Michael-Grams: M-G: 9.26.12 // Ultimate Freedom

What general commands of Scripture are we not to obey? What principles? What admonitions? What exhortations? What prohibitions? With human slavery in New Testament times, the master could not look within the hearts of his slaves. He could only control their behavior but not their attitude. A slave’s will was not his own; it belonged to his or her master. Whatever the master desired was the will of the slave, in theory anyway. They were generally considered and treated as possessions, like animals, with no rights, no recourse, and subject to the master’s whims. Some masters were very good to their slaves and treated them like family while other slave owners were just the opposite, treating their slaves like property.

With divine slavery (1 Cor 6:19-20), it is best as a believer not to be torn out of the frame by the dreaded and hated s-word! Believe it or not, it is actually the best metaphor to describe our personal relationship with the Lord chosen by the Holy Spirit during the inspiration of Scripture, and "you are not your own" best defines that relationship. Yes, the trafficking in human slavery is appalling and gets two thumbs down, but divine slavery is to be given two thumbs up and embraced by every believer.

Unlike other slave masters, the Lord sees what is within our hearts. There is nothing hidden from His sight (Job 34:21; Jer 17:10; Heb 4:13). His slavery is demanding obedience that is nothing less than immediate and complete. This is obedience from the heart that is only accomplished when our will is lost in the will of the Master. This is a response of loyalty and love because He truly loves us (Rom 5:8;1 Jn 4:10) and seeks our highest good (Rom 8:28). We are treated like family because we are family (Rom 8:15, 17; Eph 1:5) We show our gratitude, fidelity, and love toward Him by obeying His Word without hassles, without a cafeteria-styled mentality (Jn 14:15; 15:10).

In human or divine slavery there is only one will that matters – the master. Unlike human slavery, the choice for the believer-slave is not a matter of the will (Lk 22:42) but an obligation of love (2 Cor 5:14,15). The fear of the Lord plays a major factor in our faithfulness, but obedience is really driven out of love more than fear. Whenever we disobey the Master with a runaway spirit, it only reveals a heart problem, a violation of the greatest commandment (Mk 12:30).

The Via Dolorosa (Latin for Way of Grief or Way of Suffering) is a street within the Old City of Jerusalem. It has been traditionally held to be the path that Jesus walked, carrying his cross, on the way to be crucified. It is a place of pilgrimage for many. Our Master’s will is the way of the cross, the path of suffering. If the Master’s will is our will then our will is the way of the cross, too, symbolic of the death of our will (Lk 9:23). Notice that the Lord is not giving us a choice whether to take up our cross and follow Him or not; it is expected! It is commanded! We are obligated out of our love for Him to obey wherever He leads us. This is not blind obedience but eyes-wide-opened obedience driven by love for the Lord Jesus Christ.

Until our will is lost in the will of the Master, we are missing out on the blessings proceeding from intimacy in fellowship with Christ. Runaway slaves never experience the peace of God and the joy in the Lord. They may have peace with God, no longer at enmity with God, but never the peace of God that is only found in being in faithful fellowship with Him. Until we are weary to the bone in trying to escape from an everywhere, fully there God, life is without purpose (cf. Jn 6:68); some of us simply have to run out of steam before we get it. We are so quick to secure the benefits of sonship and stake our claim but shoot out the hand in the face of God to “talk to the hand” for we don’t want to hear about this slave and suffering talk!

Here is a tough, tough truth; Jesus told His disciples, “‘A servant (Gk, doulos or lit., slave) is not greater than his master (Gk, kurios or Lord).’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you” (Jn 15:20). “And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple” (learner) (Lk 14:27). We cannot begin to learn from Him until we bear our cross every day for the Divine will, dying to self-will. The way to a fuller freedom, a fuller joy, and a fuller life is only found in realizing and experiencing our slavery in Christ, not in shackles made of iron but of love. The ultimate freedom on earth is in bondage to the Lord. <><