“Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son ...”
Galatians 4:7
Dearly beloved in Christ,
I greet you in the sweet name of the Lord Jesus Christ. People invariably find themselves in the clutches of various evil habits, practices and traditions which paralyse their lives and are in bondage to them. They shed their tears not knowing what to do. The Lord God has done a wonderful thing for them through His Son Jesus Christ. He wants to make us, who are in bondage, His own children. He wants to accept us as His own children. He wants to transform us into heirs of God Himself. Thus He wants us to enjoy the joy and privileges of His children. He who delivers us from bondage is still alive. We read: “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:36). This life of freedom comes through Jesus Christ. He delivers us from bondage and gives us a life of redemption. Because Jesus Christ broke this power of bondage, we become His heirs. Not only that, we have the blessing of becoming His children. There are several kinds of bondage in this world. First let’s see the different kinds of bondage.
TO WHAT ARE WE SLAVES?
1. Fear of Death
“... those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” Hebrews 2:15
There are people who are constantly under the fear of death all through their lives. Fear is terrible. The Bible says: “. . . . fear involves torment” (1 John 4:18). Why this torment? Physical weakness, the anxiety over what would happen in future, worries. Most often this fear results in sufferings, worries and spiritual warfare. These days many are under this bondage. This is considered to be mental illness in society. If you examine their state, you would find it to be disastrous. They would not be able to do anything. When one has this fear of death, the thinking and the entire being of the person change. Once I met a jail officer. He shared with me about his duty and also about the mental state of the prisoners just before they are hanged. It was his duty to carry out the hanging process. At the last moment, a black piece of cloth would be put on his face, his last wish would be recorded, and then he would be hanged by making him stand on a wooden plank with the hanging rope on his neck. As the switch was pressed, the plank would descend and he will hang on the rope. He was later promoted to a higher post from this one. It is said that the person to be hanged would begin to move and do things in an unpredictable manner. The fear of death would make them do anything to escape. The guards would have to be constantly alert to avoid any untoward incidents. The lives of some people are haunted with the fear of death. If there happens to be some delay in children getting back from school, or husband or wife from work, they fear and imagine so many things. They are subject to the fear of death. Some on knowing that the disease they suffer has become severe fear death. Some fear death the moment they hear of their disease. Dear Brother/ Sister, how are you? Are you affected with this fear of death? Fear brings various diseases and torments us. It also brings the thing that we fear. This fear increases sufferings in life. Those who are under this fear of death resort to various courses to find a way out. Very often the very actions they do harm them. Fear makes us do the wrong things. Some com-mit suicide. They do not find a way out. The question of how they would live looms large over them and drives them to end life.
2. Debt
“The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender.” Proverbs 22:7
These days taking loans has been made easy and the number of people leading lives on debt has considerably increased. For each and everything the easy way is to take loans and manage the situation – for studies, medical expenses, wedding expenses, or building houses. This has become so common among people and it becomes a habit with them. No one bestows much thought on its consequences. The Bible assures us: “For the LORD your God will bless you just as He
promised you; you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow; you shall reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over you” (Deut. 15:6). We do not take this assurance seriously. If you believe on it, you would not take loans. The Lord God who calls those which do not exist as if it exists will meet all your needs through His Son Jesus Christ. But most often we consider how we can take loan and from which source. We want things to happen immediately or in a short time. Once we did come through hard times. We had been living on faith for so many years depending on the grace of God and on His guidance. He had never let us down. Yet I was a little disturbed. I made a certain calculation of the amount needed and also informed my family members. It was a huge amount. Yet we had questions of how the Lord would meet it and what we should do. But we were reliant on the Lord alone. He alone blesses us. So I was not depressed. The Lord did a wonderful thing. I went for ministry in a region. Then I received a news from home. We had helped a family by giving them enough money to arrange the marriage of their daughter. She was an engineer and the bridegroom was also an en-gineer. The marriage took place well. They were quite happy. But what happened? The father of the girl passed away in a few months. So they could not repay the money and we also ignored it. But what happened? The payment of salary dues of the father that was delayed for some years was made at the time we were in dire need. In the diary of the father it was recorded that he had to repay money borrowed from me. The mother reading it wanted to do it then. So she called my eldest son and informed him about it. Then I thought: ‘If I had borrowed money, I would have incurred a loss and I would have annulled the promised blessings of the Lord.’ Many a time we borrow money with the intention of doing something in a hurry. The ruler of this world devises easy plans for our needs. There are credit cards for the rich, instalment plans for the middle class and heavy interest for the poor. Recently a sister came to me for help on account of her debt. She went to a bank for a loan with the help of an officer in the bank. She wanted to settle the loan borrowed from an individual. Four and a half years back she had got one lakh rupees from him as loan. The arrangement was that she should settle the amount in one lump sum. Till then she had to pay interest on a monthly basis. But she could not pay the principal as a lump sum. Even though she was paying it regularly, now the interest alone was a large amount. Many do not realize it. The Lord has promised us: “...you shall not borrow ...” Only when we honour the commitment, the Lord will bless us. So when we borrow money the one who lends begins to rule over us and we become his slaves.
1. Elements of the World
“Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world.” Galatians 4:3
We are also in bondage to the elements of the world without knowing that. I have seen some tribal people without any understanding or education who would prostrate and worship the lightning. On hearing thunder they fear that it may come upon them. They are given to such worship. We do not know why we do so many such things. When the Lord God called Abraham, he had to leave all the idols, and all the traditional practices of that place. Even today there are rituals that are carried out at the time of weddings. At times people come around and around a certain thing without knowing why they do it. In some families, at the time of marriages, soon after the wedding the bride and bridegroom come and fall at the feet of their parents. Such practices have become traditions to be honoured. Once a person came to me for prayer. I could discern something wrong in his acts. He used to look at the picture of Jesus Christ that he had in his purse and worship daily in the morning. He had the practice of praying, but there was suffering in his body and in the family. As I enquired about this practice, he admitted that he had this practice for years together. He also removed that picture as I counselled him and then all his problems disappeared. Today we find many such persons being in bondage to traditional practices. Once I had been to the company that produced coffee powder. There was sickness in the family. I told them that they had the practice of worshipping a picture before starting the work in the company. I asked them to remove it. He said that it was the picture of Jesus Christ that was there from the days of his grandfather. I cited the verse: “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). They accepted it half-heartedly and removed it. They did not want to do it with the whole heart. They did not give room for their physical weaknesses that came because of that to leave their bodies Many are so. They do not want to give up the traditional practices. Even in the church worship, if there is a slight change in the order of worship, there are elders who object to it. Dear Brother/ Sister, let us not be subject to such bondages of tradition.
2. Sin
“... whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.” John 8:34
There are people who are in bondage to sin. They do it deliberately. They cannot give them up. Some begin doing some sinful act saying that they would do it just once and then give it up. But it lingers. They think that they can give it up some day. But having yielded to it, it clings to them and dominates or rules over them. With their effort, they cannot shake it off. This is the bondage of sin. I know a young man. He was given to drinking. He was an international footballer. Once he went to drink liquor with his friends. Then it became a habit to celebrate his victories with drinks. But as he became a drunkard, he could not run as he used to. All his efforts and talents became useless. He was denied the excellence due to him by the devil through this evil practice. Today the devil tempts people to do evil. Those who get entangled in his trap, begin to sink in sin as in miry clay. Let us not submit ourselves to the bondage of sin.
3. Lust
“For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient,
deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living
in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.”
Titus 3:3
When people submit themselves to transitory pleasures of this world and lust, worries and agonies fill them. A person should be aware of the bondage he is in. It might be bondage to fear, sin, or the devil. God does not want us to live under bondage. He created us to be his children. He wants to transform us to be Hisheirs.
REASONS FOR BONDAGE
1. Curse
“Then he drank of the wine and was drunk, and became uncovered in his tent.” Gen. 9:21
Noah drank the wine which he did not have till then and was intoxicated. He fell down and was without his clothing. On seeing it, Ham informed his brothers. When Noah regained his senses, he understood what happened and he cursed Ham for what he did. Thus he came under curse.
2. Willingly Submitting to Bondage
“Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you\ obey,
whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?” Romans 6:16
To what are we under bondage? It is all because we ourselves submitted to it. We should examine the things to which we are under bondage. The things to which we submit our physique with the intention of enjoying them keep us in bondage. Because we yield to them, we become slaves to them. So we should be careful not to become slaves of anything. As Mary submitted herself as a “maidservant of the Lord” the Lord fulfilled His promise to her. If we submit ourselves to sin, death or righteousness, we are slaves to that thing. The Bible says: “. . . for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage” (2 Peter 2:19). We face problems
in different aspects of life. If we are defeated spiritually, it is all because of our slavery to the things we have submitted ourselves. We are not able to give up that bondage. This bondage leads to bitterness, and resentment.
3. Love of Money and Hatred
“...so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him
out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for
twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt.”
Gen. 37:28
Joseph was sold by his very brothers because of hatred. Being sold, he becomes a slave.Even today you find persons taken as slaves for money. In our country we have bonded labourers who remain as slaves all through their lives. We see it everywhere. For money and labour they remain slaves. Thus comes bondage in our lives. So let us not remain under bondage any longer, but become children of the Lord God.
HOW TO BE CHILDREN OF GOD?
1. Be a Peacemaker
“Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.” Matt. 5:9
Jesus Christ the Prince of Peace wants not only that we have peace in life but also that we should become ambassadors of peace in the place where we are placed. We find Satan who spoils peace in families act against us. Satan creates dissensions between parents and children, husband and wife, and between in-laws. Thus there are acts of division which spoils peace in the family. Those who make peace are blessed. Jesus Christ said that He would leave behind peace that the world could not give. He gives peace through the teachings of the Bible. Jesus Christ said: “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.” He lives even today. When we become makers of peace through our acts, words, and thought, we are not only blessed but become the children of God.
2. Endure Chastening
”If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?” Hebrews 12:7
To be children of peace we should also endure the chastening of the Lord. As we suffer as God’s children, we are taught several lessons in life. Thereby we learn the statutes of the Lord and are transformed to be His children. We have in us the very attributes of God. Proverbs 3:12 teaches: “For whom the LORD loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights.”
3. Be Led by the Spirit of God
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” Romans 8:1.
The Spirit of the Lord has been poured into us. That loving Spirit daily leads us. As we are led by the Spirit, we are His children. To be transformed into His children, let us plead for the anointing of His Spirit and for His help. Let us ask Him to fill us with His Spirit so that we may not be filled with sufferings
and anguish. As said in Psalm 23, when we receive Jesus Christ as our redeemer, He anoints our heads with His oil and blesses us. As we are His children, let us praise Him. Let us rejoice in His presence in all situations and praise the Lord.
May the Lord bless us!
In the service of Christ Jesus,
Bro. C. Ebenezer Paul.
