In Romans 6:18 it says we are slaves to righteousness, but do you really know what that entails? (See context Romans 6.1-23)
First of all, what is “justice” according to the world? In the Larousse dictionary one can read there; "Moral principle which requires respect for law and equity: To make justice reign". Its synonyms are right - egality - law. According to the “literary point of view, it is authority, domination over someone: Dictating one's law to others”. It is also "rules of conduct, conventions established by the members of a group, by morality or social life".
At the biblical level we find these same elements that define the dikaïosunè, dikaïos (in Greek), the “justice of God”. The moral principle discussed is faced with the Holiness of God, and it is the Holiness of God that precisely governs this principle in the face of man, a sinner, but endowed with a conscience and his free will. This principle of "right" and "equity" is given for all with impartiality (Jb34.18-19), it is an inviolable order according to God. This justice manifests itself according to a natural order also; what you sow (good or bad) you reap, here in this world, or soon in heaven (Lc16.19-31) whoever you are (Jh17.10; 32.19; Ap20.12-13; 22.12 , etc.) In the biblical aspect, versus the secular aspect of justice, we can see that "to make justice reign" and "to have authority and dominion over someone, to dictate one's law to others" is to do it with kindness and mercy (Jc5.11), as God does with us.
If we are called "righteousness of God" or "slave of righteousness", it is obviously that ALL the principles mentioned above are respected and that our position and the authority that we have received in Christ are used with firm intention to enforce her! To uphold it, we ourselves are not “forgetful” of His laws, but practice them (Deut12.18; 2 Chr19.7; Ps146.7-9; Ac10.34-35; Pro11.1, etc. )
This justice is also inscribed in accordance with the law, but the latter being accomplished by Christ and Christ dwelling in our hearts, it is “engraved” there in us, as being our new identity in Jesus; Christ being our righteousness (1Co1.30), our “tendency” is that of the Spirit (Rom8.1-9). We no longer fulfill the law, but TRANSCEND it, as Christ did by the ultimate sacrifice of His life! This law is written in our hearts, the Bible says that he who is not born of the Spirit does not belong to him (Rm8.10).
Thus, what is of the ten commandments is summarized in a single commandment “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord; and: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. Here is the second: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these…” (Deut6.5; Mat22.37; Mc12.30; Lk10.27), encompasses all the elements of God's justice; The order given and ordained by God, to love Him totally (soul, heart and thought) and unconditionally is freely accepted by man by obeying Him. The position of authority acquired in this obedience which leads to fairness and respect for the rights of “the other” by considering them as ourselves, reveals in us this “just” heart, this “justice” of God.
It should be known that it is impossible for us to obtain THIS righteousness by ourselves or our own efforts, because it does not come from this world, but comes from the “Kingdom of God” (Mt6.33). The laws of God are his, not the laws of men (without God). Since the world is governed by sin, it cannot obey it either, and this is the great difference between the definition of the term justice (according to the secular conception) and biblical justice. This world, just as it would try to be, cannot do it; hence all the scandals of governments, rulers, justice, (carnal) churches...
The example is also given by the Pharisees who, despite their extreme obedience to the law, did not respond to it. The Bible says, moreover, that there is not a single righteous (Rm3.10; Mt12.18), but Christ becoming “justice for us” and being declared as the only righteous (1Pet3. 18; 1Jn1.9; Jc5.6), has made us become “justice” for the world (Jer23.5-6; 33.16; 1Co1.30; Rm1.17; 2Co5.21; Mt12.18). The Pharisees who misunderstood this “justice” by establishing THEIR OWN, are not subject to God and have missed out (Rm10.1-4). Now in the light of what we have just seen and if you will see in the page (or the website in "The lesson of the doulos" or of the slave; https://www.lalecondelorchidee.com/post/la -lesson-of-doulos-or-of-the-slave ) you will understand what it means to be “a SLAVE OF JUSTICE”.
The slave spoken of in Romans 6:18 is one who has given up "his own rights" for the "rights" of His God; he no longer lives for himself. He no longer seeks his own justice, but that of God. When he is stripped, bruised, abandoned, he seeks God, and hopes in His justice; not for the evil of the other, but for his own good, always hoping that the soul of his enemy will go to heaven (Lc23.24) "Father, forgive them..." An incomprehensible forgiveness in this world! The Christian, when he sees someone being stripped, bruised, abandoned, seeks to defend him (Social justice). An incomprehensible justice in this world, which nevertheless knows its terms!
The slave no longer belongs to himself, but he has ONE SINGLE master, he no longer depends, neither on his own laws which previously dwelt in his heart, but depends on The Law of His God; "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God..." The slave of justice, no longer practices HIS OWN JUSTICE, but in all circumstances follows GOD'S JUSTICE, even if it is opposed to the world around him or to his own desires. The JUSTICE OF GOD is also respectful of the instituted authorities, of the weakest, of the oppressed, of the poor, of widowers… (Rm13.1-2; Lc14.13-14; Mat25.40; Ph2.4; 1Tm5.8 ; Prov21.13; Gal2.10; Jc2.14-17; 1Co13.1-2, etc.) Finally, being a slave to the justice of God allows one to be sanctified and leads to total consecration. There is therefore, no way to be sanctified or consecrated to God, without being a slave to His righteousness (Rm6.23) and without being consecrated and sanctified, THERE IS NO WAY TO OBTAIN ETERNAL LIFE!
PRAY: Lord, I come before You, that You may place Your justice in me; Come live in my heart! Come take all the space! I see Lord that sometimes I still seek my own justice, like all men, but Lord, You invite us rather to pray for these (Mt5.44)! Come change me, come put Your Law engraved in my heart, come help me to answer it and forgive me all the times, or I have sought to obtain my own justice! Come and give me discernment so that I can see when You want me to rise to fight, or when You want me to wait for You to act! Give me that intelligence. I want to be Your “doulos”, your slave, and I want to be “the slave of YOUR justice”, I no longer want to listen to my desires, my laws! Today, Lord, I place my life, my soul, my thoughts and my heart in Your hands, in the Name of Jesus! I also pray that all churches and all Christians can understand THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING A SLAVE TO YOUR JUSTICE and accept it!