A Slave or A Child

 

Romans 6:16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?

Free will – freedom of humans to make choices that are not determined by prior causes or by divine intervention

What is it to be free? What kind of freedom do you really want?

Every belief, thought, decision and action we take is influenced by many sources; our experiences, past, lies, truth, friends, culture, traditions, manipulation, media, family, teachers, knowledge or lack of. Making a free will decision isn’t realistic, many things influence us. When you boil it down, what influences us are either based on lies or the truth. Lies and truth make up our beliefs. And, we are governed by our beliefs, meaning we serve them. In other words, we are a slave to them. Thus we are either a slave to lies or to truth. Though the word “slave” has negative connotations, being a slave to what is truly good is a good thing.

In this life we have two options; we can serve the truth, God, or we can serve lies, anything that opposes God’s ways. We can be a slave to righteousness or a slave to unrighteousness/sin. This is the only real choice we have.

1 John 5:9 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. 

John 8:34 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.

Which will you serve?

The answer seems straight forward … truth. But it’s not that easy because the very nature of a lie is that you think it’s truth. If you believe it’s truth, you don’t question it, but continue to act according to it until it’s revealed for what it is. When we live according to lies, our lives produce what we don’t desire; sickness, poverty, lack, suffering, pain, anger, bitterness, envy, oppression, hardship, and afflictions.  Aren’t these elements of death what we really want to be free from?

Slave to Righteousness

Romans 6:18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

If you chose truth, then you will seek truth from the one who is truth, God. Only in seeking truth are the lies revealed for what they are. By seeking God, we see the lies for what they are and chose to believe His ways, which we learn are of peace, joy, fulfillment and love. In chosing His ways and will, we chose to believe in His words over another’s in every situation and our actions follow. James 2:20 In choosing God, we give up our ways and the ways of the world, and embrace His full governance over our lives as He deems good, because we’ve learned only He is truly good.

Because of God’s love for us, though we are heeding all His ways and thus a slave to righteousness for He is righteous, abiding in His truth is more of being a child than a slave.

God is perfect in righteous love. Therefore everything He does is for our very best and will truly satisfy us. God is the perfect Father; as it’s His will to provide, protect, care, help, nurture, comfort, lead, guide and love us. Luke 12:32 Imagine being under the care of the perfect father who had every resource at His finger tips? Being a recipient of this love is what it is to be God’s child.

As His child, you are not only governed by His perfect righteous love, but you are a part of Him. Therefore, your desires become His desires. Thus, He gives you the desires of your heart because they are His for you as well. Psalm 37:4 Like a child, 1. you abide in complete rest as God cares for all that concerns you and 2. you follow your desires. To abide in rest and live by your desires is what it means to be a slave to righteousness. Incredible truths.

The core lie that keeps people from seeking truth from God is that He’ll make our lives less somehow. That we’ll miss out. That He’ll leave us and we’ll be worse off than before. But these are all lies that keep us from obtaining the abundant peaceful and restful lives we desire.

In this choice, we are far more than a slave, because we become a part of God. (Led By Spirit of God)

Galatians 4:7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Slave to Unrighteousness

Romans 6:20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

In not choosing God, so we don’t seek Truth from God, we default to being a slave to unrighteousness and the elements of death, for God is life and anything counter is death. We become slaves to lies by believing them to be truth. By believing and thus acting on those lies, we manifest a life of things we don’t want; pain, suffering, fear, hardships and so on.  We may “conquer” one issue, but the underlining belief hasn’t changed so it’s redirected and manifests in another way. We are left feeling trapped, overwhelmed, discouraged, oppressed, discontented, and wanting more.

When we serve unrighteousness, our decisions are based on the world’s messaging. We’re directed by the conglomeration of external influences, whichever messages are impressed upon us the strongest. Lies are lies. Though they take on many faces the results are the same; a spirit lacking in truth, righteous love and peace. We trust what we know, and we make choices on what we know. There is no free will, just decisions manifesting pain.

Two paths, two very different results … which will you serve?

Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.