Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. (19) I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. (20) For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. (21) What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. (22) But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. (23) For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Reader! when the Apostle saith, as in the opening of these verses: Being made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness; we must be cautious not to carry the sense too far. You and I are not wholly free from sin. So far from it, that it is my constant sorrow, that I am so much the subject of sin. I know, I feel, I carry about with me, a body of sin and death. In thoughts, and words, and actions, how often do I feel the working of sin in my nature. And, So little am I become a servant of righteousness, that my daily complaint at the close of the day is, how little have I lived to the divine glory. But, the Apostle doth not mean, by the freedom from sin in the one instance, or the servant of righteousness in the other, a state of perfect holiness before God. All that is intended from the words of the Apostle is, that by virtue of redemption in Christ, his people are delivered from the condemning power of sin, and are brought into the glorious liberty of the sons of God. And as such, they have their fruit, that is, the blessed effects of Christ's redemption unto holiness, even the holiness of God our Savior, theirs by virtue of union and communion with Him; and the end everlasting life. Grace here, a sure earnest of glory hereafter.
And, I admire the very striking manner in which the Apostle sums up the Chapter, when drawing the nice, but proper distinction between sin, in its final consequences; and righteousness in Christ, as the believer's portion forever. The Apostle calls the end of sin wages, and declares those wages to be death. For, as a servant covenants with his master, to receive wages at the end of his labor: So, the sinner as truly covenants to receive death, which is his just wages, when at death he stands forth at the judgment seat of Christ. But, the Apostle varies the expression with respect to the Lord's faithful servants, when describing the eternal life, which will succeed to the present life. He doth not call it wages, but a gift: because it is not earned, but given. Not the demand of merit, but the blessing of grace; the Lord's free, voluntary, and gracious act, as his gift. The gift of God, which is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift!