Practical:
Free, yet in bondage!
Dr. Joel Albert, Aurangabad
Is it possible to be free yet in bondage at the same time? Can a believer who is free from the penalty of sin be a slave to it? Is a believer who is saved by grace be under the shackles of tradition?
All these questions can be answered by two beautiful passages from the scriptures. In Galatians chapter 5 and Colossians chapter 2, Apostle Paul mentions two broad areas wherein believers can find themselves in bondage though they are free and have liberty through grace. Let us consider an example that we are all familiar with.
‘Tryst with Destiny’
On the eve of India’s independence, 77 years ago, the first prime minister of India, Mr. Jawaharlal Nehru started his speech by uttering the now famous words “Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom.”
Fast forward to the present day, as citizens, not just in India but in any free country in the world, any ordinary citizen may agree with those very famous words uttered by the late prime minister but on a personal level, we can think of at least two types of individuals who would not be able to say that about themselves
Consider a man who has committed a heinous crime and is incarcerated in a prison for his crimes. Of course, he is in a free country but is in bondage because of his sins. Secondly, consider a free citizen who is in deep debt which he is not able to repay. And though he can roam around freely, he is bound by the debt in his life which he cannot pay back. Well, he could pay back his debt but the burden is too much to bear, causing him to suffer mentally and emotionally.
Apostle Paul shares two such conditions in the life of a believer, which is very much a concern in the present day and age. Both these conditions are two extremes but the source and the effects of both are very much similar. They are as follows-
1. Slavery to Sin: A lax attitude
This is one extreme when it comes to the spiritual life of a believer. Many of us think that if we are free from the penalty of sin and since there is no condemnation on us, we can live as we want. Spiritual freedom or liberty is not like that!
Consider the example that we saw about being citizens of a free country. Yes, we are no longer under an evil master but we have a Lord whom we serve! Just like there are laws, rules and order in a free country, we need to know that we do not live as we please. That would be called anarchy, a condition where everyone does what they want without maintaining any decorum or regard for law and order.
Bondservants
I find it fascinating that many great men of God call themselves bondservants of Christ in the scriptures! They are not slaves but bondservants. Simply put, they are not oppressed into slavery by their master but they wholeheartedly decide to dedicate their lives to serve their good and loving master!
And just like the servant in the Jewish household would voluntarily let his ear be pierced to show his lifelong allegiance to his master, these men of God became bondservants of Christ, dedicating their lives to His service.
What they did not choose is to be slaves of sin. Now this is something that we need to know very clearly. A person who is a slave to sin does not realize that he is in slavery. They may feel that they are free to do what they please but before they realize it, they find their lives controlled by that sin and its effects. The later verses of Galatians 5 mention the clear contrast in being controlled by our flesh vs being led by the Spirit!
Flesh Dictates
Sadly many Christians let their fleshly desires get the better of them. One of the most common issues in the life of a modern-day Christian is not realizing or accepting that we are letting our flesh dictate us.
Secret sins, immoral relationships, rebellion against authority, different standards in the assembly and different social circles, and the list goes on and on. Before mentioning the works of the flesh and the fruit of the spirit, Paul very specifically mentions to use our liberty to serve one another.
He stresses the importance of brotherly love because where there is flesh and sin, Christian love will never flourish. For a believer, the reins should always be in the Lord’s hands. He leads us in the right way.
However, when we look into the initial verses of Gal 5, Paul mentions a yoke of bondage! He was speaking here about the Judaizers who claimed that, to be saved, adherence to Mosaic Law was also necessary. It is the other extreme which can be understood as follows -
2. The Shackles of Religion: A legalistic attitude
This may sound odd to a devout believer but careful consideration of the scriptures will make us understand that the Lord wants us to live our Christian lives based on truth instead of traditions, sound doctrine instead of dogmas set by men and to follow the will of God and not works of piety.
Scripture Alone
Simply put, our lives are supposed to be led by the leading of the Lord through the scriptures that he has breathed his breath into (2 Tim 3:16-17). No other edict of men, an organization or a separate rulebook is supposed to be considered by a Christian as the will and word of God.
Additionally, many of us think that going regularly to meetings and tithing is all we need to do to be good Christians. We pay more attention to the physical aspects than the spiritual. What would be the use of going to every single meeting without applying the word mentioned in it? What would be the use of giving a small percentage of what we have for the sake of the Lord without giving ourselves and our time to the Lord first?
The issue that Paul deals with is somewhat very similar. People are so busy crossing their t’s and dotting their i’s, so to speak, that they forget the spiritual significance of everything that they do!
It is necessary to remember the 5 ‘solas’ of evangelical Christianity:
- sola scriptura (Scripture alone)
- solus Christus (Christ alone)
- sola fide (faith alone)
- sola gratia (grace alone)
- soli Deo gloria (glory to God alone).
Anything else would shackle us to legalism thereby making us lose the joy of Christian living.
True Servants of Christ
The Christian life was never supposed to be a religion full of dogmas. It was and always will be the one true way of life based on the foundation of the word of God alone! We mustn’t bind ourselves in the shackles of religion but instead, take the yoke of the Lord which is light!
We will not be bound to traditions but instead dedicated to the ministry of the Lord. He is a Master who not only provides for the needs of His servants but He bears and shares their burdens, and rewards them for the little that they do for Him!
May the Lord help us to stay away from the bondage of a lax or a legalistic attitude, to understand the true meaning of freedom and liberty in Christ to serve Him in His field and vineyard. G&P
