We are ALL slaves.

From time to time I hear comments from the unsaved along the following lines: "I can't believe the Bible because it condones slavery" or, even, "I don't agree with the Christian faith because Christians, in the past, have used the Bible to justify the slavery"  etc etc.

People who make such ill-informed and bigoted statements simply show their ignorance of the Christian faith, in general, and the Bible, in particular.  They also show an attitude of rebellion against God's Holy Word, and are using spurious allegations to detract from their need to come to repentance, and faith in Christ as their Lord and Saviour.

Such people need to remember the fact that all of us, in our natural state, are slaves.  We are slaves of sin and Satan.  In John 8 v 34 Jesus made it clear that sinners are enslaved ; moreover, in 2nd Timothy 2 v 24-26, Paul states that the unsaved have been taken captive by the devil at his will, to do his will.

Indeed, the fact that there are so many people making ridiculous complaints against the Bible, only underlines the success of the devil in blinding them to their need of Christ.

What then is the answer to their predicament?  

In 4 words: the sovereignty of God.  In the 2nd Timothy passage, mentioned above, we read that, not only are the unsaved enslaved by Satan, but that God may yet be merciful to them in granting them release.  How does He do this?

In John 3 v 8 Jesus inferred that the Holy Spirit is like a wind blowing where He wishes into peoples' lives.  When the Holy Spirit so works in the unsaved, they are regenerated and brought to repentance from their sin, they come to faith in Christ as Lord and Saviour, they have a new life, they are also set free from Satan's bondage, and brought into the glorious liberty of the Christian life.

Having been brought out of Satan's evil slavery we are then brought into a good slavery. What do I mean by that?  Simply this - 1st Corinthians 6 v 19-20 tells us that believers in Christ have been purchased with a price; this, of course, is the precious blood of Christ which not only cleanses, but redeems.  In other words, we are the willing bond-slaves to a good and gracious master, the Lord Jesus Christ.

When people complain about slavery  they tell us what happened at slave auctions.  A man would come along and choose a person he wanted as a slave; he then paid a price and that bought one is his possession.  In a sense that is what has happened to those of us who are saved.  Christ has chosen us, he shed His blood to buy us, and now He owns us.  Therefore, because He owns us, we are His willing and submissive slaves seeking to do His will day by day.

Let us glory in this type of slavery and rejoice that God has so worked in our lives that we have a true purpose in life - to glorify Him.

"....ye were not redeemed with corruptible things......but with the precious blood of Christ" 1st Peter 1 v 18-19.