A Slave of Jesus!

For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

16Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?

Romans 6:6-7, & 16

I don't think I have ever heard anyone talk about the advantages of being a slave. Slaves don't have to worry about paying their income tax. Slaves are not responsible for making sure that there is food to feed everyone in the family. Slaves are relieved of the problem of dealing with lots of issues that daily confront people who are not slaves. But in exchange the slave gives up the right to make decisions about his personal life. It is a trade off, you give up some things and gain some others when you become a slave. Of course slavery is almost never entered into voluntarily, but the impact on your life is the same.

What happens when you become a slave to sin? What do you give up, and what do you gain? When sin becomes your master you give up the ability to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit and walk according to His leading. When sin becomes your master you give up the peace of God that goes beyond your understanding. When sin becomes your master to are compelled to do things and act in ways that you actually despise, but you do them anyway.

When sin becomes your master you gain some things as well. You gain the acceptance of the world. You are confirmed as part of the world system and are obeying its rules and living according to it's standards. So there are conflicts with the world that diminish or go away altogether when you become a slave to sin.

Curiously enough, the opposite of being a slave to sin is not FREEDOM. The opposite of being a slave to sin is to become a slave to obedience. You become a slave of Jesus Christ.

Freedom is a lovely concept, but when you examine it closely you find that freedom for a human being is like a man who without a parachute jumps from a plane and then screams in joy, “I'm free!” Yes he is free to fall to his death.

Being a slave of Jesus gives us the freedom to go wherever He takes us.

When my wife and I get in the car our dog, Jente wants to go with us. It is the joy of her life to go where we go. She doesn't know where we are going and has no idea how long we will be gone. Just being with her masters makes life worth living for Jente. And yes, I suppose you could say that Jente is our “slave.” Don't misunderstand, she is a slave like I am a slave of Jesus. She doesn't decide where she lives, where she goes, or even what she eats, we provide her with whatever she needs. If she were make her own decisions her life would be short and full of pain.

Truthfully, we have only one choice in life. We can choose to be slaves of sin or we can choose to be slaves of Jesus. Freedom from sin is to become a slave of Jesus. The advantages of being a slave of Jesus are eternal!