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"No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you." (John 15:15)
The practice of slavery in the world has become a hot topic here in the states these past few weeks. Not that it never was a hot topic but it has once again raised its ugly head and continues to divide opinion. I might as well throw another log upon the fire that has been burning since the beginning of time as I say that I know no one who is not a slave. In reality, we are all slaves to something. Most of us are slaves to what we love the most, a spouse, a friend, or governor over our life. We are slaves to our addictions, alcohol, drugs, gambling, porn, and etc. We are slaves to our means of earning a living either legally or illegally. We are slaves to what we love and sadly to what we hate. Too many of us are slaves to sin and the rest through the work of Jesus have been set free from that bondage. But we are slaves.
According to the Walk Free Foundation, there are 29.8 million people in the world that are enslaved. So what is the definition of slavery? Webster defines slavery as being in submission to a dominating influence or the position of a person being a chattel to another. Strong’s defines a slave as a person who involuntarily or voluntarily is in subservience to another. In the gospels of Matthew, Luke and John Jesus in His teaching a Parable that spoke of His disciples as slaves. (Matthew 13:27; Matthew 22:4; Luke 12:37; John 12:26). In my simple mind, I define slavery as being caught by the overpowering influence of another person or practice. A more acceptable word for slave is a servant and carries the same definition in Scripture as servitude. The Apostles Paul, James, Jude, and John all referred to themselves as servants of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:1; 1 Corinthians 7:22; James 1:1; Jude 1:1; Revelations 1:1) They were servants because of the overpowering influence of another person, Jesus Christ.
Jesus tells His disciples that slaves do not know what their master is doing. We have insights into what the Master is doing but we do not know the complete plan and purpose of God’s will. The Scriptures, God’s Word gives us clear paths that we are to follow but there still is a mystery as we are not able to comprehend the full revelation of His plan and purpose. It is not possible because we are finite creatures serving an infinite God who knows the end from the beginning. We do not have the wisdom of God and therefore cannot have a complete understanding or thought that God has. No man can think like God or understand what He has seen. "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9)
As servants in Christ then we do as we are commanded on faith trusting that His ways are far greater than our ways. It would be hard to argue against that as man has had thousands of years in time to create the perfect society and failed. Yet that perfect society lies just beyond the twinkling of an eye at the command of God in His Kingdom. "And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away." (Revelation 21:3-4) As slaves of Jesus, we are His instruments obeying His commandments on faith trusting He who knows the end from the present.
Jesus now elevates His disciples to a higher position of servitude, He calls them friends. Jesus was their friend even while they were yet enemies. "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) Being servants of our Master we have a sense of duty, we fulfill our responsibility, and we work in expectation of reward. But not all masters love their servants and not all servants love their masters. I worked for my employer but I did not love him. I satisfied the desires of my heart but I did not always love it. Here Jesus elevates the motivation to the higher level by calling His disciples friends, the greatest motivation love. The same motivation that placed Him on the cross and the same motivation that we carry our cross and follow Him, love. We are still servants but we are swaddled in His love and our love for Him. "We love, because He first loved us." (1 John 4:19)
We must try to understand the love of the Father towards His Son Jesus in order to comprehend His love towards us. We are to love one another in the same measure that He loves us. "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you." (John 15:12) This is not something that we can do without the enabling power of His love towards us. This is not something we can do without abiding with Him and He abides with us. A relationship motivated by love demands obedience. Disobedience is a sign of a relationship lacking love. If we love our Lord, then we obey His commands. "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." (John 14:15)
Jesus as our friend empowers us with His Spirit that we will know what the Master leads us to accomplish. We will be equipped to do the good work that He has created us to do. Jesus prayed to the Father that we would be given His Spirit to guide us. "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come." (John 16:13) This enables us to fulfill His plan and purpose to be about the reconciliation of men that they can be redeemed by the sacrifice of our Savior that they too can see the essence of God through us and our Lord living through us.
So seriously consider what you are a slave to? What are the desires of your heart? To whom are you bonded to? Do you love them and would that not be a better motivation? We are all slaves to someone or something and we must consider the benefit of that relationship. Does your master love you and does he hold the words of life? Or does your servitude bring you to a dead end? Does your master persecute you or are you persecuted because of your master? Would not unfailing love be the better motivation to overcome the obstacles in this life?
I remember the old Robert Palmer song “Addicted to Love.” I liked that song probably for all the wrong reasons but then I had the wrong definition of love back then. Wouldn’t it be a marvelous thing if God’s love was living through everyone? Wouldn’t it be better if we all chose to have His love living through us? Wouldn’t it be greater if God’s love shined in the darkness of those who persecute us? It would be a world-changing love if we became slaves to a Master Friend that loved His enemies and changed the world. "Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also." (John 15:20)
Thomas N Kirkpatrick
First Baptist Church of Durant, August 25, 2017
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