WHO DO YOU LISTEN TO AND OBEY

PROCLAMATION

“Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey; whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?”  Romans 6:16 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the believers in Rome.  His point here was that believers should be dead to sin and alive in Christ. (Romans 6:11)  He said that every man is the servant of the master to whose commands he yields himself to. (Romans 6:16)  He ends this chapter by saying that the result of sin is death, temporal, spiritual, and eternal, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ. (Romans 6:21-23)

 

APPLICATION

If we frequently give in to sin, then we are slaves of the devil.  However, if we frequently obey The Word of God, then we belong to Him.  If we love The Lord God, then we will keep His commandments. (John 14:15)  Believers are not perfect, we are ashamed of the times when we used to sin and when we slip and fall back into it. (Romans 6:21)  We should not use our bodies as instruments of unrighteousness and sin.  We should be instruments of righteousness, doing those things which are pleasing to The Lord and that give Him glory. (Romans 6:13 and 12:1)

 

FREEDOM FOR THE SLAVES

FREEDOM FOR THE SLAVES

PROCLAMATION

“Every seventh year each of you must free any fellow Hebrews who have sold themselves to you.  After they have served you for six years, you must let them go free. …”  Jeremiah 34:14 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These are the words of The Lord God which were spoken to the prophet Jeremiah and proclaimed to the people of Judah.  While Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his army were attacking Jerusalem and Judah, The Lord God spoke to Jeremiah and again told him to go to Zedekiah king of Judah and tell him that the city would fall and be captured and burned. (Jeremiah 34:1-3)  Then the word came to Jeremiah that everyone was to free their Hebrew slaves. (Jeremiah 34:8-10)  They did, but afterwards they changed their minds and took the slaves back and enslaved them again. (Jeremiah 34:11)  The Lord spoke to Jeremiah and said that He made a covenant with their ancestors when He brought them out of Egypt, that every seventh year, the sabbatical year, they would free any Hebrew slaves. (Jeremiah 34:12-16)  Because they went back on their word, He was going to punish them. (Jeremiah 34:17-22)

APPLICATION

Slavery and indentured servitude have for the most part been eliminated.  The Emancipation Proclamation, which was sign by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, freed the slaves in America.  Although the slaves in Texas did not find out about it until June 19, 1865, “Juneteenth”, and “freedom” did not really occur until Congress passed and ratified the 15^th Amendment in 1870.  However, a loophole in that amendment allowed for “slavery” in the form of incarceration.  All believers, those who have undergone circumcision of the heart, need to understand that, just as in days of old, those who enslave us today will be punished.  Biblically, indentured servitude, work without pay, was not intended to last for a lifetime.  Some employees get paid so little that they feel like indentured servants and those employers will have to give an account. (Ephesians 6:9 and Colossians 4:1)  So, pray for those who are holding you down or back.  We all should be helping each other to achieve and accomplish more and not trying to limit or restrict each other.  We should help one another to become the best person that they can be and not use people for our personal gain.  Pray for each other because we all have something that we are a slave to and need to be free from.

WHOSE WORD DO YOU LISTEN TO AND OBEY

Proclamation:

“Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey; whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?”  Romans 6:16 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the believers in Rome.  His point was that believers should be dead to sin and alive in Christ. (Romans 6:11)  He said that every man is the servant of the master to whose commands he yields himself to.  He ends this chapter by saying that the result of sin is death, temporal, spiritual, and eternal, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ. (Romans 6:23)

Application:

If we frequently give in to sin, then we are slaves of the devil.  However, if we frequently obey The Word of God, then we belong to Him.  If we love Him then we will keep His commandments. (John 14:15)  Believers are not perfect, they are ashamed of the times when they used to sin and when they slip and fall back into it. (Romans 6:21)  We should not be using our bodies as instruments of unrighteousness and sin, but we should be instruments of righteousness doing that which is pleasing to The Lord and giving  Him glory.(Romans 6:13 and 12:1)