Slaves of Sin
Calvinism teaches that unbelievers are “slaves of sin” and are, thus, unable to repent and turn to God unless God first changes their hearts. Unbelievers enjoy their sin too much to want to give it up. This is why God must first change their hearts.
Is this view biblical?
First, consider Paul’s remarks about “slaves of sin” in Romans:
“But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed…and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness…But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life” (Rom. 6:17-22).
Notice how Paul says: “Though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart.” In other words, “Though you were slaves of sin, you had a change of heart about your sin.” This is what repentance is all about. Paul then goes on to say that because of your change of heart, God set you free from your slavery to sin and made you a slave of righteousness/slave of God.
So the order of events is this: One must first have a change of heart and want to be set free of sin; then God will set him free. As Paul said in that well-known passage about overcoming sin:
“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it” (1 Cor. 10:13).
Second, the term “slave of sin” is no more absolute than “slave of righteousness.” In the passage above, Romans 6:17-22, Paul calls unbelievers “slaves of sin” in the same way he calls believers “slaves of righteousness”/“slaves of God.” But we all know that slaves of righteousness (aka Christians) still have the ability to sin—at least, I’ve never met a Christian who claims he can’t sin. So if a slave of righteousness has the ability to sin, then that must mean a slave of sin has the ability to do good, such as to repent and ask God for help escaping sin.
Keep in mind, the more someone has repeated a sin, the more calloused he will be, and the harder it will be for him to repent/escape.
But neither term—whether “slave of sin” or “slave of righteousness”—is absolute. These terms simply refer to one’s overall lifestyle. A slave of sin thinks more about sin; while a slave or righteousness thinks more about God. But neither term means a person cannot occasionally do something contrary to his lifestyle, if he chooses.
Third, Jesus came into the world to set the captives free. As Jesus said:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives…” (Luke 4:18-19).
Jesus came into the world to set the captives of sin free—and that’s exactly what he did! The prison doors are now open. All one has to do is walk out of the cell, if he so chooses.
Why would someone choose to remain in bondage to sin, you may be wondering? Answer: Because many people would rather enjoy the temporary pleasures of their sin…rather than to repent and live with God. They don’t want to live with God. They would rather enjoy their sin. And God gives them what they want.
As CS Lewis famously said: In the end, there are only two kinds of people. Those who say to God, “Thy will be done”; and those to whom God says, “Thy will be done.” The former are rewarded with eternal life, and the latter will perish. As Jesus famously said:
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16; see also Rom. 6:22 above).
Nobody is a slave of sin in the Calvinist sense.
By Alex Polyak, founder of Answering Calvinism, 9/28/25.