We Are Slaves

Good evening everyone. You are the blessed of the Lord. I really enjoyed that quiet time. I really enjoyed that quiet time.

As I was thinking about the message, I started to think about some of the truths — T-R-U-T-H-S — in scripture that have been destroyed by many in the Church. They have taken Godly truths and made them ungodly for all practical purposes.

The examples are endless, but one that I thought about is this whole issue of grace how grace and how it is viewed as a license to sin. Jesus has already paid the price so you can go ahead and sin and don't have to worry about it. I know that’s simplistic but it’s also the essence of the teaching.

I also thought about how the Church teaches tithing. Tithing is not a bad thing, but if your tithing is motivated because you are trying to gain God’s favor and avoid being cursed, then your motivation is all wrong. When it comes to our relationship with God, it’s all about heart. It’s all about how much we love Him.

And then there’s the teaching that we are “sinners saved by grace.” There's a scripture in Ephesians that I heard used a number of years ago to teach that doctrine. It’s the latter part of Ephesians 1:13 — “having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.” The word “sealed” was interpret to mean “canned up” — you can't get out of your salvation.

Oftentimes the Church brings an outside interpretation, an outside of understanding, to scripture rather than letting scripture interpret itself. And tonight is another example of this that we’re going to talk about.

Slavery in America has such a horrific connotation that just the mention of the word slave or slavery makes people want to shut down because of what they know about slavery from America’s past. It was horrible. There is no way around that. Families were separated. Children were separated from their parents. Children were separated from each other. It was a horrendous time in our country that seems to be talked about more an more today.

When you bring this view of slavery to scripture, you are going to miss what scripture is saying about the subject. I almost gave this message the title “Slavery is not a cuss word.” It's not a cuss word, if you understand scripturally what is all about.

Slavery, ladies and gentlemen, is our spiritual reality. We were born into slavery. We will live in slavery. We will die in slavery. Do you follow me? All of us were born into slavery. All of us are going to live our lives in slavery. And then we’re going to die in slavery.

But here’s where the analogy with American slavery falls apart, is demolished spiritually: In the natural, the master chooses the slave. The master chooses the slave. In the spirit, the slave chooses the master. Are you following me?

Turn to Romans 6. Spiritually, the slave chooses the master. In Romans 6, we’re going to look at verses 16, 17 and 18. In those verses, we’re going to see a word that is translated as servant. In the Greek, it is the is the word doulos — D-O-U-L-O-S. Every time that word is used, it means SLAVE. Every single time. In the Hebrew, it’s the word ebed, E-B-E-D.

And the word means a person who is in a permanent a person who is in a permanent relation of servitude to another, his will being altogether consumed in the will of the other. I’ll say the last part again. “His will being altogether consumed in the will of the other.”

Who does that sound like, off the top of your head? Jesus!

Romans 1:1 says “Paul, a doulos of Jesus Christ, a slave of Jesus.”

Philippians 1:1 says “Paul and Timothy, doulos of Jesus Christ, slaves of Jesus Christ.”

Titus 1:1 says “Paul, a doulos of God, a slave of God.”

James 1:1 says “James, a doulos of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

2 Peter 1:1 says “Simon Peter, a doulos and apostle of Jesus Christ, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ.

Jude 1:1 says “Jude, a doulos of Jesus Christ, a slave of Jesus Christ.”

Revelation 1:1 says “And He sent and signified it by His angel to His doulos John, His slave John.”

The reason I am making such a big deal out of this ladies and gentlemen is because, until we understand that we are slaves, we are not going to be the men and women that God can work through to bring revival.

In Romans chapter 6 look at verse 16

(16) Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants (slaves, doulos) to obey, his servants (slave, doulos) ye are to whom ye obey; [And now here are the two masters.] whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?