Devotion for Friday, March 27, The Fourth Week in Lent
Romans 6:16–23 | You who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart…
Paul’s insight that we are slaves to sin until set free by grace is something for which we can never honor him enough. This insight, about the animating power behind true freedom, comes in short, squeezed, pithy form in the 17th verse of Romans 6: “But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed.”
This means that your good behavior is no longer out of duty or obligation, or even the refined silver of personal promise and commitment; but it comes from the heart. It is behavior—translate, love—which you wantto express. Were you to conspire your altruism from a heart of “supposed to/ought to,” it would not only ring false, but it would probably not last. Doing things because you have to do them carries little continuing appeal.
But being under grace (i.e., God’s forgiveness on account of the atonement worked out in death—the loving sacrifice—on the cross), we have no one whom we have to please. We are rather able to love because we wish to, our patience is something we can’t wait to exercise, our behind-the-scenes helping conveys inward joy, our meekness is our desire. What a transformation.
PRAYER
Lover of my soul,
perfecter of my heart,
let me bask in the love
that knows no bounds.