My Chains are Gone

“For the one who was a slave when called to faith in the Lord is the Lord’s freed person; similarly, the one who was free when called is Christ’s slave.” 1 Corinthians 7:22

Ponder the difference between a bondservant and a son.  A bondservant willingly stays with his master as a slave but does not automatically share in the inheritance.  A son not only shares in the inheritance but is free! “If the Son (Jesus) therefore shall make you free you shall be free indeed!” John 8:36.   It is a free will offering of oneself, a surrender to the Lord that allows God to adopt you as His child.   The chains of bondage are broken from your previous owner, sin.  Now, when we fall prey to sin there is immediate forgiveness and no condemnation and no power to control us except what we allow.  In turn, the master (God) is in charge of the bondservant’s well being, how much more his adopted child? This comes in the form of conviction, restoration, forgiveness, grace, mercy, joy, in short, abundant love.  Oswald Chambers writes in My Utmost for His Highest, “The passion of Christianity comes from deliberately signing away my own rights and becoming a bondservant of Jesus Christ. Until I do that, I will not begin to be a saint.”  

A dear friend of mine puts it this way, “The way up is down.” 

However, sanctification means that God will change you from the inside out, making the eternal truth of your adoption a reality this side of heaven.  In the Broadway play, My Fair Lady, Eliza is taken from the dirty London streets into the fine home of Professor Higgins who, over time, trains her to be a refined and elegant, english lady.  In order for the transformation to take place Eliza must surrender to the workings of Prof. Higgins, doing all that he asks of her.  This story eventually ends in Higgins loving Eliza but, unlike God, Higgins entered into the challenge out of self interest and pride.  God, however, enters into the process of sanctification motivated by perfect love for his child.  There is no deceit nor any reason to distrust Him.  It is for freedom sake that God has set you free. Therefore, may you be free to surrender to all that Christ set you free to be!