Observation: This is Paul's response to the idea that believers who are saved by faith may therefore continue to sin for they are forgiven ... it is an issue of acknowledging one's own master. He calls this a 'human analogy' for our understanding, and it is effectively this ... your true master is that which you offer yourself to. If we offer ourselves to Christ, then he is our master and we must obey him. So if we pursue sin - if we willfully offer ourselves to the behaviors of this world - then sin is our master that we will obey.
Application: I thought recently about the idea of 'victimless' sin. In the world of AI, a person can now partake in lust without there even being a target of that lust other than computer code. However, the one sinning is certainly the victim, and always has been when it comes to sin. The Lord taught us of sin in order to offer us a good life, knowing that the acts of sin actually damage our lives, not just the lives of others.
When I sin, I harm myself. I fail to think on pleasant thoughts, fail to engage in meaningful relationship with others, and sometimes even alter my life in ways I wasn't even aware of. I sincerely wish to stop sinning, and to be a slave to righteousness.
Prayer: Lord, I offer myself to righteousness. You are my master, Lord. I look to Jesus for my salvation, and to your word for my direction and instruction. May I comply with your instructions and orders, as a slave obeys his master, for I know your instructions are good, your yoke is easy, and your burden is light. May I be obedient all the more, all the days of my life. Amen.
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