Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | September 20, 2009

Slaves of Righteousness

 
Today’s devotion is Matthew 12:43-45.
 
“43  “Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it.
                                           

 44  “Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order.

 45  “Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.”

Matthew 12:43-45.

Some may wrongfully think:  “If only I could get rid of the bad influences, then I would just be left with the ‘good’ me.”  But, there are two things wrong with such a thinking.  First, we are not built with a vessel to be able to hold a strong vacuum.  We leak, and we absorb.  Second, we are not ‘good’ by ourselves.  Some one is going to be our Master:  either Satan or Jesus Christ.  Notice how Romans 6:17-19 speaks about either being slaves of sin or the slaves of righteousness.  There is no middle ground of “I just want to be me!”

“But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.  I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh.  For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.”  Romans 6:17-19.

We don’t have “free will”.  As Luther wrote, our will is in bondage. 

We need to be set free from sin and death.  Christ alone can and does set us free. 

 

As for you also, because of the blood of My covenant with you, I have set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
Luke 4:18
” THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME,BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR.  HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES,AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED,
Romans 7:24
Wretched man that I am!  Who will set me free from the body of this death?
Romans 8:2
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.
 
But, we also need to filled with the Spirit and walk by the Spirit.  “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.  For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.”  Galatians 5:16-17.
 

“But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, … you became slaves of righteousness.”  

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