{"id":5417,"date":"2025-11-16T16:53:36","date_gmt":"2025-11-16T23:53:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novus2.com\/righteouscause\/?p=5417"},"modified":"2025-11-16T16:53:36","modified_gmt":"2025-11-16T23:53:36","slug":"e-v-i-c-sunday-school-notes-a-biblical-study-of-romans-622-the-freedom-of-slavery-to-god","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novus2.com\/righteouscause\/2025\/11\/16\/e-v-i-c-sunday-school-notes-a-biblical-study-of-romans-622-the-freedom-of-slavery-to-god\/","title":{"rendered":"E.V.I.C. Sunday School Notes: A Biblical Study of Romans 6:22: The Freedom of Slavery to God."},"content":{"rendered":"
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Welcome to Sunday School at East Valley International Church! Each week, we gather to explore the essential truths that form the foundation of our Christian faith. Through our “Fundamentals of the Faith”<\/strong><\/span> study, we’re discovering together what it means to follow Jesus, understand God’s Word, and live out our beliefs in everyday life. Today, we’re examining a paradox that lies at the heart of the Gospel: true freedom comes through slavery to God. As we explore Romans 6:22\u2014“But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life”<\/strong><\/em><\/span>\u2014we’ll discover how liberation from sin’s bondage leads us into joyful servitude to our Creator. This profound truth challenges our modern understanding of freedom and reveals the transformative power of the Gospel. These sessions offer us all an opportunity to deepen our relationship with God and build a stronger understanding of the biblical principles that guide us. We’re glad you’re here as we learn and grow together!<\/p>\n

The following notes are from discussions initiated by Pastor Joey or class members.<\/p>\n

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A Biblical Study of Romans 6:22: The Freedom of Slavery to God<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

The Text<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Romans 6:22 (NIV):<\/strong><\/span>“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.”<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Romans 6:22 (ESV):<\/strong><\/span>“But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification. Its end is eternal life.”<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Romans 6:22 (NASB):<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>“But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.”<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Romans 6:22 (KJV):<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>“But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.”<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Context: The Argument of Romans 6<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

To properly understand Romans 6:22, we must situate it within Paul’s broader argument in this pivotal chapter. Romans 6 addresses a question that naturally arises from Paul’s teaching on grace: “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?”<\/strong> <\/em><\/span>(verse 1). If we’re saved by grace apart from works, and if God’s grace is magnified when it forgives sin, then why not continue in sin to give God more opportunities to display His grace?<\/p>\n

Paul’s answer is emphatic: “By no means!”<\/strong><\/em><\/span> (verse 2). He then develops his argument through three major sections:<\/p>\n

Verses 1-14: United with Christ in Death and Resurrection<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em><\/span>– Paul explains that believers have died to sin through union with Christ in His death and have been raised to new life through union with Him in His resurrection. Our old self was crucified with Christ, breaking sin’s dominion over us. We are now to “count ourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus”<\/strong> <\/em><\/span>(verse 11).<\/p>\n

Verses 15-23: Two Masters, Two Slaveries<\/strong><\/em><\/span>\u00a0– Paul uses the metaphor of slavery to illustrate the exclusive nature of our allegiance. Just as a slave belongs entirely to one master, we are slaves either to sin (leading to death) or to righteousness\/God (leading to life). There is no neutral ground, no third option.<\/p>\n

Romans 6:22 appears in this second section as the climactic statement describing the believer’s new status and its consequences. It provides the positive counterpart to verses 20-21, which describe the believer’s former slavery to sin.<\/p>\n

Verse Analysis: Four Key Components<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

1. “But Now” – The Great Transition<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

The phrase “but now”<\/strong> <\/span>(Greek\u00a0nyni de<\/em>) marks a decisive break between past and present, between the old life and the new. This transitional phrase appears repeatedly in Romans to signal salvation’s transformative effects:<\/p>\n