FROM THE PULPIT
Ancient Words: We are all Slaves, Who is Your Master?
Slavery has now been cast as a historical issue that undeniably divides and separates in a bad way. Unfortunately, many who “protest” against what happened in the past use the tools of hate, anger, and violence to make their voices heard. These tools are not good and these anti-slavery protesters actually lack understanding of how beneficial “slavery” should be to all of mankind. Paul writes in Romans: What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! 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? Romans 6:15-17
All of mankind has been and will always be slaves to one of two things. Either we are slaves to sin—-to hate, anger, and violence, etc…, or we are slaves to goodness, peace and righteousness. Slavery is a good thing when the Master we submit to is the Master of goodness. But, when our master is evil, the consequences become obvious and actually deserved: 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. 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! Rom 6:17-21
One type of slavery leads to death, the other type of slavery leads to eternal life. Man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. We all have the free choice of who our Master is to be. Man becomes a slave to the bad (by his own choice) or he becomes a slave to the good (by his own choice). The choice is up to mankind to choose! 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. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom 6:22-23
Why is violence, hate and anger in the world? When man is a slave to sin, his slavery (or lifestyle) generates everything that is contrary to righteousness and now his outcome is death. When man is a slave to God, he becomes free from a slave to sin, and instead becomes a slave to holiness and now his outcome is eternal life! Death expresses itself through darkness. Darkness hates the Light and actually fights the Light because the Light exposes the evil deeds of Darkness. The world has been in a constant fight since Adam: Darkness fights Light, Evil fights Good, Satan fights God. Perhaps the attitude of Joseph, sold into slavery as a boy, is needed by all: This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly. Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father. When their message came to him, Joseph wept. His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. “We are your slaves,” they said. But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” Gen 50:17-20