Slaves To Freedom

SLAVES TO FREEDOM

I PETER 2:11-17

THESE ARE TRYING TIMES FOR THE BLACK FOLK OF JENA, AND FOLK ALL ACROSS THIS LAND. THE SITUATION THAT HAS ARISEN HERE IN JENA, FROM THE CRUEL PRANK PLAYED BY THE THREE YOUNG WHITE MEN OF JENA HIGH SCHOOL, LEAVES ME NO ALTERNATIVE BUT TO SPEAK ON THIS MATTER. HOW SHOULD WE RESPOND, IS JUST ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT HAS ARISEN, SINCE THE ACT OCCURRED? HOW SHOULD I TELL YOU TO RESPOND, AS A BLACK MINISTER OF THIS AREA, AS A LEADER IN THIS COMMUNITY? SHOULD I ENCOURAGE THE BROTHERS TO PICK UP ARMS AND GO TO WAR? SHOULD I TRY AND MAKE OUR YOUNG PEOPLE DISRESPECT AUTHORITY AT THE SCHOOL, AND BOYCOTT, AND JUST WALK AWAY FROM THEIR EDUCATION? NO!!! I WON’T DO EITHER OF THESE. WHAT I WILL TELL ALL OF US IS THAT WE SHOULD LIVE AS FREE MEN...AS THE BIBLE TELLS US TO. WHEN WE ACCEPTED JESUS CHRIST AS OUR PERSONAL SAVIOUR, WE BECAME WHAT PAUL CALLS US THERE IN 1 PETER 2:9—PAUL SAYS, “WE ARE A CHOSEN GENERATION, A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PECULIAR PEOPLE; THAT SHOULD SHOW FORTH THE PRAISES OF HIM WHO HATH CALLED US OUT OF DARKNESS INTO HIS MARVELOUS LIGHT.” HE GOES ON TO SAY IN VERSE 10—“WHICH WERE NOT A PEOPLE, BUT ARE NOW THE PEOPLE OF GOD.” THERE IS A SAYING AROUND, “W.W.J.D. OR WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?” I KNOW, ITS HARD BEING TREATED AS SECOND CLASS CITIZENS ALL THE TIME, WHEN WE KNOW THAT WE TRY AND TREAT EVERYONE DECENTLY, AND KNOW THAT THE NEXT MAN IS NO BETTER THAN WE ARE. I KNOW IT’S HARD TO UNDERSTAND WHY WE SHOULD ALWAYS BE THE ONES, TAKING AND TAKING—LETTING FOLK JUST WALK ALL OVER US, ALL THE TIME, AND NOT BEING ABLE TO REACT OR RESPOND. A LOT OF YOU ASK, “HAVEN’T WE BEEN PERSECUTED ENOUGH?” AND MY ANSWER TO YOU IS, YES WE HAVE; BUT ALL OF THIS GOES WITH BEING FREE, BEING SET FREE BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS. IN 1 PETER 2:15 & 16—IT SAYS, “IT IS GOD’S WILL THAT YOUR GOOD LIVES SHOULD SILENCE THE FOOLISH TALK AND ACTS, OF THOSE AROUND YOU, THOSE WHO DON’T KNOW THE LORD. YOU ARE NOT SLAVES, BUT YOU ARE FREE. BUT YOUR FREEDOM IS NOT AN EXCUSE TO DO EVIL. YOU ARE FREE TO LIVE AS GOD’S SLAVES. AND THE QYESTION IS TODAY, WHAT IS A SLAVE? Slavery is the social and legal designation of specific persons as property, for the purpose of providing labor and services for the owner without the right of the slave to refuse, or gain compensation.

Where slavery has been a legal practice, slaves were held under the control of another person, group, organization, or state. The legal designation of slavery has become rare in modern times, as most societies now consider slavery to be illegal, and persons held as in such condition are considered by authorities to be victims of unlawful imprisonment .

PAUL TELLS US IN 1 COR. 7: 22-23—“FOR HE THAT IS CALLED IN THE LORD, BEING A SERVANT, OR SLAVE, IS THE LORDS FREEMAN: LIKEWISE ALSO HE THAT IS CALLED, BEING FREE, IS CHRIST SERVANT. YE ARE BOUGHT WITH A PRICE, BE YE NOT SERVANTS OF MEN.” WE SHOULD NOT FEAR NOR SHOULD WE BE INTIMIDATED; WE ARE UNDER THE PROTECTION OF ONE MIGHTIER THAN ALL OF MANKIND, AND HIS NAME IS JESUS.

AS BLACK AMERICANS, LET ME ENCOURAGE YOU, DON’T BE AFRAID TO STAND UP FOR WHAT IS RIGHT; DON’T LET NOBODY MAKE YOU LOOSE YOUR INTEGRETY FOR ANYTHING. TAKE A STAND AS A MAN OR WOMEN; BE PRAYERFUL AND FERVENTLY PRAY THAT GOD WILL SUSTAIN US IN OUR ENDEVORS TO CORRECT THE WRONGS THAT ARE BROUGHT AGAINST US DAILY, AS A PEOPLE. FOR THESE ARE TRYING TIMES; AND BELIEVE ME WHEN I TELL YOU, ALL MEN DON’T LOVE YOU...ALL MEN DON’T CARE ABOUT THE INJUSTICES THAT ARE PERPETRATED AGAINST US...ALL MEN DON’T KNOW THE LORD AS YOU AND I DO. BUT PAUL SAYS, IF WE MAINTAIN OUR CALLING AS SLAVES OF GOD, AND SLAVES TO THE FREEDOM WE HAVE GAINED BECAUSE OF JESUS, HE SAYS, “FOR GOD IS PLEASED WITH YOU WHEN, FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR CONSCIENCE, YOU PATIENTLY ENDURE UNFAIR TREATMENT. OF COURSE YOU GET NO CREDIT FOR BEING PATIENT IF YOU ARE BEATEN FOR DOING WRONG. BUT IF YOU SUFFER FOR DOING RIGHT AND ARE PATIENT BENEATH THE BLOWS, GOD IS PLEASED WITH YOU. THIS SUFFERING IS ALL APART OF WHAT GOD HAS CALLED YOU TO. CHRIST, WHO SUFFERED FOR YOU IS YOUR EXAMPLE. FOLLOW IN HIS STEPS. HE NEVER SINNED, AND HE NEVER DECIEVED ANYONE. HE DID NOT RETALIATE WHEN HE WAS INSULTED. WHEN HE SUFFERED, HE DID NOT THREATEN TO GET EVEN. HE LEFT HIS CASE IN THE HANDS OF GOD, WHO ALWAYS JUDGES FAIRLY. HE PERSONNALLY CARRIED AWAY OUR SINS IN HIS OWN BODY ON THE CROSS, SO WE CAN BE DEAD TO SIN AND LIVE FOR WHAT IS RIGHT.” HE WAS WOUNDED FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS, AND HE WAS BRUISED FOR OUR INIQUITIES. WE MUST MAINTAIN AS TRUE SOLDIERS OF JESUS CHRIST. WE MUST KEEP THE FAITH, AND ALWAYS REMEMBER...WE ARE IN THE WORLD, BUT WE ARE NOT OF THIS WORLD...THE BIBLE SAYS, WE ARE PILGRIMS AND ALIENS HERE, TRAVELING TO A BETTER PLACE.