SLAVERY

Slavery to me is forced servant-hood. It is a stronger will imposing itself over another for the benefit of the imposer. Anytime I hear the word slave or slavery - I have no good images associated with it. But then I read Scripture and I hear those words used as a passionate way to communicate Servant-hood, especially being a bonded servant to Christ.

Even though the words used by Paul in his letter to the believers in Rome were interpreted "servants", the meaning of servants was bond-servant by voluntary or involuntary means. The original Greek word he used was Doulos. But Paul comes to the word and term of slavery and flips the negativity of it for me. Listen as he describes this new look in Romans 6:16-18 -

"Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness."

Wow! What a switch in perspective. Because of my faith in Christ's sacrifice and victory for me ("been set free from sin") - I have chosen a life of bonded service to my Savior who is worthy of this passionate attachment ("have become slaves to righteousness"). Praise God, the entire Slave Market of Sin has been bought by Christ's very own life and faith in Christ Jesus as The Redeemer sets anyone free. There is no one else in the universe that deserves this bond.

Therefore, since He has died once for us and rose again in victory, let us die daily in Him - placing our thoughts, actions and words in submission and screening of His Holy Spirit. Not that we should consider being Saved every day, but that our Behavior would line-up with God's Word for our benefit and the benefit of others. Paul said it like this -

"Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace." (Romans 6:8-14)

Fear is a liar, it will try to keep you in the negative encampment of whatever bondage you find yourself. But  then we see slavery as a negative connotation re-worked. Jesus changes everything. One might ask - What is the benefit of being a slave in one camp to a slave in the other camp? The answer is - The Master. The Master, Christ Jesus, has set you free, designated you as being set apart for Him and graced you with eternal life, not eternal death. Paul said it like this - 

"I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life." (Romans 6:19-22)

Well, Paul when you say it like that, to be a slave, especially a bond-servant of Christ who loved me first - the idea doesn't sound so bad.

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