We are a slave to something no matter what. Whether that is a slave to sin and selfish desire or a slave to good. Do we choose to belong to the devil who rules the world or God who rules eternity from Heaven? One master wants to do us harm and destroy the world at our detriment, the other wants to adopt us into His family of love and rescue us from the nature of man which is sin. The problem exist because the word slave has an evil taboo attached that points to abuse and misery. That is true when the slave master is evil but not so when the master is loving. Submitting to an evil person is dangerous, harmful, and painful. Submitting to a loving authority give us peace and allows for flourishing. We often see the word slave (dulos) in scripture replaced with the word servant or bond servant to avoid the bad connotations that have attached themselves to slavery in its evil history. The greed of man to become godlike by controlling other humans keeps us from seeing submission as beneficial. Jesus talks about no longer being slaves but friends and then siblings to Him. He is the firstborn among many brethren. This relationship develops with trust. We see this as the Apostles walk with Christ learning to trust Jesus and showing that they can in turn be trusted. We can use the slave analogy to expand this. If a loving master has a slave and he gives the slave freedom, the slave has the choice to run away or stay and return the masters love in obedience. When the master sees this loving obedience he give the slave more responsibility and more freedom. When the slave honors the additional freedom, even more is given. The end result is trust and a place in the master’s family watching over and guiding his family. Don’t let the word slave drive you away from the relationship the loving master calls you to. See the obedience he asks of you as a blessing of rescue, provision, protection, and ultimately adoption into His family. See slavery through the loving eyes of a protective and graceful God and not the ugly version man has developed over history. Submit to your Heavenly Father who purchased your freedom with the blood and suffering of His Son. Draw closer to God in submission and away from the world and it’s deceit.
1 Corinthians 6:19–20: “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.”
1 Corinthians 7:22: “For whoever is called in the Lord as a slave is a freedman belonging to the Lord. Likewise whoever is free is [the Lord’s / Christ’s] slave.”
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