Freedom in Christ
In order to understand the joy of freedom, we must understand its opposite: slavery. Slavery at its worst is almost gone from the world. But there is still the slavery of sin, a shackle that no matter how hard we pick it, and no matter how persistent we tear at it under our own power, we can never be free. This slavery is present with us every day in our flesh. As the apostle Paul wrote through the Spirit: “I find this law at work: when I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being, I delight in God’s law; but in my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members” (Romans 7:21-23).
What a distressing and sorrowful state in which we find ourselves, without hope of salvation, no better than an animal. With no rights at all we live and die at the whim of our self-serving nature and care nothing for the feelings of others in the greater sense. Slavery to sin is the worst kind of slavery: the master is merciless, and the keeper of our lives views us knowing no other life. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1,2).
Is this the life we have? Is this all there is to God’s creation? Has our Heavenly Father put us here simply to serve ourselves and die, never to rise again? What do the scriptures say about this? If we are in slavery, as the Israelites in Egypt, then who will be our redeemer? Who is our captain that will lead us from the sins and bondage of Egypt to the new life and freedom in the promised land? Again Paul’s words: “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24).
By submitting to baptism we became a beneficiaries of the testament of Christ and are seen publicly declaring that we want to be like him. We want to spend every ounce of strength we have in denying ourselves and glorifying God. We no longer want to be slaves to sin but, like Paul, we desire to be slaves to Christ, doing the will of our Father through the example of His perfect son, our Master. Friendship of the world is enmity with God. Whosoever, therefore, is the friend of the world is the enemy of God. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father, I have made known to you. You have been set free from sin and become slaves to righteousness (James 4:4; John 15:15, Romans 6:18).
Bro Fred Mumba (Mufulira, Zambia)
