SLAVES TO SIN or SLAVES TO OBEDIENCE
10-13,14-01
PART ONE: SLAVES INDEED BUT TO WHOM—
“Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods of which your fathers served beyond the river and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. And if it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the river, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24: 14,15
We will always be slaves according to scripture. The point of impact for us is whose slave will we be? It is this vital place of decision that we approach today. We look left and we look right wondering which way to go. But we know that “we can not serve two masters, for we will hate one and love the other or love one and hate the other.” Matthew 6:24 There is a call on the life of every believer to “choose today whom you will serve.”
A. Let’s start by a comparative look at Romans 6:15-23. These verses speak plainly that there is a decision to be made and even outlines the consequences and benefits.
1. Slaves to Sin
A. Unto Death (condemnation) v.16
B. Presented yourselves slaves to impurity and lawlessness resulting in more lawlessness v.19
C. free from righteousness v.20
D. No benefit... Shame v.21 (see 1 Timothy 6:7... to store up things in this world is to lose them in the end)
E. wages of sin is death v.23
2.Slaves to Obedience
A. Unto righteousness v.16
B. presented yourselves slaves to righteousness resulting in sanctification. V.19
C. Free from sin v. 18
D. Benefits: eternal life and sanctification v.22 (see 1Timothy 6:6 and note that godliness is of great gain when accompanied with contentment)
E. free gift of God is eternal life v.23
You can see by this comparison that to be a slave to sin is to bring condemnation, impurity, lawlessness, unrighteousness, shame and ultimately death; yet so many throngs of people rush headlong into the work of being a slave to sin. Daily countless thousands of lives are found destroyed or deteriorating because of the great love that man has found for sin. Contrast that with what it looks like to be a slave to obedience and you will see that to be such a slave brings righteousness, sanctification (which is holiness), freedom from sin, and eternal life. You will notice that righteousness is listed three times in this passage while sanctification and eternal life are listed twice. You may find that the text actually uses righteousness four times but on one occasion it speaks of freedom from righteousness so we call that contrary to the will of God. Why the repetition throughout this passage of righteousness, sanctification, and eternal life. I believe that it is because whenever God had firmly decided an issue he would say it twice (Genesis 41: 32). There are a multitude of parables that Christ spoke in two forms. Many times when God spoke to a man He would call out his name twice. Or how many times would a godly man receive two dreams or two visions? We would not have enough time here to tell of how God would show Himself repetitiously to His people. I believe that there is very deliberate significance to the emphasis placed on these words. It is because the matter has been determined by God to quickly bring about these things in the body of those who are His slaves through the body of our resurrected Lord.
Sanctification (holiness) is: God’s will 1Thessalonians 4:3
God’s eternal purpose 2Thessalonians 2:13,14
Necessary Hebrews 12:14
Righteousness is: Through Christ Romans 5: 19
Our breastplate Ephesians 6:14
A crown 2 Timothy 4:8
Eternal life is: God’s free gift Romans 6:23
In Christ John 3:16
Knowing God and Jesus John 17:3
B. We have seen the comparison of serving sin or obedience. Let us say for the sake of argument that we have resolved to stay as slaves of God. Slaves to His will and ways. I think that perhaps some questions will arise. At least one question will arise. “why should I stay with my master?” Many people over the years have thought it. “But it is more fun to do what I want to do. The world and sin is more fun that all of that religious stuff.” Yet we know what the consequences of that lifestyle are. Consider the following passages as a possible explanation as to why someone would stay with their master.
“But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife and my children; I will not go out as a free man,’ then his master shall bring him to the judges who act in God’s name, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently.” Exodus 21:5,6
“And it shall come about if he says to you, ‘I will not go out from you,’ because he loves you and your household, since he fares well with you; then you shall take an awl and pierce it through his ear into the door, and he shall be your servant forever. And also you shall do likewise to your maidservant.” Deuteronomy 15:16, 17
The first thing we need to look at before we get to why we might stay with the master is tied up in the small phrase in Exodus 21:5 “the slave plainly says.” What does it mean for us to speak plainly? Surely it means that we have made up our minds. It means that we have weighed in the balances all the facts and we have reached a conclusion. We will not debate the issue any further. We are finished with tossing our service to the Master and retracting it again like the waves of the seas do toss back and forth. We have finished “riding the fence”! We are done with indecision! We have refused to be lukewarm! We have despised apathy! We no longer look back longingly toward Sodom! We speak plainly. This done what do we speak?
v. 5 “I love my master” Let us consider what it means to love our Master, God.
1. John 14:15, 21,23
a. “if you love Me, you will keep my commandments.” v. 15
b. “he who has and keeps my commandments is he who loves Me.” v. 21
c. “If anyone loves me he will keep My word” v. 23
If we are going to say that we love our master then we will most certainly follow His commandments. Do not be one that says you love God if you will not obey Him. Christ lays this down as plainly as possible as the demonstration of our love for Him.
2. 1 John 5:3 “For this is the love of (as being demonstrated to) God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.”
a. Matthew 11:28-30
1. “come to me if you are weary or heavy laden” v.28
2. “take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you shall find rest for your souls” v. 29 also see John 13:15
3. “for my yoke is easy (or, kindly or pleasant) and my burden is light”v.30
It is good to know that to follow God is not burdensome. We will see that Christ has set for us an example and that to be yoked with Christ is not a difficult thing. When Christ says “take my yoke upon you, and learn from me” He is inviting us to work shoulder to shoulder with Him. To be yoked together with Him in all of His work. How easy is the service of God made when we are doing it with our Lord and Savior.
v.5 [I love] “my wife and my children” this constitutes blessing and abundance received while in the masters house.
1. Romans 8:12-17
a. “not under obligation to the flesh” v.12
b. “if you live according to the flesh you must die” v.13
c. “if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live”v.13
d. “if led by the Spirit you are sons of God” v. 14
e. “you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear (fear of what….condemnation) but a spirit of adoption as sons by which you cry out ‘Abba, Father’” v. 15
f. “The Spirit makes witness (think of a police lineup or a courtroom scene) that we are children” v.16
g. “if children then heirs with Christ of God, if we suffer”v.17
We see here that if we are lead by the Spirit that we are sons of God and that we have in fact been adopted into God’s family. The Holy Spirit with which we have been sealed makes witness that we are God’s children. If we are children then we are heirs of God and coheirs with Christ. How wonderful it must be to call mine all that which also belongs to Christ. In our Master’s house we have received an abundant blessing. It is quite obvious that this is a reason we would want to stay with our Master.
2. Galatians 4:1-7 offers a very similar idea as this passage in Romans.
C. At the Doorpost—
Heirs if we suffer huh? “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Him not only to believe on Him but to suffer for Him.” Philippians 1:29 Just like in the passage in Exodus and the one in Deuteronomy, if a servant “plainly” said that he “loved [his] master” and “[his] wife and kids” then he was taken to the doorpost before the witnesses of God. Once there he had an awl hammered through his ear. From that point forward he was to serve his master permanently. Many of us will say that we want to serve God, but coming to the doorpost seems a bit scary for us. I want you to know that Christ set for us an example that we could follow. Remember the verses above from John and Matthew about learning from Christ and following His example? Let us look at the example that Christ set before us.
1. Christ came to do God’s will (Hebrews 10:9,10)
God had decided from all eternity to send Christ as a covering for sin. (2 Timothy 2:9, Ephesians 3:11) Even before the world had been established God’s plan was to send His Son for us. Not only for us but for our sanctification.
2. “my ear thou hast opened… I delight to do thy will… thy law is within my heart…”(Psalm 40:6-8) when it says here that “my ear thou has opened” it literally means “my ear you have dug through” or “my ear you have pierced”. We see through this prophecy of Christ that not only will He do God’s will, but He delights to do it.
3. “God has opened My ear and I was not disobedient nor did I turn back” (Isaiah 50:5) so often when God sets work before us we turn back. It reminds me so much of Lot’s wife and though I know I have already alluded to her I will point to a passage in Luke “Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to keep his life shall lose it, and whoever loses his life shall preserve it.” (Luke 17: 32-33) Lot’s wife having been freed from wicked Sodom was prone to looking back and having done so was destroyed. Have we not already learned that if we seek to keep our lives through presenting ourselves slaves to the world that we will surely die, yet that if we submit our bodies to the slavery of obedience to God we shall shine in righteousness and reap sanctification and eternal life?
4. “the slave is not greater than his master…” John 13:16
a. “and whosoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; for just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”(Matthew 20:27,28)
b. “but made Himself a bond-servant.” (Philippians 2:7)
PART TWO: THE SIGN OF THE AWL—
You can imagine that if a servant told his master he never wanted to leave and if that servant had an awl driven through his ear that it would be visible to all. In this part of the lesson I want to us to consider whether or not people can see in our lives a visible sign that we belong to our Master. You will remember that previously we made note that “the Spirit makes witness that we are children.” (Romans 8:16) Think of it like this. A rancher has 1000 head of cattle on 1500 acres of land. Each one of his herd has a special mark on its body, a brand, that signifies that it belongs to the rancher. No matter where that particular animal should go, however far it should wander on the property of its owner the Master will know it is his by the sign on its body. If a storm should come and the fence between his land and a fellow rancher’s land should be destroyed and the cattle should mingle together, the owner of the marked ones should be able to draw them out as his own. So too with us. There should be a mark up on our person that indicates we belong to God, that we are in fact His slaves. Though there may be many marks upon the life of the committed believer I will list four now that the bible tells us we have been “called” to.
D. FOUR SIGNS OF THE AWL:
1. Eternal Life: “fight the good fight, take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession (like at the doorpost) in the presence of many witnesses.” (1Timothy 6:12-14) We will take hold of eternal life… the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ. Eternal life will be evident in our bodies.
a. “now this is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.” (John 17:3) Eternal life is in Knowing God! This is more than just to know that He is… but is rather to Know Him intimately.
b. “we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2Corinthians 4:18) oh the great storehouse of the eternal things which we have never seen. These shall be ours. Consider the wonder of those few things we know of in scripture, which for the most part have remained unseen. (an army of fire… 2 Kings 6:17)
c. “for we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” (2Corinthians 5:1) we have waiting for us an eternal body… an eternal tent.
d. Eternal life is God and is in Him. “and we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding, in order that we might know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.” (1John 5:20)
2. Peace: “and let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.” (Colossians 3:15) We will have a peace that is unshaken by circumstances. For our mind is set upon the God of all peace and we have learned to trust Him. The world can not have peace as we shall have peace when we have determined within ourselves to be pierced through with the awl and be at the service of our Master permanently.
a. “peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you… let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” (John 14:27)
b. “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
c. “I will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Me because he trusts in Me.” (Isaiah 26:3)
d. “the peace of God will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4: 6,7)
e. “The mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace…”(Romans 8:6)
3. Hope: “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called…. Just as also you were called in one hope of your calling.” (Ephesians 4:1-6) Best I can tell from the New Testament, hope is an eternally based thing. We have hope in heaven, we have hope in Christ’s return, and we have hope that we have been eternally saved by Christ’s sacrifice. “Hope” is abused when we say things uncertainly like ‘I hope I get to go do this… or I hope I get to go see so n so.” Biblical hope is confident and sure because it rests on the things of God. People will see hope in our lives that they cannot explain away and that we can only attribute to the present and future works of God.
a. “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:5-7)
b. “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.” (Ephesians 1:18,19)
c. “If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.” (1Corinthians 15:19)
4. Glory: “and after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.” (1 Peter 5:10) We will bear on our person’s the glory of God! People will see Christ radiate from us! How I do not know for sure… but I know it to be true.
a. “Momentary, (in terms of eternity) light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.” (2 Corinthians 4:16)
b. “For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.” (2Timothy 2:10)
E. How are we equipped?
Well if we were to go back to one of our original passages we would find that we are equipped through the Word of God. Romans 6:17 says “but thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed.” I think that we are equipped through God’s word. “How shall a young man keep his way pure, by living according to your word. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Psalm 119:9,11 Even back in Deuteronomy God was commanding His people to know the Word. (Deuteronomy 4: 10-14, 6:1-9) Furthermore we will be taught and equipped by the Holy Spirit, as He will guide you into all truth. (John 16:13, 1John 2:27)
Just remember not to set your heart stubbornly against your Master who is in heaven such that you seek to go back to being slaves of sin. Even Israel having been freed from slavery in Egypt “became stubborn and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt.” Nehemiah 9:17
FINAL WORDS:
After everything is done and you have chosen to serve God rather than the world, after you have plainly stated that case. When you have confessed your love for Him and the things He has blessed you with, and when you have stood in the presence of many witnesses. Finally, when you have stood at the doorpost and had the awl pierce your ear such that you are now declaring your permanent service to God, do not seek praise or accolade. For the master is not obligated to thank the slave. The master “does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he? So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, ‘we are unworthy slave; we have done only that which we out to have done.’” (Luke 17:9-10) Your reward will be found in Christ!
