DATE POSTED: Thursday, September 24, 2026, and I was blessed to be at Mariposa Apartment Homes, San Marcos, TX when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. Please visit NuggetsFromGodsWord.org to find and read all episodes shared over the years.
SCRIPTURE: Romans 6:15-18 (NLT) – 15 Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! 16 Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. 17 Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. 18 Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.
DEVOTIONAL: What an eye-opening truth for us today! Paul gives us a sober reminder: you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey.
Throughout our lives, we naturally yield our devotion and attention to various influences. As children, we look to parents for guidance; as students, we yield to teachers to gain wisdom; in marriage, we gladly sacrifice self-interest to love and honor our spouse. We are constantly choosing where to place our allegiance.
In Romans 6, Paul takes this concept to the highest spiritual level. He exposes a profound truth about human nature: no one is truly independent. We are all serving a master.
Isn’t it amazing how subtly this world tries to gain our allegiance? We are constantly told what we need in order to be happy, successful, attractive, accepted, or fulfilled. Advertisements promise satisfaction. Worldly pleasures offer temporary enjoyment. Society encourages us to believe that having more, doing more, and experiencing more will somehow satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts.
Without Christ, it is so easy to become enslaved to what this world offers without even realizing it.
But praise God, He offers us something infinitely better!
From the beginning, our Creator had a plan for His creation. In His mercy and grace, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, so that we no longer have to remain enslaved to sin. Through Christ, we can be forgiven, made new, and set free to live in obedience to God.
Paul lays the choice before us plainly in verse 16. We can continue serving sin, which ultimately leads to death, or we can turn to God in faith and obedience, which leads to righteous living.
Christian friend, perhaps this passage should also cause us to examine ourselves. Although Christ has set us free from sin, are there things in this world that we are allowing to exercise too much control over us? Our habits? Our possessions? Our entertainment? Our ambitions? Our desire for the approval of others?
Freedom in Christ does not mean freedom to do whatever we please. It means we have been set free from the mastery of sin so that we may wholeheartedly belong to God.
And perhaps you are reading this today and have never trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior. God, in His great love and mercy, has made a way for you to be reconciled to Him through His Son.
So let me ask you the same question I must ask myself: Who, or what, am I choosing to obey?
And an even more important question: Am I at peace with the choice I have made?
As long as God has given us breath, today is an opportunity to turn our hearts toward Him.
TODAY’S CHALLENGE: Take a few quiet moments today and ask God to show you anything that has begun to exercise control over your heart and life.
If you know Christ, ask yourself: Is my daily obedience showing that Jesus is truly Lord of my life?
If you have never placed your faith in Him, please don’t assume that another opportunity is guaranteed. Consider the choice Paul places before us and turn to Jesus in faith. He alone can free us from the bondage of sin and give us new life.
The question isn’t whether we will serve something. The question is: Who will be our Master?
PRAYER: Father, thank You for loving us enough to provide a way out of our slavery to sin. Thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the price we could never pay and to make it possible for us to be forgiven and made new.
Lord, please examine my heart today. Show me anything I have allowed to become more important than my obedience to You. Forgive me for the times I have listened to the voice of this world instead of listening to Yours.
Help me to remember that true freedom is not found in doing whatever I please, but in belonging completely to You. Give me the desire and strength to obey You wholeheartedly and to live in a way that reflects the change You have made in me.
And Father, I pray especially for the person reading this who has never trusted Jesus as Savior. Please soften their heart, help them understand Your love and grace, and draw them to Your Son.
May our lives declare that we belong to You.
In the precious name of Jesus, Amen.
FOOTNOTE
If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please take advantage of the information provided on my page ‘To Know Jesus’. Alternatively, consider speaking with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. I pray that one of God’s servants will pray with you and offer help and encouragement as you begin, or continue, your walk with Jesus. For my earlier devotionals, please visit NuggetsFromGodsWord.org, or if you choose, subscribe to receive a daily email containing each new devotional. Friends, I encourage you to find a Bible teaching church home near your residence and attend as frequently as possible. Get to know God and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk while you invite God to work through you to bless them. God is at work among His people! Please consider being a part of that while also growing in your faith as you worship with fellow believers!
