ROMANS 6:15–18 – What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 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? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.”
THEME OF THE DAY: A SLAVE TO FREEDOM. The imagery of today’s nugget theme might appear to be a “head scratcher” as normally we would not put slavery and freedom in the same family. Just the opposite and when it comes to what the Apostle Paul says in the first part of today’s scripture, we would be right – to be a slave to sin is to forfeit freedom. But when it comes to being in Christ, and a slave to righteousness which is to be a slave to Christ, the greatest freedom a human being will ever know is experienced.
In thinking of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus, what did it accomplish? If our answer is “forgiveness, the removal of God’s wrath upon us, and a home in heaven”, we would be right, but not complete. Should our understanding of the Gospel be just those three things, we are failing to grasp the riches and depth of the Gospel. It does far far more. Soon after the wilderness temptation of Jesus, He went to Nazareth. While there, He went to the synagogue. What did He do? Let’s let Luke tell us – And Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:16-21). Jesus is preaching the Gospel, the message not only of forgiveness but liberation – liberation from the sickness, oppression, and bondage of sin. Don’t restrict the Gospel. Rejoice in its power that goes beyond forgiveness.
Let’s end today’s nugget with a nice little story that illustrates the heart of Jesus and His gospel, then rejoice after we read it – During the time when the slave trade was still practiced in some parts of the South, a handsome young man was up for sale. The bids kept rising. Finally, an Englishman purchased the boy. The young slave began to chide him, “Ha, you buy a slave when slavery has already been abolished in England.” The purchaser, however, said, “I have bought you to set you free.” The young slave, overcome with emotion, replied, “I will be your willing slave forever.”
PRAYER: “Father, I praise You for setting me free from the tyranny and bondage of Satan, sin, and death.”
QUOTE: “Jesus Christ bought us off the slave market of sin not to be our own, but His willing slaves.”
In the affection of Christ Jesus,
Pastor Jim