Freedom in Slavery
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The Explanation of the Slavery Principle (vv 16-19)
The Explanation of the Slavery Principle (vv 16-19)
Paul most definitely got their attention by saying that they were to present themselves as slaves.
Rome during the first century had a lot of its population being made up of slaves.
Some have the number as high as 1/3 of the city or 1 out of every 3 people were slaves.
Also a lot of the population was freed slaves.
At one point the governor of Rome thought about making all slaves wear a certain type of clothing but when they realized just how much of the population were slaves they thought it might encourage the slaves to revolt if they knew they had that many numbers.
Its very likely that a large portion of the Church in Rome either were or had been enslaved.
This is how big of a statement that Paul was making every member of that church knew what it ment to be a slave.
If we are not careful we all can get trapped in some kind of slavery.
were we serve something that we don’t control.
Such as our jobs.
Posesions
Bodies
Children
The list is endless we obey things which enslave us.
All humanity serves under one of 2 slaveries.
1.) Sin which leads to death
2.) Obedience which leads to righteousness
There is no middle ground.
Everyone who has ever lived has been subject to the first master sin.
Jesus makes this point very clear here in John
33 They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”
34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.
We have all been the one that is enslaved to sin at some point in our lives.
John Calvin said over 400 years ago, “The greater mass of vices someone is buried under, the more fiercely and bombastically does he extol his freedom.”
The end of such slavery, according to our text, is death—“sin, which leads to death.”
Doulos which means slave or bond servant
It is used 2xs in 16, 1 time in verses 17, 19, and 2 times in 20.
That second slavery comes through our salvation in Christ
Paul says it is Obedience which leads righteousness
We obey God because we were created by Him and no one knows something better than the one who created it.
Only when we hang our very existence and every need on God can we reach His true plan for our existence.
The Call to Obedient Slavery (v19)
The Call to Obedient Slavery (v19)
The call to Obedience is a powerful one.
Not only are we called to be obedient but we are called to be a slave.
Which is a call to total commitment, total accountability, and total reliance.
we do not get our next breath unless God gives it to us.
Everything that we have, use, live on, and in all come from God and if He does not give it then we should not want it.
The obedient slavery that Christ calls us to is somewhat of an enigma.
Only in being that obedient slave can we truly live.
There is a freedom in following Christ that cannot be found anywhere else.
His freedom is eternal and never gets taken away.
The Glorious Benefits of Obedient Slavery (vv 21-23)
The Glorious Benefits of Obedient Slavery (vv 21-23)
We all have that past life.
We are all slaves to sin and death, dying with no hope.
Our spiritual life comes, of course through our union with Christ.
But the fullness of that life comes through obedience.