Freedom From Slavery

Slavery is something that The United States was good at. The Conversation in all its different forms of Anger, Denial, Get over it, Healing, Apology, Etc is still continuing today, as we struggle with things like racism. and Slavery today. There are estimated over 400,000 slaves in the United states today. which is nothing compared to the 25 million estimated world wide (on the low side).

Slavery put a boundary between the races that lasted long after slavery was abolished. That is why MLK Jr. had such a dream of equality. Imagine being captured by a slave trader or even a neighboring tribe that happens to be at war with your tribe, perhaps they just do not like you. They take you in chains if you are lucky, by hooks that they have placed in your nose, or tongue, or eyebrow, or other, if you are not. You are then taken to a warehouse where you are presented and sold, like cattle. The men who buy you put you on a ship bound across the Atlantic Ocean

The Crossing could last anywhere from 40 days to 6 months, on a small narrow boat where the slaves were placed as tight as they can be, sandwiched so that no more men could fit, even taking out food supplies so that more could be put on. They did this to offset the high death rate that these voyages held.

The slaves who were chained together Slept every night and remained in shelves built like bunk beds, as many as four high with about 20 inches of headroom per shelf. They were often starved and left to sit in their own waist. The women were Raped, Children were abused. All were neglected, sometimes not being allowed to stand up for long periods of time, especially in storms, which were frequent

If they survived the trip, they were seasoned. This means that they were taught to obey and to speak English, usually by harsh abuse

From their they were sold to the rich, who often found it more practical to work a slave to death and to pay for up keep of one slave. If you were born of a slave you were automatically a slave and often sold to another slave owner to destroy you will power.

We too were slaves.

God saved us from slavery You might never have thought of it but you were. What a mighty God we serve who has freed us from that Slavery

And as I think about what Great Things God Has done for us in freeing us from slavery. I am reminded of Two passages and I would like to look at both of those passages today

Galatians 5:1-15

Galatians 5:1–15 LEB

For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Look! I, Paul, tell you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing! And again I testify to every man who becomes circumcised, that he is under obligation to keep the whole law. You are estranged from Christ, you who are attempting to be justified by the law; you have fallen from grace. For through the Spirit by faith we eagerly await the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but faith working through love. You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion is not from the one who calls you! A little leaven leavens the whole batch of dough. I have confidence in you in the Lord that you will think nothing different, but the one who is confusing you will pay the penalty, whoever he may be. Now, brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished. I wish that the ones who are disturbing you would also castrate themselves! For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not let your freedom become an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

Galatians is a letter written to a church by Paul, who were turning away from the grace of God too a works based religion. In other words they started to believe that they could work their way into heaven.

Read each section as you come to it.

Verse 1

That says it right there. Christ has set us free from the yoke of slavery. Slavery of What?

Verse 2-6

They saying had to be circumcised to be saved. They were riling on Justification (works) for salvation. Instead of Sanctification (grace). But instead the only thing that matters is Faith through Love of Christ. We must believe to be saved. What a great God we Serve

Verse 7-12

Verses 7-12 tell don’t read

You were running the race and some one cut in and through you off course. Whoever that person is will pay he is sure God will punish him.

Verse 13-15 (I like this)

Even though you are free don’t go into the sinful nature But put yourselves into slavery to each other Through Love. Serve one another. You are free from sin but make yourselves slaves. Less you destroy yourselves.

Here we see that we are free from the slavery of the Law ( we can do any thing we want ) but should not sin

How do you not sin?

By obeying the Law? By Loving. Jesus says love the Lord your God with all you heart strength and mind and love your neighbor as yourself. If we love God then we will want to follow his Commandments. So we are sanctified (saved) through the Love of Christ and we Justify (work) because we Love as we are loved.

We serve an amazing King

The second passage I thought of was

Romans 6:3-7

Romans 6:3–7 LEB

Or do you not know that as many as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him through baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so also we may live a new way of life. For if we have become identified with him in the likeness of his death, certainly also we will be identified with him in the likeness of his resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified together with him, in order that the body of sin may be done away with, that we may no longer be enslaved to sin. For the one who has died has been freed from sin.

Verse 3-7

He who is buried with Christ is dead to sin, free from the slavery of sin. We are slaves to sin no more. We no longer have to sin. Before we became a Christian we had no choice because we didn’t know any better. But now we do know better and don’t have to sin any longer. We are free from that Because we are under Grace

Romans 6: 15-18

Romans 6:15–18 LEB

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! Do you not know that to whomever you present yourselves as slaves for obedience, you are slaves to whomever you obey, whether sin, leading to death, or obedience, leading to righteousness? But thanks be to God that you were slaves of sin, but you have obeyed from the heart the pattern of teaching to which you were entrusted, and having been set free from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness.

Free from the slavery of Sin but because We are under the blood of Christ and We have been set free by him, by his love. We become Slaves to righteousness. Doing what is right.

We are free from the law but should be slaves to each other

Free from sin but slaves to righteousness

Freedom from Slavery

Christ has come to give us a freedom that cannot be taken away But with that freedom comes a responsibility to do what is right Isn’t it amazing the love that God has shown for us by freeing us from the slavery that leads to Hell

Next Steps

Let us also remember that we too have been set free from slavery. We have a greater savior that has come to free all man kind. He can to take away the punishment for our sins. He has freed us from the Law and from sin. He has given us grace, peace, love, Joy.

We have been set free by the Lamb of God, Jesus. The ultimate savior and freer of Slaves.

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