Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
Parallel translations
- WEB Being made free from sin, you became bondservants of righteousness.
- BSB You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
- NKJV And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
- NASB and after being freed from sin, you became slaves to righteousness.
- NLT Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Set free from sin, believers have become slaves of righteousness. Freedom in Christ means a new and rightful servitude to God.
Overview
Paul summarizes the great exchange: liberation from sin's bondage results in enslavement to righteousness. This is not the loss of freedom but its true fulfillment, since serving God is the purpose for which we were made. The believer's freedom is therefore freedom for holiness, not from obligation.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Rom 6:22But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
- Rom 8:2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
- Gal 5:1Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
- John 8:32And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
- Isa 54:17No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.
- Rom 6:7For he that is dead is freed from sin.
- Rom 6:14For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
- 1 Pet 2:16As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
- Isa 26:13O LORD our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us: but by thee only will we make mention of thy name.
- Ps 119:45And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts.
- Ps 119:32I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart.
- Ps 116:16O LORD, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds.
- 1 Cor 7:21–22Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather.
- John 8:36If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
- Luke 1:74–75That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,
- Rom 6:19–20I 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.
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Christ at the center
Paul unfolds the gospel in full: Christ our righteousness received by faith, the second Adam in whom many are made righteous, in whose death and resurrection we are buried and raised.
How Romans 6:18 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.