From Servant to Son

From Servant to Son

1 Cor 7:22-23 For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant. 23 Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.

Gal 4:3-9 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: 4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. 8 Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. 9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?

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Bring up the subject of slavery and servants and we tend to think of the Civil War, when white plantation owners made slaves out of many African people to harvest vast cotton crops and tobacco crops. But slavery is much older than just a few hundred years ago, in fact it goes back to the time that men began to rule each other. God used slavery as a form of punishment for idol worship, as we see from the children of Israel being enslaved in Egypt and the Egyptians then themselves becoming slaves. Slavery as we think of it is a horrible thing, but I would like to teach you a Biblical view of slavery and servanthood. In our minds there is a vast difference between a slave and a servant, but in the Bible the terms mean the same thing. That is, in Israel a slave and a servant were one and the same.

It was never in God's perfect plan for men to be slaves. God performed the first marriage ceremony in the Garden of Eden and thus instituted the concept of one man and one wife exchanging vows together and unto God. God created Adam first and then Eve as an helpmeet thus establishing forever that man should be the spiritual leader of the home and the woman the helper. God commanded Abraham that he was to be circumcized as a sign of their covenant and thus God instituted the concept that His chosen people would be different. When God killed the animals to make Adam and Eve the coats to cover their nakedness, God ordained that it would take innocent blood to forgive and cover sins. God sanctioned marriage but did not create divorce, that was man's creation. But because divorce existed we find that God gave laws to govern it. Likewise God nowhere ordained slavery, but since it existed when Moses was given the Law, God gave instructions concerning slavery and servants.

Under the Law their were slightly different rules concerning slaves and servants who were Jewish and slaves and servants that were Gentiles. Today, we will be more interested in the rules for the Gentiles, but to show you the importance of what I am teaching you, I will quickly go through the laws concerning the Jewish servants.

If you were Jewish and you were a slave, then you became a slave by one of four ways.

1. You chose to sell yourself. Maybe you went bankrupt; maybe your debts were so much that you could not pay them. Or perhaps you had no other way to make a living but to sell your services for a price.

2. You were a convicted thief. Under the Law anyone convicted of robbery had to pay the stolen amount back at least double of what it was worth and sometimes even 5 times more. That is, if you stole $1000, then you were required to pay back an amount between $2000 and $5000! If you did not have the money, then you had to sell yourself into servanthood and pay the money back that way.

3. You were born into a family of slaves. If your dad and mother were slaves, then that made you a slave.

A Jewish person who was a slave only had to work for 6 years and then was freed upon the seventh year. Also after 49 years (7x7), the Year of Jubilee, the 50th year was celebrated and all Jewish slaves were automatically set free and given a gift of food and cattle! Upon the seventh year, or the Year of Jubilee, however, if the slave loved his master and wished to stay on permanently, then he could choose to do so. To mark him as a "love slave," the master would then take the servant to his door and in the presence of the elders of the city, would drive an awl through his ear, piercing his ear. This piercing forever marked him as a servant to that particular master! (Exodus 21:6 Deut 15:17) It was to this that the Apostle Paul referred when he called himself a "bond servant." When Paul looked at his conversion experience and how that he was different, he considered it to be a mark of his being a "love slave" to Jesus Christ. When he looked at the stripes on his back or the permanent scars where he had been chained up for preaching the Gospel, Paul considered those the marks in his flesh that signified that he was but a devoted servant to God!

Phile 1:9 Yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.

The greatest Apostle that ever lived, considered himself but a prisoner to Jesus Christ! When he realized everything that Jesus Christ had done for him, he realized that although he had the freedom to walk away from Jesus, he could never do so, for he was bound by life by love for his Master! In our text, Paul reminded the Corinthian church, Ye were bought with a price. It wasn't silver and gold that purchased us, but the precious blood of Jesus! When you realize the awful price that it took to purchase you, even though you have the ability to walk away from God, then how could you? We need the attitude of Paul: I can never walk away from Jesus, I am forever bound a love slave, and it wasn't the blood on a doorpost shed from an ear pierced by an awl that bound us, but the blood that was shed from a hand being nailed to a tree, which when it was applied to our lives by obeying the Gospel and being baptized in His name, we became a love slave to Jesus Christ. How could I walk away when I realize the price paid to purchase me?

1 Pet 1:18-19 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

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Let me show you how the rules of the Jewish slaves applies to the Jewish people as a whole. The Jewish people are slaves to sin and slaves to this World. Over 70% of Israel does not currently believe in any god! The majority of Jewish people that do currently believe in a God, are still trying to live under the Law and do not accept Jesus Christ as the Messiah, Jehovah God come in flesh. The Jewish people became slaves to sin and this world by the same three ways: 1. They chose to sell themselves. Open your Old Testament and read how many times they chose to serve an idol or to worship false gods rather than the true living God. 2. They owed a debt that they could not pay. They refused to accept Jesus Christ as their Messiah, not realizing that the Lamb sacrifice at the Day of Atonment that they were offering every year, only rolled their sins ahead and could only be erased by the perfect Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. When they rejected Jesus as the Messiah, God said, "alright, you've got to pay the price for sin for yourselves." 3. They were then born into a family of slaves. The Jewish people alive today are slaves to sin because of their parent's decisions. But there could be freedom, if they would just

apply the blood of Jesus by obeying the Gospel of Jesus Christ through Dying in Repentance, Being buried by being baptized in Jesus' name, and arising to a new life by receiving the Holy Ghost!

But the Jewish people are only bound for a short time, because after the Rapture of the Church, and after the wrath of God is poured out, Jesus Christ will descend and the Scriptures say that they will "look upon him whom they pierced," and "all of Israel will be saved." That is why the Hebrew slaves were automatically released at the year of the Jubilee, because it will be with the Nation of Israel in the future, they will be saved at their "year of Jubilee" at Jesus Christ's second coming! God has not forsaken his people! They may be slaves to sin right now, but they will be freed, at least the 1/3 that aren't killed in the wrath of God.

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If the rules for the Hebrew slaves, then teach us about the nation of Israel's salvation, then obviously the rules for the Gentiles slaves teach us about OUR salvation. There was a difference between Hebrew servants and Gentile servants and there is still a difference. To my knowledge, I am preaching to Gentiles and not one of us is physically Jewish. So you probably don't get too excited about me preaching about the Jews being saved. Let's quickly look at the Gentile slaves:

Gentile slaves were that way because they were either sold into slavery, or born into a family of slaves. When Adam and Eve, ate that fruit, they sold mankind into slavery of sin. When God promised Abraham, that he would form a chosen nation out of his loins, Israel and the Jews were born. You and I can unfortunately trace our lineage right back to Adam. The Bible emphatically declares that by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin, so that all have sinned! Adam sold himself into slavery, and you I were born slaves to sin. That's why you grew up with a fleshly nature. That's why it seems natural to do wrong. That's why you have to fight that old man daily, you were born a servant to sin.

There were four ways that a Gentile slave could be freed: 1. Redemption. That is somebody paid their purchase price for them. Exodus 21:32 teaches us that the value of a slave was 30 pieces of silver! Sound familiar? That's the exact price for which Judas betrayed Jesus Christ! Jesus was betrayed at the cost of a slave! When Jesus Christ was hanging on that cross, he was REDEEMING mankind! What you owed for your sin was to die, for the wages of sin are death, so Jesus Christ was willing to become a slave to your sin and die for them, in order to purchase your freedom! The Cost of Freedom was His blood! He redeemed us!

Gal 3:13-14 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

2. The second way a Gentile slave could be freed was to be given a bill or ticket of freedom. In other words, if your Master was willing to forgive you your debt, he could give you a clean slate! Jesus Christ did exactly that for us as well: If you repent of your sins, he is faithful to forgive them. No matter what you've done, Jesus is willing to give you a clean slate today, if you'll truly repent and turn from your sins! Our God is a forgiving God today! He is merciful and willing to give you a ticket of freedom today!

Col 2:12-14 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

3. The third way a Gentile slave could be freed was to receive a testamentary disposition. This was a written document from the Master containing instructions, which if followed, would result in the slaves freedom. {Make up physical example?} Jesus Christ did that as well for us: He not only purchased us, and is willing to forgive us, but He left us His written Word, which contains instructions that IF they are followed, will result in our complete freedom!

John 8:31-32 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

When you obey scripture, you are obeying the testamentary disposition of the Master and that will result in your freedom! It's more than just a good book, it is the very words of eternal life. Whatever part of my life that I need freedom in, I can get it by simply obeying the Word of God that applies. From Eternal Salvation, to peace in my family, to business decisions, it's all in the Word of God!

4. The fourth way a Gentile slave could be freed was by an act that implied freedom such as if the Master adopted the slave as a son and made him an heir to the inheritance! If you became an adopted son, then you automatically were freed and treated as a real son of the Master.

Rom 8:14-17 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Those who are led by the Spirit of God, become the sons of God! When you receive the Holy Ghost, it is a "spirit of adoption!" That was the reason that Jesus sent His Spirit to His disciples, to complete the adoption process! All four ways that a Gentile slave could be set free, Jesus provided for us! He covered all the bases, and you should also! Even though you were born a servant to sin, you can become a son of God!

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I am not the first minister to preach this sermon. Paul worded it beautifully in a letter to the GENTILES in Galatia and hopefully you will now understand the scripture a little better:

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{Adlib the story of the prodigal son and how that he was a son but decided to go into a far country. Show how that the story can represent Jewish and Gentile people. Emphasize that the son was still the man's son while he was away but was spending his inheritance: the only blessing he would ever know as long as he chose to remain outside the Father's bosom.}

Luke 15:11-13 And he said, A certain man had two sons: 12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. 13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

When a person who is a child of God decides to return to sin, he is wasting his inheritance. God had a tremendous inheritance in store for him but by sinning he is tasting the only living that he will ever know!

{End with the Father waiting for Him patiently on the start of the road. The Father didn't follow him down the road, but was waiting at the point where the son got off course. Emphasize the fact that the older brother got jealous. Apply it to Israel when they are saved at their second chance and then see the wonderment of the church!}

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John 1:10-13 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Probably not one person in here would deny that Jesus Christ was God and would refuse to believe that Jesus Christ was more than just a prophet or an angel but paid an awful price for sin by dying on the cross. Probably all of us in here believe that Jesus rose from the dead and was resurrected in a glorified body. Probably all of us believe that He is coming back again for the church, His bride. Probably all of us would say that we trust in Jesus and love Him and the story of His life. We have not rejected Him, we have received Him. And so to us who believe the message, who believe the story, that believe the Scripture is God's Holy Word, God has GIVEN US THE POWER TO BECOME SONS OF GOD!

We have to act upon the steps. {Adlib salvation} We must also choose to not spend and waste our inheritance.

2 Pet 2:20-22 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

Why is the latter end worse than the beginning? Because it's not a servant of sin going to eternal damnation, but a son of God!