Are We Christians Slaves? Or Are We Free?

[The July 31 sermon spoke of the paradox of true freedom resulting from slavery to God. The following is edited and shortened from a sermon on that topic preached March 3, 2019, as part of a series entitled Contradictions? How Delving Into Challenging Topics Unlocks the Riches of God’s Revelation. You can listen to that 2019 sermon via this link – Coty]

“Live as free people,
but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil;
live as God’s slaves.”
(1 Peter 2:16 NIV)

Peter commands us to live as free people – yet also to live as God’s slaves. How can anyone fulfill both commands? If I’m free, surely I’m not anyone’s slave. Right?

Wrong. Scripture clearly teaches that we are free in Christ and we are slaves to Him. The Apostles Peter and Paul as well as Jesus Himself intentionally draw our attention to this paradox.

Understanding how to live out both commands Is key to living the Christian life. In order to do this, we must modify our understanding of freedom as well as our understanding of slavery.

For many people today – particularly those of us who grew up in this country – freedom means “having no constraints:”

  • No one is telling you what to do, or what not to do
  • No one is controlling you
  • No one is forcing you to do one act or another

That conception of freedom is the opposite of slavery. For if I am a slave, I am constrained by the commands of my master. The master tells me what to do and what not to do. The master can force me to do one act or another. Under those definitions, it is impossible to “live as free men” and to “live as God’s slaves.”

But the biblical definitions of both freedom and slavery differ markedly from those modern American understandings. Indeed, biblically the only way to find true freedom is to be God’s slave.

We’ll address this issue under three headings:

  • What is Freedom in Scripture?
  • What is Slavery in Scripture?
  • The Glorious Freedom of the Children of God

Our goal: That we might joyfully live as God’s biblical slaves, and so live in biblical freedom.

What is Freedom in Scripture?

As we’ve said, most Americans today think of “freedom” as the absence of constraints. Furthermore, we think being without constraints is inherently good and desirable.

But consider: Is being unconstrained good for us? Is it even possible for us?

Everyone acknowledges that there must be some constraints on some people. Three-year-olds can’t be allowed to do whatever they might like. And we must have laws and institutions that constrain us in order to protect us from those that might like to harm us.

Even so – we today often think of these constraints as necessary limits on freedom rather than part of the definition of freedom. Thus, many Americans would say: “Yes, being without constraint is good and desirable, with the exception of young children, those with certain mental disorders, and those who, without constraint, will harm themselves or others.”

Biblical freedom, however, is not related to our being unconstrained in that sense. Think of Jesus’ statement in John 8:31-32: “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” That statement makes no sense if we think of “free” as “unconstrained.” Rather, Jesus says that knowing, following, and delighting in His words day after day leads to our knowing the truth, and knowing that truth sets us free.

Let’s consider a few additional Scriptures to help us understand the concept, beginning with Romans 8:18-21. The Apostle Paul writes:

“I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” (ESV – the NIV renders that last phrase, “the glorious freedom of the children of God”)

Paul says: For those in Jesus, there is a glory coming. We will be shown to be the heirs of God, joint-heirs with Christ. We are predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. We will be perfected, like Jesus. No longer will we be part of this creation which, after the Fall, was subject to futility. We will no longer grow old; we will no longer be sinful; we will no longer face temptation. We will have the glorious freedom of the children of God. We will fully know the truth and thus be fully free.

Other Scriptures give a picture of what someone with that type of freedom looks like.

“I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart!” Psalm 119:32 ESV

Or NET: “I run along the path of your commands, for you enable me to do so.”

Do you hear freedom in this verse? We are free to follow God’s commands with joy and delight.

In December 1984, we returned to the US after three years living in Kenya at over 5000’ elevation. Twenty-eight years old, having trained and competed at altitude – and on hilly terrain – for those years, I was in excellent condition. We spent one night in Amsterdam during our return journey. That morning, I got up before dawn and ran along the canals. It felt so easy! I tested myself, running faster and faster – it seemed I could not even make myself breathe hard. I felt I could run and never grow weary.

Psalm 119:32 is talking about that type of freedom – a freedom that makes it easy to follow His commands. This type of freedom is not so much characterized by lack of constraints as by potential, power, the ability to become something beautiful.

Note four aspects of this biblical freedom that John Piper helpfully brings out:

  • The desire to follow Jesus’ commands
  • The ability to do so
  • The opportunity to do so
  • The understanding that these commands are for our good.

Apply these four aspects to Jesus’ statement in John 8:

  • Abiding in Jesus’ words gives us the desire to follow them.
  • The power of His words as well as the miracle of the new birth gives us the ability to do so.
  • Every moment of every day we have the opportunity to follow His Word, His commands
  • His word, His commands are always for our good.

Or think of Psalm 1:1-3 in this regard:

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”

The blessed man avoids what will be to his harm; he delights in the Law that tells him who God is, who man is, how to be reconciled to Him, and how to live a life to His glory. In this way, he has freedom: He is always sustained, always productive, always fulfilling his potential, always becoming what his Creator intends Him to be. Thus this blessed man is free to have joy! He is free to love God and man! He is free to have peace with God – and peace with man as far as it depends on him.

This is biblical freedom – not the absence of constraints, but becoming a joyful, fulfilled follower of our Creator through Jesus.

What is Slavery in Scripture?

When we hear the word “slavery” in this country we understandably think of the millions of Africans who were kidnapped, carried in chains across the Atlantic, then sold into a slavery that was based on a myth of Africans as sub-human – an inferior race whose right place was to serve the superior race. And these attitudes continued to characterize many individuals and institutions in this country well after the horrible war that led to the ending of such slavery.

That type of slavery, American slavery, is inherently evil, inherently wrong.

Slavery in New Testament times was quite different.

If we are to understand this topic in Scripture, we must distinguish among three uses of the word “slavery:” American slavery, first century Roman slavery, and the way the word is used in Scripture.

First century Roman slavery was not based on race; it was not lifelong, as people moved in and out of slavery; and it was not based on a myth that masters were superior to slaves. People often became slaves because they could not repay a debt. They could choose to sell themselves into slavery and – over time – earn their freedom. In a way, first century Roman slavery was a substitute for our modern institution of bankruptcy.

Now: even in Roman times, a bad master could make his slaves’ lives miserable. Furthermore, slaves could not just quit and walk away. Nevertheless, it’s clear that this institution was quite different from American slavery, and was not in and of itself evil.

How is the word “slavery” used in Scripture?

Note first that it is very common. Searching the Greek New Testament and the Greek translation of the Old Testament for the words that mean “slave,” “slavery,” and “serve as a slave” yields more than 700 verses!   Sometimes the word refers to a first century slave, such as Onesimus, the subject of Paul’s letter to Philemon; similarly, Jesus speaks of such slaves in several parables. Sometimes the word refers to the way a son should act towards a good father, or the way a citizen should act towards a good king, or the way a friend should act toward a good friend, or the way a woman desires to act toward a good man she hopes to marry.

Most modern English translations render the majority of these cases with “servant” language. For example, Ruth tells Boaz, “Spread your wings over your servant” (Ruth 3:9). The Greek translation of the Old Testament renders that “your slave.”

This word group is also commonly used to refer to the relationship of humans to gods – whether to false gods (the Canaanites slave for Baal), or the true God.

So unlike the American institution of slavery, neither first century slavery nor slavery in Scripture is evil in and of itself. First century slavery and slavery in Scripture are good, neutral, or evil depending on the master. To slave for a bad master, or a false god, is terrible. To slave for a good master (or a good friend or a good father or a good man you want to marry) is good. Most of all, to slave for a gracious and loving God is the way to true joy.

This brings us to the issue of authority. Some Americans – particularly those of us who grew up in 1960s – think of authority itself as something problematic. That’s not at all biblical. We need authority in our lives – whether as children or adults. We rightly want to avoid bad authorities; but we should delight to serve good, wise authorities.

Let’s deepen our understanding of the biblical conception of slavery through considering the figurative use of “slavery” in Scripture. The New Testament speaks negatively of our being slaves to sin, and positively of our being slaves to righteousness. To be enslaved to sin is to have wrong desires as our master. Yet the Apostle Paul speaks positively about slavery to fellow Christians: “Through love slave for one another” (Galatians 5:13, literal).

To understand how slaving for one another is positive, let’s consider the example of Solomon’s son Rehoboam. Upon becoming king, Rehoboam seeks advice from his father’s counselors. What type of king should he be? They say, “If you will be a servant to this people today and serve them … then they will be your servants forever” (1 Kings 12:7 ESV). The Greek translation of the Old Testament uses “slave” language: “if you will be enslaved to the people, they will be enslaved to you.”

Rehoboam rejects this advice, and the northern ten tribes rebel against his rule; the kingdom is never again united. Rehoboam should have slaved for the people.

But then King Jesus does what Rehoboam did not. He becomes a slave to His people (Philippians 2:7), enslaving Himself in love. Not in the sense that He obeys us! But He gave up His majesty, He suffered, He died to give us what we needed most: Freedom from slavery to sin, freedom from slavery to wrong desires, freedom from slavery to Satan.

So now let’s return to Galatians 5:13: “In love slave for one another.” Paul is saying: Do for other people what Jesus did for us. That doesn’t mean do whatever they ask. We are not enthralled to the whims and desires of others. But secure in God’s love, confident in His sovereign provision, we can deny ourselves, love others, and serve them.

Do you see biblical freedom here? We are free to love, free to be like Jesus! Because in Jesus, united to Him, we need nothing, just as Jesus had everything He needed in the Father.

So as Jesus loved sacrificially, we too can love sacrificially

The Glorious Freedom of the Children of God

The 17th century English poet and pastor John Donne captures well the paradox of biblical freedom and slavery:

Take me to you, imprison me, for I,
Except you enthrall me, never shall be free

We have seen: Biblical freedom is not the lack of constraints, but rather is the ability, opportunity, and desire to do what is for our good. And it is for our good to become what God made us to be: Like Jesus. So biblical slavery to God is following the only authority who will always lead us on the path to joy in Christ.

Deuteronomy 10:12-21 sums up this idea well. We are to be God’s slaves. He requires certain things of us: to fear Him, to walk in all His ways (that is, to live our lives as He tells us, showing what He is like), to love Him, to serve/slave for Him (not just with external actions but with our entire being), to obey all His commands and statutes. That is, we must acknowledge that He is our Master.

But is this negative? No! All that He commands, He commands for our good. We are privileged to be loved by Him – by the God who is the Lord of all, who is the God of justice and mercy. So it only makes sense to stifle all rebelliousness, all stubbornness, all rejection of His authority, and to hold fast to Him, to praise Him, to become like Him.

That pictures the glorious freedom of the children of God: Free to love God, free to love others:

  • Truly free – because we hold fast to the one who loves us
  • Truly free – because we are enslaved to the one who knows us
  • Truly free – because our Master owns all things and controls all things
  • Truly free – because through obedience to Him we become what He created us to be

This is the truth – the truth that can set you free.

So trust in Christ, enslave yourself to Him – and find the glorious freedom of the children of God.

A Prayer for Our Country for Her 244th Birthday

Father God,

We thank You for the United States of America.

  • What a privilege You grant us, O Father, to live in the first country that stated in its core documents that “All men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.”
  • What a great blessing to have wise founders who agreed with Your revelation of the fallenness of man, and therefore set up a system of checks and balances within the Constitution to diminish the opportunity for power to corrupt.
  • What a further blessing that our first president voluntarily stepped down from office, and therefore set an example for peaceful succession that we have followed for over 200 years.
  • Thank You for the previously unheard of economic freedom we have had in this country, and the consequent abundance of material goods that we are blessed with.
  • Thank you for those who have given their lives that this experiment in government of the people, by the people, and for the people might not perish from the earth.
  • Thank You for the freedom we have to worship as You instruct, without interference from the state, and for the freedom to speak against our leaders and their policies without fear of imprisonment or worse.
  • Thank You for the blessings of past revivals and awakenings that have led to the salvation of millions and the transformation of entire communities.
  • Thank You for the strategic role You have allowed the American church to play in reaching so many people groups with the Gospel of Your grace.

Whether we ourselves arrived recently or our ancestors have been in the US since its founding, we are blessed to live in this great country – and we acknowledge and thank You that this, along with every good gift, comes from You, and is undeserved by us.

We also confess, Father, the sins of our country, how so often we have failed to live up to our founding ideals.

  • Chanting security and freedom, we have tolerated or even advocated the oppression of different ethnic groups, including Native Americans, African Americans, and Japanese Americans.
  • In the name of “freedom” of choice we have tolerated or even advocated the killing of tens of millions of babies before they took a single breath.
  • In the name of “freedom” we have excused a lack of concern for the poor and downtrodden.
  • Crying out “freedom of religion” we have spawned distortions of Your Word and have bowed down to idols – including those of security, power, and wealth.
  • We have even replaced You with the USA, worshiping our country instead of You, while acting as if Your honor and glory are yoked together with the success of the United States.

We acknowledge, Father, that You have no more need of this country than you had of the Roman Empire. We continue to exist as a country because of Your mercy, and You could justly sweep us away in a moment, with no harm to Your plans for the coming Kingdom.

We confess in addition, gracious Father, that we as individuals have been infected with the virus of the false conception of freedom promulgated so widely in our country – as if freedom only means freedom of choice. You tell us in Romans 6 that true freedom is found in Christ, as we are free from sin and so slaves to righteousness. Cure us of this virus, we pray! May we be free to become what our Creator intends us to be, thereby becoming like Christ! Vaccinate us against further infection, and so use us to help others to find the only true freedom and the only lasting joy: Slavery to You.

By Your command, we seek the welfare of this country where you have sent us, even as we know that our true country is Your Kingdom. Enable us to be good citizens that bless our neighbors, shining the light of Your Gospel in all of our interactions. Make us truly instruments of Your peace and witnesses to Your grace, and so use us to bring many to Christ and to heal our land of its remaining ethnic and racial hatred, thereby forming a more perfect union. Grant us, Your church, wisdom, love, unity, and boldness to be the salt and light you intend.

O Loving Father, we so long to see Your Name magnified in all the cities, towns, and rural areas of this great land. Open eyes, by Your grace. Stir up Your church, by Your Spirit. Conform us to Christ, by Your power. Bless us so that we might be a blessing – and so bless this our country on its 244th birthday.

For the glory of Jesus our Savior we pray, Amen.

Set Free From the Fear of Death

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, [Jesus] himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. (Hebrews 2:14-15)

What does Jesus accomplish through the sufferings He encountered in life and death?

The author of Hebrews answers that question in several ways in chapter 2:

  • He pays the penalty for the sins of His people (Hebrews 2:9, 11, 12, 16);
  • He becomes an example of faith in overcoming temptation;
  • He becomes a merciful and faithful high priest who understands our weaknesses (Hebrews 2:18).

But in verses 14 and 15 we learn that Jesus’s death did something to the devil. The English Standard Version (quoted above) says He destroyed the devil through His death; the New American Standard says He rendered Satan powerless (as does the New International Version).

The Greek Verb can mean either “destroy” or “render powerless,” so context alone must determine the meaning.

Now, we know that in the end Satan will be thrown in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10); eventually he will be destroyed. But is Hebrews 2 speaking of that future destruction of Satan, or of something that has been done to him already?

Hebrews 2:15 tells us that the same act that has this impact on Satan delivers those who are slaves because of fear of death today. So it seems most likely that the impact on Satan referred to has already taken place; he is rendered powerless.

What is this fear, then? What is this slavery that results from fear of death – this fear that is taken away when Satan is rendered powerless?

Surely the fear of actual, physical death itself can enslave us. When we fear dying, we can become slaves to the quest for security and safety.

But another type of fear dominates many. Isaiah 22:12-13 help identify this fear, and to distinguish it from the fear of physical death:

In that day the Lord GOD of hosts called for weeping and mourning, for baldness and wearing sackcloth; and behold, joy and gladness, killing oxen and slaughtering sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine. “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” (Isaiah 22:12-13)

In Isaiah 22, God has threatened judgment against the nation, and has called for mourning over their sin. But the people don’t mourn – instead, faced with death, they have a big party! They think, “Hey, if we’re going to die tomorrow, we better live it up today!”

These people don’t fear physical death, the process of dying. Nor do they fear what happens to them after they die.

Instead they fear missing out on life. “If I die tomorrow, I’ll miss out on the pleasure of eating, drinking, and having sex, so I’d better indulge in all of them today!”

Some of you are old enough to remember the similar Schlitz beer tagline: “You only go around once in life: So grab all the gusto you can.”

This fear of missing out is a key dynamic in the lives of most people – and it manifests itself in many ways other than indulgence in physical pleasures.

Ask yourself: What is life?

Does life consist of thrills and pleasures and accomplishment and possessions and fame, however we get them? And so if we don’t have these, we don’t truly live?

If we think in this way, we are slaves:

  • Slaves to our desires
  • Slaves to the market
  • Slaves to what others think of us.

This slavery will manifest itself in quite different ways: The person who fears physical death may become germophobic, isolated even when not under a stay-at-home order. But others in slavery to the fear of missing out on life will:

  • go to bars every night looking for someone attractive to pick up, or
  • spend hours watching internet videos every day trying to find the latest amusing, clever production, or
  • exert huge amounts of energy on professional advancement.

Each of those can be symptomatic of slavery to the fear of missing out on life. And Satan uses this fear, in its many different manifestations, to enslave us.

Indeed, Satan tells each one of us: “If you follow Jesus, you will miss out on real life; you will miss out on what is most enjoyable, most fulfilling.”

That’s how he keeps us in slavery.

But what does Jesus say?

He tells us He alone is the source of abundant life, true life. He grants us true thrills, true pleasure, true security, and genuine accomplishment. As He says in Mark 8,

“Whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.” (Mark 8:35)

Jesus died to self all His life – and then clearly died to self in His death on the cross. Through that atoning death, He made it possible for us to find true life; in the example of His selfless life, He shows us how to live a truly abundant life.

  • We need not fear missing out on life.
  • We need not try to gain anyone’s approval.
  • We need not struggle for security and satisfaction and honor and accomplishment.

Those in Christ are loved as part of His family. We are secure in that family, protected by Him. We accomplish His purposes through a life lived in dependence on Him. We trust His character, and have confidence God’s promises through Him never fail.

Friends, our brother Jesus frees us from the fear of missing out on life – the fear that Satan uses to enslave us.

But Jesus lived and died and rose again to help all the offspring of Abraham (Hebrews 2:16). You are among those offspring – if you believe that you deserve God’s wrath, but Jesus died to pay the penalty you deserve, and is today your Master and Treasure. Jesus has been made like you in every respect so that He might become your high priest:

  • Merciful because He knows our need for mercy,
  • A man full of faith because He knows our need for faith,
  • Accomplishing God’s plan for His people, in part thru paying the penalty for their sins so that they can approach the Father boldly.

As your high priest He is well able to help you whenever and however you are tempted.

So don’t neglect such a great and true salvation. Escape from slavery to the fear of missing out on life. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus – and thereby lose false life to find the true, abundant life of following Him.

[This devotion is based on part of a sermon preached March 29, 2020. You can watch the entire service at this link. The sermon begins at 41:50; the section on this topic begins at 59:43. Ray Stedman’s sermon on this passage, which I first read about 35 years ago, was influential.]

 

 

Does Scripture Contradict Itself?

Does Scripture contradict itself?

The Apostle Peter tells us that

no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:21)

Or, as the Apostle Paul puts it, “All Scripture is breathed out by God” (2 Timothy 3:16). If the Bible were simply the writings of dozens of men written over the course of hundreds of years, we would expect some writings to contradict others. But if, as Peter and Paul claim, God is behind everything in the Bible, there should be no genuine contradictions.

Sometimes different authors seem to contradict one another. Most famously, Paul in Romans and James in his letter speak in sharp contrast about justification, faith, and works:

For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. (Romans 3:28)

You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. (James 2:24)

But there are issues not only between different authors. Jesus Himself sometimes speaks in seeming contradictions. I well remember as a teen being disturbed when encountering these two statements by our Lord:

For the one who is not against us is for us. (Mark 9:40)

Whoever is not with me is against me (Matthew 12:30a)

Which is it, Jesus? Are those who are neutral for You? Or are the neutral ones against You?

Seeing such examples, we might think the Bible needed a good editor who would clean up such statements, modifying what was written in one place so that it is in accord with what was written in another place. Good publishers check book manuscripts for such issues all the time.

However, the seeming contradictions in Scripture are not limited to those written by different authors. Some are clearly intended by the author of a particular book – for they are placed right next to each other. For example, see Proverbs 26:4-5:

Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.

Clearly the compiler of Proverbs is getting at something deeper than giving us a general rule about how we should respond to those who are foolish.

When we begin to look for apparent contradictions, we see them throughout Scripture. Many deal with issues of central importance to the Christian faith, such as our freedom in Christ:

Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. (1 Peter 2:16 NIV)

Or our attitude towards “life:”

For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. (Mark 8:35)

Or especially the nature of God, the relationship between God the Father and Jesus:

I and the Father are one. (John 10:30)

Or the interplay between wrath and mercy, judgment and grace:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. … Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. (John 3:16, 36)

These and other examples of apparent contradictions right next to each other indicate that these paradoxes are not mistakes in need of a good editor, but intended by the authors of individual books to help communicate their message. And if that is the case, it is reasonable to ask if the Holy Spirit, as the claimed author of the entirety of Scripture, uses the same technique across books of the Bible to communicate His revelation – truths that are best communicated through this literary style.

Such apparent contradictions are hard to understand – but in a book that purports to be the words of the sovereign God of the universe, that is not surprising. Peter himself tells us that:

There are some things in [Paul’s letters] that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. (2 Peter 3:16)

Let us not be among the ignorant and unstable, twisting Scripture and thus headed to destruction. Let us instead follow the exhortation Paul gives Timothy after making some of those hard to understand statements:

Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything. (2 Timothy 2:7)

Over the next several months, beginning Sunday January 20, we will do just that: Think over seeming contradictions, all the while praying that the Lord would indeed give us understanding, so that we might know Him better, love Him more, and follow Him more closely. In this sermon series, entitled, “Contradictions? How Delving Into Challenging Topics Unlocks the Riches of God’s Revelation”, we’ll consider issues in salvation and judgment, in living the Christian life, and in understanding who God is. After introducing the series this Sunday, on January 27 we’ll consider the topic of prayer: If God does whatever He pleases, how can our prayers have any impact on what happens?

Join us as we think over what God says. May the promise of 2 Timothy 2:7 prove true, as His Spirit unlocks for us the riches of God’s revelation of Who He is, who we are, and how we can follow Him and grow in Him in this world.

[Biblical citations are from the ESV unless otherwise indicated.]

 

As a Slave, Who Do You Aim to Please?

“If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ.” (Galatians 1:10 HCSB)

Again and again the New Testament presents those redeemed by Christ’s death as slaves to God, slaves to Jesus Himself: We have been bought at a price (1 Corinthians 6:20); we do whatever He desires from the heart (Ephesians 6:6); we are slaves of God (Romans 6:22), and living as His slave is the only way to find true freedom (Romans 6:16-18, 1 Peter 2:16).

Contemplate this image. Strip away all the negative connotations of slavery. Think of a Master who is worthy of all honor, authority, and status, who is wise far beyond you, who therefore knows better than you what is in your own best interest, who understands your strengths and weaknesses, your capabilities and limitations – who loves you and will make you effective and productive in fulfilling His good purposes for your joy.

If you are a slave with such a master, it only makes sense to obey Him wholeheartedly, to follow His will in everything. It doesn’t matter what anyone else says, what anything else thinks, what anyone else asks, what anyone else does; you aim to please your Master, not others. Others may try to tell us we are doing things wrong; they may accuse us of being foolish or arrogant; they may command us to follow them or serve them; but we should ignore those other voices and slave for our wise, loving Master.

Now, our Master does instruct us to do good to others, to love others, even to serve them – but we do so in response to the Master’s command, in the way the Master explains, not in response to the commands of others or in the way they prefer. Thus Paul can say as a slave of Christ he is not trying to please people (Galatians 1:10) while also saying, “I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved” (1 Corinthians 10:33, emphasis added). That is, Paul does not aim to please himself, nor does he do whatever others want him to do; he obeys his Master’s command to make disciples of all nations, to be His ambassador, to share the Gospel – so that others may join Him in the glorious freedom of slavery to Christ. By obeying the Master, we love others in the best way possible, pointing them to the deepest joy.

We constantly face temptations, however, to please others in ways that are contrary to our Master’s command: To modify the Gospel, or not to mention it; to live as they instruct, rather than as God instructs; to quarantine Jesus to Sunday mornings, rather than acknowledging Him, following Him, and delighting in Him every minute of every day.

But when we see ourselves rightly as His slaves, as bought by Him, as redeemed by His blood, as being transferred from the kingdom of darkness to His Kingdom of light – we will ignore those siren songs. We will do neither our own will nor the will of others. Instead, we will serve Him to our fulfillment and joy.

This very day, may we see ourselves rightly as belonging body, soul, and spirit to Jesus Christ, and so aim to please Him in all of our interactions with others.

 

Lincoln’s Logic on Slavery Applied to Abortion

Numerous excellent articles related to abortion have been published in the last week. Some are indexed here. This post by John Piper is especially powerful. Two excerpts:

Lincoln: “You say A. is white, and B. is black. It is color, then; the lighter, having the right to enslave the darker? Take care. By this rule, you are to be slave to the first man you meet, with a fairer skin than your own.”

Piper: “There are no morally relevant differences between white and black or between child-in-the-womb and child-outside-the-womb that would give a right either to enslave or kill the other.”