Finding Freedom In Slavery To Christ

For I was born a sinner—yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.

Psalm 51:5

“brought forth in wickedness, 

born in guilt, love malice more than good, 

have done wrong since the day I was born.”  

This is our starting point.  We are all literally born into bondage to wickedness.  It is only by the grace of our Lord Jesus that we can begin a journey to freedom.  It is the grace of God that he gives us the free will to make a choice to follow him; to live differently; to choose his ways and not our own.

This journey is not an easy one.  Satan intervenes every step of the way trying to halt us, discredit God and keep us chained to him.  

The dictionary defines a slave as a person who is forced to work for and OBEY another.  The Bible refers to a slave as a person who is subjected to the will of another.  

“Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy.” –  Romans 6:19

Paul answers that in our weakness, we can continue to lead lives of volunteer slavery to sin.  We must resist this.  Instead, we should live as if righteousness was our master.

Being a slave to Christ, to righteousness, or to God only means that my flesh is no longer our master, but Christ is.  Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, and not our own spirits.  As believers, we belong to Christ who bought them with a price.  He is our master.  

"Faith in Christ Jesus is what makes each of you equal with each other, whether you are a Jew or a Greek, a slave or a free person, a man or a woman..”  – Galatians 3:38 (CEV)  Paul is telling us that these social and cultural divides are meaningless within the context of salvation and the body of Christ.  

As believers, we should be living and demonstrating this truth.  

So you think you are not in bondage.  You are not a slave.  No one owns me.  I do what I want.  I want to challenge you today to truly ask yourself where you are in bondage?  Where are you not walking in the freedom that Jesus bought?

Pride keeps us from sharing our personal prayer requests. What will others think?  How will they judge me?  What are other believers not safe?

Shame keeps us from confessing our sin. Shame tells us we are alone.  Shame tells us God won’t forgive us.  Shame is from the enemy.  God simply asks us to repent, change our ways and he will forgive us.  Shame keeps us from sharing our testimony.

Guilt keeps us chained to the past. Guilt tells us that we are unforgivable; unredeemable.  Guilt keeps us from believing God’s word is for us.  Guilt keeps us hidden in the corner ashamed of who we are; who God created us to be.  Guilt and shame are very good friends.  Ones that as believers, we do not want.  Some friends we need to let go of – even if they are comfortable and have been around for a long time.

Addiction keeps God at bay.  Addiction allows something of the world - alcohol, drugs, sex, television, device scrolling, video games, gambling, and many more - to provide us the comfort we desire.  When the Bible is clear that the Holy Spirit is here to comfort us.  Do we look to the Holy Spirit or something of the world?  Who or what are you serving?

Gossip keeps our tongues busy.  Our voices are powerful.  Our words bring life or death. Are we using them to talk about somebody?  Or are we using them to talk for somebody?  What would the world look like if we used all of our talk for prayer?  Loose lips are from the devil.  A man who speaks few words is typically grounded in wisdom.  Speak your words to God - all of them - the frustration, the joy, the heartache and the celebrations. Serve the Lord with your voice.  

Double-mindedness keeps us from the promise of a sound mind living a life of steadfastness.  Our minds are key to who we serve.  What we believe, true or not, will determine how we live.  Our wavering and uncertain actions will keep us in bondage to the lies of the enemy.  You are neither hot nor cold.  I wish you were one or the other. Anxiety, stress and depression are all physical manifestations of a wavering mind.

Fleshly desires.  Our flesh is our greatest distraction.  We want what we want.  Born into sin we know how to keep ourselves in that top spot and put all others including God beneath us.  We want the greater, the better, the more.  We have forgotten to discipline ourselves in the faith.  Fasting; telling our stomachs no.  When we live an undisciplined life, it keeps us from pursuing God.  We, myself included, are quick to discipline a child, a dog, a friend, a spouse, but are we quick to discipline ourselves?

Generational sin keeps us from believing that our future can be different.  Generational sin holds us to the beliefs of our family or culture.  Generational sin disputes the truth that “all things are possible with God” and that he desires to bring you and your descendants into the life of abundance that he promised for you.

Greed keeps us from being generous and holds us back from living a life of abundance.  Greed says that we don’t trust God’s provision.  Greed says he won’t provide enough or provide more so we better keep all that we have.  The enemy tells us that God won’t provide for you.  He will  provide for others, but not for you.  Lies. Lies. Lies. God will provide all that we NEED.  We must be content with little or with much.

Self preservation keeps us from loving fully.  What if we fully give our heart and  it gets hurt?  Who will be there to protect us?  God calls us to love others just as he has loved us.  We are to love our neighbors as ourselves.  Where have we built up walls that won’t let people in for fear of being hurt?  Love is loving someone with no expectation of return.  

God Complex keeps us from putting God in his right place.  We know better.  We can make our own decisions, plot our own path, make our own way in this world.  A God Complex will also allow us to entertain suicidal and self harming thoughts.  God clearly doesn’t know what he is doing.  He did not make me good enough, smart enough, pretty enough, or rich enough.  He clearly doesn’t know that I am done on this earth.  I have no purpose.  These thoughts are all from the enemy.  God has ordained your purpose and your every day on this earth.  And when your days are done, he will call you home.

Fear keeps us from total surrender to God and keeps you chained to Satan.  As humans, we want to be in control.  It allows us to not get hurt. To write the narrative. To satisfy our flesh with an outcome we like or desire.  Fear keeps us from trust.  Fear keeps us from the security of God.  Fear keeps us from peace.  Fear keeps us from God.  

And so I ask again, who or what are you a slave to?  What is keeping you from the freedom you so desperately desire.