Slavery

Greetings in the name of Jesus! This is Rob Haymes. This is 15 Minutes With Jesus. Wherever two or three are gathered together in My name, Jesus said, there am I in the midst of them. To those of you who love Him in truth: mercy unto you and peace and love be multiplied. (Jude 1:2)

Thank you Heavenly Father; thank you for this day. We praise you; we bless your holy Name! Thank you Lord God, Amen. 

Today we’re going to talk about slavery. Let’s turn to Mat 7:12, Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

1 Cor 7:20, Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called. 

Were you called while a slave? Do not be concerned about it; but if you can be made free, rather use it. For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord's freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ's slave. You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. Brethren, let each one remain with God in that state in which he was called. 1 Pet 2:18, Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. Col 3:22, Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality. Chapter 4, verse 1, Masters, give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in Heaven. 

Ok, let’s go to Gen 24:1, Now Abraham was old, well advanced in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. So Abraham said to the oldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had, Please, put your hand under my thigh, and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of Heaven and the God of the Earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell; but you shall go to my country and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac. Verse 9,  So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter. Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and departed, for all his master's goods were in his hand. And he arose and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. And he made his camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water. Then he said, O Lord God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. Behold, here I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, Please let down your pitcher that I may drink, and she says, Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink—let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master. And it happened, exactly as he prayed. Verse 18, So she said, Drink, my lord. Then she quickly let her pitcher down to her hand, and gave him a drink. And when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking. Verse 26, Then the man bowed down his head and worshiped the Lord, and he said, Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His mercy and His truth toward my master. As for me, being on the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master's brethren. The man’s heart was toward his master Abraham, and he bowed down and worshipped God for leading him to the right woman. It does not say, but you can tell that this man was well taken care of by Abraham. He trusted him with all his goods, and to do this work, with the Lord’s help, to find a wife for his son Isaac. This man worshipped God; he had a right heart toward God and his master Abraham. Abraham was God’s servant.

We are servants of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is our Lord and Master. He bought us with His own Blood and the sacrifice of His own flesh, through His love and the Father’s love for us. He loves us and He cares for us. We love Him because He first loved us. We love Him and we keep His commandments. Jesus said, If you love Me, keep My commandments. We are Jesus’ slaves; He bought us; He owns us. If we will not deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him, as He commanded; if we want to do, rather, our own will, and rebel against Him, we will not be spared from His judgment, unless we repent. He came as a servant to us: in Luke 22:27, Jesus said to His disciples, For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves. In John chapter 13, Jesus washed His disciples’ feet; in verse 12 Jesus said to them, Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Master and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. 

Rom 6:16, Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

We read in Col 4:1, Masters, give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in Heaven. If you are a Christian, and you have servants, you are commanded by God, your Master, to treat them fairly and justly; to do unto them as you would have them do unto you. You are commanded by your Master to love them and do them good as you have opportunity. As you obey God in this, He will bless you and your business. You can clearly see how He blessed Abraham, and his servants were blessed. Abraham’s oldest servant had charge over all his goods. When Boaz, the great grandfather of King David, came to his fields in the morning, he blessed his servants, and they blessed him. He was also very kind to Ruth, the daughter in law of Naomi, his relative, when she came to work in his fields. He was a blessed man of God.

The African slave trade, in Europe and America, in the 1700’s and 1800’s, was not so at all. Driven by greed and the lust for riches, the masters, even several of our American forefathers, badly mistreated the slaves they owned. Their living conditions and daily provisions were often cruelly lacking, yet they demanded of them consistent hard labor. Some were more compassionate than others, and some ended up opposing slavery and freeing their own slaves. This was an evil mindset and practice that was a major part of the American economy at that time, and it has brought much evil upon many people over the years, long after slavery was abolished in this country.

If you are a black person in this country, and your ancestors were slaves, I urge you to ask God for His grace to help you to forgive their masters who so cruelly abused them. Unforgiveness and bitter resentment are cruel masters and you need to be free from them and their effect on your life. Jesus said, Forgive and you shall be forgiven. He also said, If you won’t forgive, your Father in Heaven will not forgive you, and He will turn you over to the tormentors. I can truly understand, after learning how many slaves were treated, that it is hard to consider this. That’s why you need God’s mercy and grace to help you forgive those cruel masters. I read an account by John Newton, the author of Amazing Grace, who was a captain of a slave ship before he was converted to Christ, of the African slave trade, and it was truly horrific to learn how the slaves were treated. Also I was shocked to learn of how my white forefathers, the founders of our nation, treated their own slaves. So this was a great evil perpetrated against your people, and you must ask God to help you to forgive, so that you yourself can be freed from bitterness and unforgiveness that you may have in your heart. 

Everyone is a slave. Everyone has a master. Who is your master? If you are a Christian, you are bought with the precious Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, and you are not your own. You belong to Him. He is your Lord and Master, and you serve Him. John 8:31, Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, If you abide in My Word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered Him, We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, You will be made free? Jesus answered them, Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. 

Thank you for reading this message from 15 Minutes With Jesus. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you who love Him in truth, Amen. (2 Cor 13:14)