When we drive on a public road there are a certain set of rules that we are expected to follow, and some of them we see every day on our commute. They are road signs. We have the speed limit sign that tells us what speed we are allowed to travel, and we have other signs that tell us which direction we need to turn to get to a certain destination. Those signs are there, but we must make the decision whether or not we listen to them. The sign might say that we can travel 60 miles per hour, but we need to decide whether or not we are going to obey it.
Whatever it is that you allow yourself to obey, that is what you serve. It really is like the cartoons in which a little devil sits on one shoulder and an angel sits on the other. This illustration represents the struggle and war the goes on in the mind of each person. To turn right, or to turn left. To do something or to not. To do right, or to do wrong. To obey Christ, or to obey the devil. Whichever decision that someone makes is what they obey. They are a servant to whatever they obey.
A servant, as defined in the dictionary, is someone who performs the duties for another. It is also similar to what a disciple is, which is someone who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another.
Romans 6:16-23 “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Paul explained that before we become servants of Christ, we are all servants of sin. We all do what we want, live how we want, regardless of whether it is what Jesus taught or not. There are many things that may not be “wrong” according to the world, but according to the teachings of God’s Word they are, and it is between these two decisions that each person needs to choose from. Who are you going to be a servant to?
With either decision that is chosen, each has its own reward, although the “reward” for the choice to obey sin is in fact a punishment of death. Knowing this, why would someone choose to obey sin instead of obeying the teachings of Christ? But that is the choice that each person has to make.
Have you ever watched a video of a captured animal being released back into the wild? As soon as the door of whatever cage they are in is opened, nearly immediately that animal shoots out as fast as it can and runs back to freedom. They could choose to sit in the cage I guess, but I don’t believe that I have ever heard about that happening. They all want to be freed from that captivity. Just like a ball and chain on a prisoner. Given a choice of having that chained to their ankle and being freed from it, I don’t know anyone who would want to be under that kind of burden. We all want to be free.
We can have freedom from our sins, but we need to make the choice to serve Christ, and not sin. I want to receive eternal life, don’t you? I want to be freed from the clutch of sin the weighs us down, don’t you? We should all look to the lives that the apostles of the Lord lived, and model ourselves after them.
John 8:31-36 “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.
If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”
Are you a servant of Christ? Are you obeying the commands of the Lord?
In Christ,
Andrew
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