Thomas, a Slave of God

Scripture: And I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect… And if by this discipline you are not turned to me but walk contrary to me, then I also will walk contrary to you. Leviticus 26:13, 23-24.

Observation: God has delivered his people from the bondage of slavery. They are free. This freedom from bondage gives them freedom to have covenant with God. God here lays out the terms of his covenant with his people. If they are faithful, God will bless. If they are unfaithful, God will curse. So have the people exchanged one slave master for another? Both God and Pharaoh had terms that were similar. Obey and live. Disobey and suffer. How is God’s mastery over people different from Pharaoh’s?
Later, in the New Testament, a dominating term for followers of Christ was slave (Colossians 1:7, 3:22-23, 2 Timothy 2:24, Titus 1:1, James 1:1). These early believers saw themselves as slaves to Christ.
How do we reconcile such a negative word, fraught with baggage of abuse and mistreatment, with the freedom of Christ?

Application: Maybe I can’t, not fully. I could talk about the difference in serving a dictator like Pharaoh, and a benevolent God. Or I could try to downplay the terms of the NT and say that slave really means servant. Or I could let it be what it is: I am free to be a slave to Christ. As Lord, he has the right and authority to direct my life and lead me. He has the right to expect from me loyalty and faithfulness. When I do not provide that—he disciplines me in love. His goal is always that I would turn back to him and walk with him.
In the words of John MacArthur:

You’re going to be a slave to someone. Being a slave to Jesus Christ is beyond any kind of slavery that anybody ever knew because this master makes us sons and gives us all the rights of His own sons. He adopts us into His family, calls us joint-heirs with Christ, takes us to heaven where we rule and reign from His own throne and pours out all the lavish riches in His possession forever and ever and ever for our own unmitigated joy and His own glory. Who wouldn’t want to be a slave under that master? What a joy to be a slave of Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Today, Lord, I reaffirm my chains. You have set me free from the chains of bondage. You have also chained my life to yours. You are my Lord. I turn to you and walk with you. Help me serve you.

I Do Not Sit as a King

Scripture: As she glorified herself and lived in luxury, so give her a like measure of torment and mourning, since in her heart she says, ‘I sit as a queen, I am no widow, and mourning I shall never see.’ Revelation 18:7

Observation: John is relating the destiny of Babylon. Not sure if Babylon is a religion, a restored political power, or new entity. But one thing that will be a part of Babylon will be her sexual immorality and how she has led others to drink the “wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.” In verse 7 we get a clue to her attitude: In her heart she says she sits as a queen who has never been married. In this case, I think it refers to how she is accountable to no one. She is a solo ruler, with no acknowledgement of God as supreme authority. There is no one she reports to; she is a law unto herself. This is the root of her immorality—the arrogance of independence. At its core, all sexual immorality is a declaration that we sit as kings and queens, independent of God and his archaic, binding rules. Sadly, Babylon thinks that freedom comes from getting to do what you want, when true freedom comes from purity and living under authority.

Application: Our world continues to chase immorality under the guise of freedom. Anytime God and his word enters the picture, the cry of “oppression” goes out. As we were in the garden, we are today: We don’t want anyone telling us what we can and cannot do. As I enter 2010, I want to reaffirm my position as dependent on God, subject to his best will for me. And this includes purity. I am not free to do as I please. I do not sit as a king who will never mourn. I am subject to the king.

Prayer: God, redouble my passion for purity in my life, on screen, online, in life. Let me do so knowing it is your best for me, and not an oppression. Purity is liberty.

Living in an Unlocked Prison Cell

Scripture: Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? Romans 6:16

Observation: Paul is writing to believers to ask, “Should we keep sinning since we are now covered by grace?” The answer is, no. Even Christians, set free by Christ, can fall back into slavery by choosing to present themselves to sin. Imagine someone choosing to live in an unlocked prison cell, or to serve an evil master after then had been released. Whoever I obey, that is my master. Sin or obedience.

Application: Convicted this week about my purity. Yes I have the filters on my computer, etc., but the struggle for pure eyes has many different battlefields. Satan has many weapons in his arsenal, and he keeps on coming. If I give in, I am presenting myself as an obedient slave to sin, to immorality. Funny—we extol the freedom we have in our country to view whatever we want. But this freedom is a lie—it is really a step into slavery. It is choosing to live in the unlocked prison cell. God, let me redouble my commitment and dependence on you for freedom in this area.

Prayer: God, today I choose obedience. I want to be a slave to you, not to anything on this earth. Help me keep my mind and eyes clean, for you, for my wife, for my kids.

The Theology of Halloween Candy

Scripture: This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. 1 Corinthians 8:1

Application: Paul is writing the Corinthians about the problem of people eating food that had been offered to idols. Many of the Corinthians felt this was no problem, since they “knew” these idols were pretend and so offering food to them meant nothing (8:4). While this is theologically correct, Paul’s point is that knowing the truth can lead to arrogance, while loving others builds up the body. Instead of bragging on their theology which permitted food offered to idols, they should consider the higher call of love for their newer brothers and sisters who might struggle with seeing people eat this food.

Observation: Knowing the truth can arrogantly lead me to be insensitive to others. I so passionately defend my freedom that I can hurt my brothers. My theology might be right, but my heart might not. I could win the battle and lose the war. Recently I was handing out leftover Halloween candy on Sunday morning for fun. One guy refused the candy, saying he did not eat Halloween candy on a sacred day. Now, I *knew* that theologically, there was no problem with the candy. It was just sugar. I found myself getting a little arrogant in my heart, wanting to get into the theology of evil candy. But in light of these verses, which better served God that morning: the knowledge that the candy was okay to eat, or the love of being gracious to another person’s beliefs?

Prayer: God, let me take care that my rights do not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. Let me look with love on those who take offense at my freedoms, instead of wanting to so quickly correct them.

A Change In The Law

Scripture: For when there is a change in the priesthood there is necessarily a change in the law as well. Hebrews 7:12

Observation: Jesus is now our high priest, our intermediary between us and God. The law has been replaced. Jesus could not be a high priest under the old system. A new priest requires a new law. So we are no longer governed by the Mosaic law (Gal. 3:24).

Application: I can either come to God through Jesus, or I am on my own, judged by the law. I have no other high priest. Every time I pray "in Jesus' name" I am affirming Jesus as my one and only high priest and I am declaring my freedom from the law.

Prayer: Jesus, you know my tendency towards the law in my life. Let me celebrate You as my high priest forever every time I pray in Your name. Help me remember this is not a tacked on ending to my prayer, but a declaration of freedom. In Jesus' name, I am free.