lly liberty must be accepted even as a
bondage, till it cease to seem so. In old days they offered their
limbs as slaves to uncleanness and lawlessness, and the result was a
lawless life. {228} Now they must yield their limbs as slaves to
righteousness with a view to a consecrated life. And the change of
allegiance is surely matter for congratulation. They can recall the
days when they were free from the service of righteousness, as being
slaves of sin, and they can remember what fruit they enjoyed as the
result of experiences which they now blush to bring to mind. Of such
experiences death, moral no less than physical, is the result. Now,
set free from sin's slavery and made God's slaves, they enjoy the
present fruit of consecration to God and the ultimate prospect of
eternal life. So long as Sin was their master he would pay them their
wages, and the wages which Sin pays is always death. But now that they
are surrendered into God's hands, and simply dependent on His
loving-kindness, there is no question of wages, but the gift of His
bounty is eternal life, in Him whose life includes their own, Jesus
Christ their Lord.

What then? shall we sin, because we are not under law, but under grace?
God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye present yourselves _as_
servants unto obedience, his servants ye are whom ye obey; whether of
sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But thanks be to
God, that, whereas ye were servants of sin, ye became obedient from the
heart to that form of teaching {229} whereunto ye were delivered; and
being made free from sin, ye became servants of righteousness. I speak
after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as
ye presented your members _as_ servants to uncleanness and to iniquity
unto iniquity, even so now present your members _as_ servants to
righteousness unto sanctification. For when ye were servants of sin,
ye were free in regard of 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. But now being made free from sin, and become
servants to God, ye have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end
eternal life. For the wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God
is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1. St. Paul is here expounding the real meaning of human liberty. It
is generally regarded as the power 'to do as one pleases' or a state of
independenc