Today we begin worship with:
But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We rejoice in being "set free", but often skip over the next clause.
We become "slaves of God" (douloĊ). This is not a "servant" (pais) whose employment is voluntary, but rather we have entered into a permanent relationship.
A servant receives a wage, but a slave does not. Sin paid a wage, but God does not. Instead God gives you a gift (charisma), which is free.
Oft untold was the responsibility of the master to the invalid or elderly slave. The slave continues to be their responsibility and stays under their care.
One cannot forget that we are slaves, or that gift will become a conditional wage.
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