Sounds like an oxymoron, right? Voluntary slavery? We think of slavery as something forced upon a resistant human being. The innocent victim is walking along minding his own business when a gang jumps out of the bushes and grabs him, carrying him off to some plantation or sweat shop where he is forced to work for nothing and confined against his will. In the physical world of slavery, the children of slaves are born into that state. The same is true when it comes to Paul's description. We are born as slaves to sin, thanks to our first parents, Adam and Eve. In that we have no choice. In the physical world of slavery, there are only two ways out (other than death): escape and keep running for the rest of one's life, or have one's freedom purchased. Jesus Christ paid the price of our ransom. Unlike the slave markets of the physical world, at this point the slave has a choice: stay with his current owner, or go with the man standing there with the price of emancipation in his ...
Happy Thanksgiving, Lynda!
ReplyDeleteA beautiful verse for Thanksgiving! May your day be full of thoughts reflecting how blessed we are to be part of the kingdom.
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving to all our Canadian friends!