“For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Rom. 6:10-11. What is sin? It is transgression of the law. So anyone who reckons himself dead to sin has also died to the law. This is a conscious decision of faith that everyone who has been liberated from sin and the law must make. “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.” Previously sin ruled over us, but now we must rule over it. God said to Cain, “Is it not so that if you have a good intent, then you can lift up your face? And if it is not so, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” Gen. 4:7 (Norw.). As soon as a person does not have good intentions, sin is at the door seeking to exploit the opportunity. However, our intentions must always be good, because we have the same mind that was in Christ. If this is the case, we will always triumph over sin, because we reckon ourselves dead to it. A relationship can only exist when people are alive. Death brings an end to the relationship. In the same way, when I die to sin, that relationship is severed. “And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.” Rom. 6:13. Just as we previously presented our bodies as instruments for sin, we must now present them as instruments of righteousness. What does it mean to present your body as an instrument of righteousness? It means that you are always prepared for every good work, in word and deed. It means you use your body to serve the Lord in the midst of the activities of everyday life. You work to earn your daily bread so you are not a burden to others, but rather have something to give. It means giving yourself willingly in God’s service, with all the gifts and abilities He has given you, at the meetings and elsewhere. In this service we are always “overcomers,” always victorious, because we trample sin beneath our feet. This is real freedom, in spirit and in truth. If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. We can only become truly free when we become the servant of all, because in order to carry out this ministry, we must destroy all manifestations of our own sin. That is why Jesus so wisely says, “Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.” The Son of Man Himself came to serve, not to be served. “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?” Rom. 6:16. When a person is looking for a job, he presents himself to an employer as available for work, and he becomes the servant of the one who employs him. Spiritually speaking, we are also available for work. If sin comes and offers me a position in its service and I obey it, I become a servant of unrighteousness, and the end is death. But now I must reckon (consider) myself dead to sin, so that when it offers me employment, I am deaf, blind and without feeling—and what is more, I am dead. If I am available for employment and righteousness offers me work, and I obey, then righteousness becomes my lord. The fruit of serving righteousness is sanctification, and the end, everlasting life. Here we see two types of service and what they lead to: serving sin leads to death, while serving righteousness leads to everlasting life. As you go further along the path of sanctification, the separation between the ministry of righteousness and the ministry of unrighteousness goes much deeper. Many of the things that a person initially regards as good, lawful and right will be considered unrighteous as the light increases. For example, by throwing yourself into earthly tasks with all your might and abilities, you hinder your body from being given to God’s service. Worldly education also steals a lot of time and strength. Legalistic service to God is another thing that hampers the ministry of righteousness. Regard for relatives and friends at the expense of the work of the kingdom of God and the edification of the church is another. The same applies to choosing to work excessively just for the sake of making money. All this hinders us from being servants of righteousness. If you want to become spiritual, you have to make choices. To him who knows to do good but does not do it, to him it is sin. Seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things (your earthly necessities) will be added unto you. Anything that hinders me in any way from being a servant of righteousness is sin for me.Johan O. Smith