How can you find freedom in being a slave?
In Romans 6 Paul uses the illustration of a person being a slave to either sin or righteousness and the idea is that freedom is found in submission to being a slave to righteousness (or maybe I'm just paraphrasing too much at any rate you should read it for yourself). This is Seriously Ridiculous. I don't want to be a slave at all. I mean think about it, everything that you know about slavery, nothing about being a slave is good. And yet, this is an extremely important illustration for us to try and understand within our culture. (Maybe there was something about slavery in that culture that was good or honorable that I don't really understand)
So the whole time I was reading this Matthew 11:28-30 was swimming around in my head:
"Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
Somehow taking on the "Yoke" and "Burden" of Christ leads to freedom and rest that we can't find in being a slave to sin. (Gosh I honestly hate the word slave, probably because I hate losing the right to make the decisions in my life and giving up control. hmm...) In Christ there is a freedom that allows us to carry and yoke and a burden that is light and easy and find a rest for our souls. This rest is a type of rest that is a "blessed tranquility of the soul." So in midst of work, carrying a yoke, there is a peaceful, fulfilling, and rejuvenating rest.
I believe this is where the difference between being a slave to sin and being a slave to righteousness is. Not only that but I think this is where our idea of what a slave is has to be broadened into something different, something new, something redeemed. Being a "slave" to righteousness brings us something that being a "slave" to sin can not offer. There is no peace, rest, hope, eternal life, or true love in sin. There is no fulfillment or satisfaction. Being a slave to sin always leaves you wanting more. Being a slave to righteousness brings satisfaction. This is the Psalm 23 filling where we have all that we need and are led to that place of rest, peace, and joy. (You should really read it too. Just read all the verses. Romans 6, Matthew 11:28-30 and Psalm 23).
What is really interesting is that the world sees being a "slave to sin" as freedom over being a "slave to righteousness." I honestly believe that this is the fault of way too many Christians pretending that they are living righteous lives when in fact they are cursing, condemning, judging, and living lives under the "law" just as the religious pharisees. This is probably where our misconception of what it means to be a righteous person comes in. We forget things like what Paul says in Galatians 2:16 "...a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ...for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified."
Still, I don't think i want to be a called a slave to anything but rather a friend like Jesus calls His disciples. Friend works. Maybe in being friends of Christ we can live a righteous life that shows the world that we are not in "bondage" to our "religion" (wow so many quotation marks in this blog) but that we are able to live in holy freedom.
Seriously Ridiculous.
-B
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