Slaves, Before and After Salvation
(By John McCarty)

  A slave by definition is one bound in servitude to a person or household as an instrument of labor.  One who is submissive to or subject to a specified person or influence! 

  Slaves before salvation

  Romans 6:6-7 "For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin--because anyone who has died has been freed from sin."

  Romans 6:16-18 "Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey--whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?  But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted.  You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness."

  Romans 6:20 "When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness."

  JN 8:34 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin."

    2 Pet 2:19 "They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity--for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him."

It seems to me that the above text references, before being quickened by God from spiritual death to life, we are slaves to our sin nature and Eph. 2:1 tells us that we were dead in trespasses and sin.  Spiritually dead men are only free to serve the master that controls them and it appears their sin nature is their master.  Our will before salvation has a propensity to follow our fallen, sinful nature.  I do not  believe the lost have a free will, except in the sense that they can do whatever sin and Satan allows them to do since they are mastered by both.  "And that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will." (2 Tim 2:26).  It seems the scriptures tell us that the will is in bondage to Satan and to their fallen nature. 

Slaves after Salvation

  Romans 6:22 "But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life."

  Romans 6:6-7 "For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin--because anyone who has died has been freed from sin."

  Peter; James; John; Paul; all admitted to being servants of Jesus Christ.  The word servant in the Greek is a bond slave or one that lives in total dependence upon Christ to meet every need in their lives.

  Christ’s will was in submission to the will of His Father throughout His entire earthly life, as in Luke 22:42, and ours should be in submission to Christ.  As Christians we should be servants and bond slaves to the will of our Father in heaven. 

  Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.  For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. 

  From the scriptures above it seems to me that before salvation ones will is a slave in bondage to its master, which is sin and Satan. After salvation one’s will should be in bondage to its new master, which is the Lord Jesus Christ.  The only freedom we have is when we are in Christ.  We are set free from the heavy yoke of trying to earn our salvation by the keeping of the law to putting on the yoke of Christ. MT 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.  An Ox is the symbol of servant hood or that of a slave.  As slaves our will, should be in submission to its new master.  Our Master is no longer our sin nature, our Master is Jesus Christ and our will should be in submission to His will.  So the question is:  Do we have a free will?  We all have a master…. and our will is a slave to the will of that master.  Our fallen nature is a hard and heavy taskmaster.  It can never be pleased. However when Christ is our Master He gives our lives meaning and worth.  He is a joy to serve for He never takes our service to Him lightly. 

  John 5:30: I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

  MT 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

  MT 12:50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

  LK 22:42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

  MT 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.