Slaves to obedience...

Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?
Romans 6:16

This passage has been working at me for some weeks now. I know that each of us can understand being slaves to sin as we are born into that slavery. It is a bit harder to imagine being a slave to obedience. That concept is totally contrary to human nature.

The word slave (translated servant in the King James) indicates voluntary or involuntary servanthood. Slavery to sin is of the involuntary kind. It is innate, inborn, the natural state of mankind. It comes to us a easily as breathing or eating. Slavery to obedience is definately voluntary. It is the willing obedience to Christ which must be worked at, sought, and learned (see John 8:31-32, Romans 6:17).

The part of this verse that amazes me is that Paul indicates that our capacity for obedience is at least equal to our capacity for sin. What a revelation this is!

Lord-
As Paul has stated in the passage above, I want to know what it is to be a slave to obedience that leads to righteousness. I voluntarily offer you myself as a bond-servant. Place me under obligation to your righteousness. Thank you.