Romans 6.18-21 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.
A precious saint said to me before our mid-week service these words. “slaves who love their chains will never be free.” Those words have been echoing in my mind now for the past couple of days.
Read the quote again. Read it prayerfully. Those chains can be sinful attitudes. Sinful behavior. Sinful acquaintances. Sinful speech. When I love any of those chains, I am no longer walking in the freedom of Christ. For of whom a man is overcome, of the same thing they are held in bondage.
We could paraphrase that quote this way. “Slaves who love their flesh, will never be free.” What are some of the chains, or flesh that the bible speaks of? Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings (Gal 5.19-21).
Bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice (Eph 4.31). All of these things are chains that keep us in bondage.
Here is the tail end of the section of forgiveness. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses (Matt 18.30-35).
The refusal to forgive is a chain that keeps us in bondage. Jesus died to set us free from those chains. But the choice to stay in bondage or be free is up to you.
