Emancipation

"To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?" Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." (John 8: 31-36 NIV)

"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? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness." (Romans 6: 16-18 NKJV)

Every sinner is a slave to sin. He is not only born into this slavery, but he remains in it willingly. In the Old Testament, when an indentured Hebrew servant had served his master six years, he was to be given his freedom in the seventh. However, if that Hebrew servant loved his master and his servitude, then he could choose to remain a slave forever.

"And it shall be, if he say unto thee, I will not go away from thee; because he loveth thee and thine house, because he is well with thee; Then thou shalt take an aul, and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever. And also unto thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise." (Deuteronomy 15: 16, 17)

We remain slaves to sin because we love our master. In order to be set free from such a condition, a sinner must be made to hate his master and to hate his servitude. God, as a first work in salvation, brings sinners face to face with the stark reality of their sins. He convicts them and makes them to loathe their condition. He gives them the desire for freedom.

In Matthew 11: 28-30 Christ invites the slaves of sin and Satan to come out from under that heavy "yoke" and to come under his "yoke," a yoke which is "easy" and a "burden" that is "light."

He invites sinners to change masters, to change employers, to quit making a career of sin, and to now make a career out of serving Christ and righteousness.

Those who have changed masters, going from having Sin as a Master to having Christ as a Master, are they who are promised eternal life in scripture, eternal freedom in the ages to come.

"For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord's freedman; similarly, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ's slave." (I Corinthians 7: 22 NIV)

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." (Galatians 5: 1 NIV)

What glorious freedom is this! What a high privilege to be the servants of the most high God! What a career change!

Friend, are you bound by sin in your life? Is your heart chained by evil lusts and desires that only bring you trouble? Do you long for freedom from sin and for power to obtain victory over your lusts? Do you feel the heavy yoke and burden of serving sin and Satan? Then, come to Christ and seek his pardon and his salvation. Call upon his name and "obey from the heart" the message of Christ. He will truly set you free and make you a happy servant in his kingdom. What a wonderful, loving, and rewarding Master is Jesus!