Romans 6:20-21-When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21  But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? The end of those things is death. 
One of the more difficult things to convey to anyone who sees Christianity through the lens of “do’s and don’ts”, is the need for sincere intimacy with Jesus.  In not striving after Jesus, comes a blindness of what our sin is actually resulting in now, a separation from God in experiencing His love, peace, joy and righteousness in this life. (Colossians 2:20-23, 1 John 3:14)
We generally speak of the need to know Jesus so that people don’t go to hell and experience eternal death, which is right to do.  Yet many people who are callous to Jesus, don’t consider that living in sin is death or a separation from God and the fruit of eternal life, and trying to “cover” the fruit of that separation has resulted in immense shame and insecurity… (Genesis 3:9-10, Philippians 3:19, 1 Timothy 5:6)
Personally, these verses above are a startling reminder of how miserable I was living apart from Jesus.  That the fruit of living as my own “god” led me into things that to this day I am not proud of.  Yet I thank the Lord I remember my ways without Him, because it resulted in “fruit” that I am ashamed of, and a life I shudder to go back to!
Which is why Chrisitianity is centered on a relationship with Christ that has delivered us from sin that separated us from God, so now we can live at peace with Him in a new life!  Yes, knowing Jesus is an opportunity to be with Him in heaven and eventually be alleviated from all our troubles.  But why not live pursuing Him now, to experience abundant life with fruit we can boast in Him about? (1 Corinthians 1:30-31)
The professing Christian who still lives by “do’s and don’ts” will eventually desire to be free from being a “religious slave” to sin.  It’s not until we examine the fruit/result of our ways that humility comes, to either surrender to Christ or continue striving after Him, because we see the fruit in our lives that makes us rejoice in our salvation! (John 15:5, 2 Corinthians 13:5, Galatians 5:22, Hebrews 12:11)
In His Love, Ld