek and the word is used 117 times in the New Testament but in TNIV this is the only time it is translated allegiance. In Matthew 26 it is used 11 times so I looked at that and it was used in regards to Judas "handing over" Jesus. It has already been used 4 times in Romans mainly in Romans 1 where the people that reject God are "handed over" to the results of the life they have chosen. The really cool verse though is Galatians 2:20, possibly one of the greatest verses in the Bible.

^" I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Gal.2:20

      Christ was handed over by Judas, yes, but Galatians says, no, Judas did not hand Him over but Jesus gave Himself up to die on the cross. It was a willing decision. And I believe that this is why TNIV translates this word Allegiance. We have heard the gospel and we have pledged that we are going to give ourselves willingly to God. Our whole lives. Whatever He asks. You see getting saved is more than asking forgiveness for our sins. It is pledging allegiance to a new master. It is surrendering our lives to God. It is dying to our own way and following a new master.

       I know that sounds harsh but let me give 2 reasons why it isn't. Number one, look how sin is described by Paul just in Romans 6 - evil desires, ever increasing wickedness, impurity, slavery, things resulting in death, weak in yourselves, things you are now ashamed of. This is like me saying to my son "I am going to give you a brand new Bentley but you have to give me the keys to your 2009 Ford Escape with 150k miles on it that is stuck in 2nd gear" and he would say "no thanks, I like my Escape" That is crazy, but most people for some reason choose bondage to the decrepit over handing their lives over to Jesus. The other reason that this isn't harsh is seen in verse 17 also where Paul says "you have come to obey from your heart". Since Valentine's Day just came and went, "hearts" have been everywhere. Paul is saying we need to pledge allegiance, surrender, hand ourselves over, etc. but he also is telling us that if you fall in love with someone, that is easy. I have surrendered my life, my future, my money, my allegiance to my wife and I don't even think about it. It's a no-brainer. It is no effort. It is not painful, restrictive or bondage. Why? Because she is the love of my life.

          Lord, I pledge allegiance to You today, gladly!