CHOOSING TO BE GOD’S FREED SLAVE
Most people today may not think of themselves as being slaves. But the Bible says: “You are slaves of the one you obey—whether to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience which leads to righteousness” (Romans 6:16). However, when you choose believe and obey God, “you become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.” (Romans 6:22-23; John 3:16).
SLAVES OF THE DEVIL
Adam and Eve, the fore-parents of mankind, became slaves of Satan when they obeyed the devil in the Garden of Eden. The devil used a serpent to deceive them into disobeying God’s command not to eat of a particular tree lest they should die (Genesis 3; Revelation 20:2). When they sinned by disobeying God, they were separated from him, and they became spiritually dead in relationship to God (Ephesians 2:5; 1 Timothy 5:6). Physically, “people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).
The Bible reveals that as descendants of Adam and Eve, people have inherited the tendency to sin and obey the devil vs obeying their creator. The written Word of God tells us that we are in a spiritual fight against the evil forces of the devil (Ephesians 6:11-12). Hence, the leader of evil takes people captive to do his will. But God has made plans for people willing to obey him to “come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will” (2 Timothy 2:26; Ephesians 6:13-18).
FREED TO BE SLAVES OF GOD
The Bible says: God sent his Son Jesus “to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and…to set the oppressed free” (Luke 4:18). God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil” (Acts 10:38).
- All have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
- The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).
- For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever repents and believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16; Acts 2:38).
The one who was a slave when called to faith in the Lord is the Lord’s freed person; similarly, the one who was free when called is Christ’s slave (1 Corinthians 7:22)
When you believe and obey God you are freed from the devil’s domination; you become a freed slave of your loving creator who died to save you (John 1:1-3, 14). God calls whoever he sets free to be “children of God,” who will live with him in heaven forever (John 8:35-36; 1 John 3:1).
