“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:17 ESV)
Christ has set us free to live for Him. We’re no longer slaves to sin. We’ve been bought by Jesus’ blood and set apart to freely serve and obey Him.
Here is an excerpt from my notes of a recent sermon at my home church:
True Christians never take sin lightly because they are no longer slaves of sin but slaves of God and righteousness.
The concept of slavery emphasizes that our freedom in Christ is not to do whatever we want and sin.
When a slave changes masters, he doesn’t stop obeying. He stops obeying his old master and starts obeying his new one.
Everyone is a slave. No one is ever free spiritually in the sense of uninfluenced power to set one’s own course.
You can’t be a slave of God and sin at the same time. It’s impossible.
Christians are commanded and compelled to obey. We must and will obey.
Your either a slave to sin or a slave to God.
Whom do you obey? Whose slave are you?
We are free indeed to serve God, not ourselves or sin.
I also found the following segment from Matthew Henry’s commentary:
2. The condition of those who enjoy and believe the gospel is much more happy. For,
(1.) They have liberty: Where the Spirit of the Lord is, and where he worketh, as he does under the gospel-dispensation, there is liberty (v. 17), freedom from the yoke of the ceremonial law, and from the servitude of corruption; liberty of access to God, and freedom of speech in prayer. The heart is set at liberty, and enlarged, to run the ways of God’s commandments.
“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” (Galatians 5:13 ESV)
“Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.” (1 Peter 2:16 ESV)
Visit The Word Unleashed for more sermons by Pastor Tom Pennington.
[Follow my journey of 30 Days of Bible Lettering here.]
“Free at last! Free at last! Thank God, Almighty, I’m free at last!” 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person