Slaves yet free

 
The phrase "freedom in bondage (slaves) to Christ" appeared in something I read recently. For those who've been around church for a while, this might make sense but to many it will seem confusing, even a bit daft. You'd think the terms "free" and "slaves" don't belong together. 

Definition of a slave: (i)A person who is the property of and wholly subject to another and forced to provide unpaid labour. (ii)A person entirely under the domination of some influence or person.

I felt the need to sit and consider this matter further, to be able to break this phrase down into something which might make more sense. 

So the word "slave" generally has negative connotations in the usually accepted sense since it implies coercion. However the quality of life of a slave necessarily depends on the character of the owner. Let's ask a few questions about being a slave to Christ. .

Q: If I am a slave, who owns me?

A: Jesus

Q: There is a cost to buying a slave - what did I cost? 

A: He paid with His life - nothing else was valuable enough. 

Q: Why did He do that?

A: Because He has loved me since before time began

Q: Again, Why?

A: Because otherwise my sin would condemn me to death unless the penalty, price, cost was paid. Jesus paid for that - a life for a life, so that I can spend eternity with him. (Another strange concept - He died, yet lives for ever. The tomb was empty because He had risen)

Q: So He says He owns me - what if I don't want to be owned by anyone but myself?

A: That's where the freedom bit comes in - despite the fact that I cost Him His life, He still allows me to choose whether or not to submit to that, whether or not to accept that I belong to Him. 

Q: If I decide that it's OK for Jesus to own me, is there then a set of rules to obey? And what's the punishment for not obeying?

A: The only rules Jesus ever said were (i) that we love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength, and (ii) that we love our neighbour as ourselves. There is no direct penalty for failing, only that we move ourselves out of close fellowship with Him. We only need to repent and turn back to find Him waiting for us. 

Q: What are the benefits for me here and now?

A: Freedom! Freedom from the enemy of our souls (Satan), freedom from the bondage of sin, freedom to be who I am created to be. 

So I conclude that I am bought with the blood of Jesus who sacrificed Himself to purchase my freedom - before that I was a slave to the prince of this world (Satan) whether or not I was aware of that fact. There is no middle ground. It's one or the other. Denying the existence of God and of Satan doesn't make either of them go away. Because of what He did, Jesus technically owns me but leaves me free to choose whether or not to submit to that fact. 

As for me, I chose Him a long time ago and have never regretted it. I look forward to spending eternity in the presence of my Lord, Master, Saviour, Brother, Friend - starting now