Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse presents "obedience" as a master itself, not just a characteristic of serving God. This highlights that the act of submitting to God's terms is the direct opposite of sin, and that true freedom from sin is found in this chosen allegiance.
Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is arguing that just as a slave is completely bound to obey their master, believers are now bound to obey God. He's addressing the idea that freedom in Christ means freedom from any kind of obligation, showing that it actually means freedom from sin's dominion to be able to serve righteousness. Therefore, yielding to sin means willingly enslaving yourself to it, with death as the inevitable consequence.
Paul drops a truth bomb: you're not your own boss. You're a servant, and every action solidifies your allegiance.
You Can't Be Neutral
This verse presents a stark reality: you are a servant to someone. The choice isn't between being a servant and being free; it's who your master is. As commentator Henry points out, it’s a self-evident truth that once you choose to serve, that service is binding.
Sin's Cruel Dominion
When you choose to obey sin, you become its slave. This isn't just about occasional bad choices; it’s about dedicating yourself to a master whose only goal is your destruction. Clarke emphasizes that sin's masters (sin itself and our own lusts) are cruel taskmasters, leading to death.
Obedience's Liberating Rule
On the flip side, yielding to obedience means becoming a servant of righteousness. This isn't a dreary, oppressive slavery. As Ellicott suggests, the habits you form become your 'second nature.' In God's service, this 'second nature' is one of freedom and love, leading to life.
Paul doesn't just talk about who's in charge; he spells out the deadly consequences of serving sin and the life-giving results of serving God.
Sin's Destination: Death
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The path of sin, as Paul states, leads 'to death.' This isn't just a future event; it's the inevitable result of sin's nature. Barnes explains that this refers to condemnation and eternal woe. Sin, by its very essence, is separation from the life-giving presence of God.
Obedience's Goal: Righteousness
Conversely, obedience leads 'to righteousness.' While 'righteousness' can encompass a life lived rightly, here it points to the ultimate state of being declared right with God. Cambridge notes that this often refers to justification – being counted righteous in God's eyes, which is the basis for eternal life.
Understand the original words
paristanete · Greek Verb
To yield, offer, or place at the disposal of another. In a biblical context, it implies a voluntary surrender or dedication of one's person or body to a specific master or purpose.
douloi · Greek Noun
A person who is legally and entirely owned by another, lacking personal freedom and obligated to complete obedience. Theologically, it describes the state of being entirely under the control and dominion of either sin or God.
hamartias · Greek Noun
A fundamental force of rebellion against God, often personified as a power or master that enslaves humanity, corrupts human nature, and separates the creature from the Creator.
thanaton · Greek Noun
The ultimate consequence of sin; it signifies not only physical cessation of life but, more importantly, spiritual alienation from God, corruption of soul, and eternal judgment.
dikaiosynen · Greek Noun
The quality or state of being in accordance with God’s standard, character, and law. It represents a right standing before God and the practical outworking of living in conformity to His will.
Paul uses the familiar and stark reality of Roman slavery to illustrate a profound spiritual truth: believers have transitioned from being slaves of sin to slaves of righteousness, a choice with eternal consequences.
c. 1st Century AD— this verse
Roman Empire and Slavery
The Roman Empire heavily relied on a vast slave economy. Slaves had no rights and were considered property, their lives entirely dictated by their masters' will. This reality was a common understanding for Paul's audience.
c. 1st Century AD
Paul's Ministry in Roman Provinces
The Apostle Paul traveled extensively throughout the Roman Empire, establishing Christian communities. His letters, like Romans, were written to these diverse groups of believers living within the Roman cultural and social context.
c. 1st Century AD
Spread of the Gospel
The Gospel message proclaimed freedom from sin and death, offering a new form of 'servitude' to righteousness and God. This message offered a radical alternative to the prevailing social order and its master-slave dynamics.
This passage directly parallels the idea in Romans 6:16, stating that no one can serve two masters, highlighting the absolute commitment required by whichever master one chooses.
John 8:34Jesus declares that everyone who sins is a slave to sin, directly illustrating the 'slave of sin' concept presented in Romans 6:16 and its inevitable outcome.
Galatians 5:13This verse speaks of using freedom in Christ not for an opportunity for the flesh, but to serve one another in love, contrasting the 'obedience that leads to righteousness' with the misuse of freedom.
1 Peter 1:14Peter urges believers to live as obedient children, not conforming to the desires of their former ignorance, reinforcing the choice between former masters (sin) and a new master (obedience/God).
henryRomans 6:16-20: "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?"
6:16-20 Every man is the servant of the master to whose commands he yields himself; whether it be the sinful dispositions of his heart, in actions which lead to death, or the new and spiritual obedience implanted by regeneration. The apostle rejoiced now they obeyed from the heart the gospel, into which they were de…
cambridgeRomans 6:16: "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?"
16 . Know ye not ] As a self-evident truth, that bond-service, once accepted, becomes binding. This general principle is at once applied to the special cases of Sin and Obedience regarded as personified Masters. The clauses to the end of Romans 6:18 may be thus summarized:—“All bond-service, once accepted, is binding,…
The verse presents "obedience" as a master itself, not just a characteristic of serving God. This highlights that the act of submitting to God's terms is the direct opposite of sin, and that true freedom from sin is found in this chosen allegiance.
Paul is arguing that just as a slave is completely bound to obey their master, believers are now bound to obey God. He's addressing the idea that freedom in Christ means freedom from any kind of obligation, showing that it actually means freedom from sin's dominion to be able to serve righteousness. Therefore, yielding to sin means willingly enslaving yourself to it, with death as the inevitable consequence.
Paul is arguing that just as a slave is completely bound to obey their master, believers are now bound to obey God. He's addressing the idea that freedom in Christ means freedom from any kind of obligation, showing that it actually means freedom from sin's dominion to be able to serve righteousness. Therefore, yielding to sin means willingly enslaving yourself to it, with death as the inevitable consequence.
"Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?" — The verse presents "obedience" as a master itself, not just a characteristic of serving God. This highlights that the act of submitting to God's terms is the direct opposite of sin, and that true f…
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Last reviewed October 2026