1954 Bible Studies - page 146

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BIBLE STUDIES Impurity, lawlessness unto lawlessness ! The whole dark and dreary record of Romans 1. 24-32, of Gentile degradation, lies in these words of verse 19.

But now the members of these Roman believers were to be presented as slaves to righteousness.  The object of this being sanctification, complete separation from such shameful things as were done in the past, so that God’s holy will might be done by them.

Verses 20, 2 1 : For when ye were servants of sin, ye were free in regard to

righteousness.  What fruit then had ye at that time in the things whereof ye are

now ashamed ? for the end of those things is death.

Here Paul draws aside the curtain and lets those Roman believers look back on their past lives. There is ever a benefit to be derived from remem-bering what and where we were in the past, and what and where we are now by the grace of God. Paul says that when they were slaves of sin they were free in regard to righteousness, free to do their own will and seek their own pleasure in sin. What fruit accrued to them from their doings and what was the end ? As to the deeds themselves they brought only shame, for sin

is a shameful thing, a shame to a race that was at the beginning created in

the image and likeness of God. What was the end ? Death ! The sentence upon sin is ever the same from the beginning of the race to the end ; it is

death all the way.

Verse 2 2 : But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye

have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end eternal life.

They were no longer slaves of sin; they had been freed, not by a price paid by themselves, but by Another, even the Lord Christ. His blood was

the ransom price. Now they were slaves of God, and in consequence of the character of their service the fruit of their doings is not shame, but sanctifi-cation, an ever increasing separation from all evil. This is not the once for all sanctification in Christ, but a sanctification which is progressive in holy living. " This is the will of God, even your sanctification " (1 Thessalonians’ 4. 3), Paul wrote to the Thessalonians. The end or issue of such holy living is eternal life. Eternal life is given by Christ to all His sheep, all believers (John 10. 27, 28).  Again, such as sow to the Spirit reap eternal life

(Galatians 6. 8), that is, they reap an increase of life which they already possess, as the Lord said, " I came that they may have life, and may have it

abundantly " (John 10. 10). This increase of life is by laying hold on the life eternal (1 Timothy 6. 12), which is life indeed (1 Timothy 6. 19). " Unto eternal life" and "unto life eternal" (John 12. 25; 4. 14, 36) contemplate t h a t phase of eternal life which is yet future.

Verse 2 3 : For the wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God is eternal

life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

" Wages " is the pay, stipend or ration of soldiers. The ends of the two paths of sin and righteousness are clearly stated. What is earned by sinners

will be paid in full; the wage is death, and the most fearsome form of it is

in the second death, which is the lake of fire (Revelation 20. 14, 15). But

life, natural and spiritual, is the gift of God, and here in this verse is clearly stated the blessed fact, that the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. John the apostle tells us that " this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath the life; he that hath not the Son of God hath not the life" (1 John 5. 11, 12).

J. M.

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