18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.
18 one whose commands set you free to live openly in his freedom!
18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
18 Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Romans 6:18
Commentary on Romans 6:16-20
(Read Romans 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 delivered as into a mould. As the same metal becomes a new vessel, when melted and recast in another mould, so the believer has become a new creature. And there is great difference in the liberty of mind and spirit, so opposite to the state of slavery, which the true Christian has in the service of his rightful Lord, whom he is enabled to consider as his Father, and himself as his son and heir, by the adoption of grace. The dominion of sin consists in being willingly slaves thereto, not in being harassed by it as a hated power, struggling for victory. Those who now are the servants of God, once were the slaves of sin.