Test

“They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you.”
2 Peter 2:19 NLT

I’ve mentioned it before, that old Bob Dylan song. The chorus lyrics go like this, 

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed 
You’re gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody.

Peter wrote, “For you are a slave to whatever controls you”. A slave is a servant, but without the opportunity to escape from their bondage. People think that slavery in the 21st Century in Western societies doesn’t exist, but nothing can be further from the truth. In 2021, over 12,000 people held in slavery conditions in the UK were referred to the authorities, but the true number is thought to be much higher and in the region of 130,000. Criminal exploitation is the most common reason but there are others, and people are held in appalling conditions, under the control of cruel and heartless individuals. In Biblical days, slavery was common and an accepted part of society. The Old Testament contains specific teachings about how slaves should be treated. New Testament writings, particularly from Paul, were addressed to slaves and contain some insights into the conditions in which they lived. Ephesians 6:9, “Masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Don’t threaten them; remember, you both have the same Master in heaven, and he has no favourites“. And then there is the letter from Paul to a man called Philemon who owned a slave called Onesimus, who had apparently absconded and ended up known to Paul. The Bible doesn’t specifically condemn slavery but it does provide a blueprint showing how we should treat our fellow human beings, reminding us that we are all God’s creation. Those who violate God’s teachings and principles become vulnerable to His judgement.

The Bible does say much, though, about slavery to sin, and that was what Peter was writing about. Paul wrote, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard“. So slavery to sin is a common affliction of human beings, but it doesn’t need to be. John 8:34-36, “Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free“. The only way that we can escape being a slave to sin is through Jesus. Only He can set us free, and He did that through His death at Calvary. His shed blood will cleanse us from all our sins. 

So the question has to be, what is controlling us? Our natural state is to be a slave to sin. That governs our behaviour, our habits, our likes and dislikes and so on. In our sinful state we know no better; well, that is until we meet Jesus. It has to be said that sin is, or can be, enjoyable, because it panders to our fallen nature. But sinning isn’t God’s way. When we trust Jesus for freeing us from our sins, and instead taking on His righteousness, we become acceptable to God. In his first letter Peter wrote, “For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy“” (1 Peter 1:16). Holiness is a prerequisite for being in God’s presence, and one day we will truly be perfect and holy, and able to be with God in Heaven. The alternative is to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a while before taking up residence in a place where the consequences of sin knows no limits‭‭. There we will find the ultimate sinner, the devil himself.

Peter wrote that false teachers, rather than showing believers the way to eternal life, corrupted the message about Jesus and God’s saving grace, because they themselves had failed to embrace it. Instead they preached a message that continued the same “sin and corruption” that they themselves were experiencing, and were slaves to. We pilgrims know better of course, and we propagate God’s message of forgiveness at every opportunity. We watch out for any message that preaches otherwise. And we regularly ask God the same question that David did in Psalm 139:23-24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” And He will.

Father God. We do ask that question in Your presence today. Please help us to have the courage to face into anything that gets in between us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.