Bible Question:
I am still wrestling with the phase "spiritual bondage".I understand bondage to mean enslaved to,or to be a slave of.Is there a scriptual refferance in the bible,and where.thank you for your help |
Bible Answer: Greetings, mellow; Let me offer a different perspective. We are all in bondage to someone or something - Satan, the Law, or Christ. Jesus just gave us a better alternative than the first two. Jesus said "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:29-30) Paul referred to himself as "Paul, a prisoner of [not "for"] Christ Jesus" (Philemon 1:1) This title is consistent with Romans 6:17-19: "But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness." I have heard prisoners (both believers and non-believers) talk about prison as a liberating experience. Prison is only prison if it deprives you of things that matter. The message from these men was that prison freed them from trivial daily concerns - where to sleep, what to eat, when to exercise, and so on. They were then completely free to focus their minds on things that mattered, typically prayer, meditation, study, or writing. So it is with the Christian. Freedom in Christ is not license; it is freedom from the grasp of sin, feedom that allows us to focus on what matters - Jesus. A life of perfect bondage to Christ would be a life of perfect freedom. Alas, I speak only from flawed experience; my own life falls somewhat short. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |