Slavery

"For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery."  Galatians 5:1 (ESV)

"But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness."  Romans 6:17-18 (ESV)

"Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."  Matthew 11:30 (ESV)

I remember once hearing a sermon from pastor Tim Keller claiming that we are all slaves to something - be it our own pride, our own desires, our relationships, our material possessions, or our career...  And Paul seems to concur in that description - that before being set free by the blood of Christ, we were all slaves of sin.  What strikes me though is that, after accepting the grace of Jesus Christ, I actually go from being a slave of sin to the freedom of being a slave of righteousness.  It's difficult for me to grasp the concept of being free while at the same time being a slave of righteousness, but then I think about the cost of my freedom - the cost of God humbling Himself to come to earth to redeem me on the cross with His blood and life, and I gradually become more and more accustomed and accepting of my being a slave of righteousness. 

All I know is that I've never felt so free in my life - free to choose what God wants for me, free to love Him and to receive His love, with no guilt and fear.

My friend over at Hammer of Allegri likes to remind me that "heaven is a dictatorship" - a benevolent dictatorship with a deserving king, but a dictatorship nonetheless.

So who/what do you submit to? 

Thank You for the easy yoke and light burden.