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Romans 6:15-28

Free Slaves

I am a slave of what I love. The more I love the greater my captivity. I love my freedom. So I don’t like to be told what to do, I don’t like being asked lots of questions, I don’t like having chores, I don’t like having to work hard. I’d rather be free to watch a good movie or read a good book… who am I kidding, what I really love is to play my video game. There have been times where that’s all there has been with the occasional interruptions of life, work, sleep and food.

But that isn’t freedom, that is slavery. Jesus came to save me from what I love; my video game. What has Jesus come to save you from? What do you really love? Where do you find happiness? In romance, pornography, the bottom of a bottle of wine, the success of being a workaholic, having people do what you want, being popular with people, feeling secure? If so then you serve those masters, you do their bidding. You work to buy romance novels, you destroy real intimacy in your relationships by indulging in pornography, you isolate yourself I the company (loneliness) of your drunkenness, you sacrifice your family and friends for the pleasure of work, you distance people by being bossy, you compromise to win people’s friendship, you rob security with the fear of worry.

You are not under the slavery of these masters. You live under grace. You are God’s slave. You are free to do his bidding, to do what he wants rather than doing what you love. There is real freedom in God’s slavery because he will give you the ability, the gifts, the wisdom the strength to do his will.

Love God equals seeking his kingdom first. If you are tired of being trapped, of going around in circles then begin afresh in Christ. Realise that you are his slave, that you have switched masters and that when you obey Jesus then that is when you are truly free. Only then will you be a free slave. the Rev

Romans 6:15-23 Be God’s Slave

Bible Reading: Romans 6:15-23

Exercises

• Share one way in which you are a slave of sin and a slave of righteousness v15-18.

• How will being a slave of righteousness make you like Jesus, be specific? v19.

• Share in what way you will enjoy the freedom of your slavery to God v20-23.

• Share how you will will help someone with all of the above.

Prayer: Heavenly Father forgive me for serving the wrong master and for underestimating the power and consequence of my sin which leads to death. Create in me a clean heart that I will serve you, that I might become like Jesus, that I might be a real encouragement to you and to people by the renewal of my life.  Amen