Slavery

Slavery & Freedom (Gal. 5:1-15) Slavery under the law For a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. (2 Pe. 2:19) You are a slave to whomever you yield yourself to obey (Rom. 6:16) Jesus told the Jews: that every one who commits sin is a slave to sin and will not abide forever (John 8:31-36) Paul describes us in our pre-conversion state as "slaves to various passions and pleasures" (Titus 3:3). Many people are slaves to the opinions of others. But Paul said, "I do not allow others to judge me and I do not even judge myself." Freedom under grace (Rom. 6:14-15) From legalism The freedom we have gained through faith is a freedom from the demands and condemnation of the law. Yeast is often used to symbolize the evil effects of false teaching spreading through a group of people. From self-indulgence Not freedom to indulge sinful nature (Gal. 5:13, Rom. 6:1-23, 1 Cor. 10:23-24, 1 Pe. 2:16) Bad habits A negative life controlling habit is something you find yourself doing even though it is destructive physical, mentally, emotionally, relationally or spiritually. Or you consistently do something you wish you wouldn’t do, but you find yourself doing it any way. (Rom. 7:14-15) The Elephant and the Rope I heard the story of how elephants are brought into captivity. Have you ever been to a circus and seen a giant elephant with a small rope around its ankle? Did you ever stop to think, hey, wait a minute? Physically speaking, there is no way that small little rope can hold back that giant elephant! And did you ever wonder how it happened that a giant elephant could be held in place by something that does not have the power to contain him. Here’s how it works. When trainers begin taming a baby elephant, they place a heavy chain around its ankle and stake the chain into the ground. Day after day, hour after hour, the baby elephant struggles to escape. But his efforts are in vain.

He simply cannot break free from the grips of that powerful chain. Eventually he surrenders. He resolves in his mind that there is no possible way he can escape that chain. So he relinquishes forever the struggle to be free. Then when he has given up trying, his masters replace that giant chain with the small little rope. If the elephant ever opened his eyes to the truth, he could break free at any moment. All it would take is one try, but since the elephant doesn’t know that, he doesn’t take a step in the right direction of freedom. And so it happens that ten, twenty, thirty years later, the giant elephant remains held in bondage by something that really has no power to control him, except the power he chooses to give it. (see 1 Cor. 10:13, Rom. 6:13-14) Admission/Confession, prayer and reliance on God are the keys to overcoming bad habits (1 John 1:9, James 4:7-8, 5:16, Phil. 4:13, 2 Tim. 1:7) To yield ourselves to God as instruments of righteousness (Rom. 6:13) To demonstrate love for one another Serve one another in love (Gal. 5:13-14, 1 Cor. 9:19) Karl Menninger, an acclaimed psychologist, determined a decade ago that the treatment for patients with clinical depression which was showing the greatest level of results was having the patient find someone who was worse off than them who they could serve. Patient after patient would return with reports of reduced levels of depression. To enjoy the gift of eternal life (Rom. 6:23, John 8:35, Heb. 9:15) Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Cor. 3:17) Through faith in Christ we may approach God in freedom and confidence (Eph.3:12)