We get to choose! (Deuteronomy 30:19-20).
It all boils down to being a slave of righteousness or a slave of sin—to being a slave of obedience to God or a slave of obedience to Satan. The outcome is either eternal life or eternal death (Romans 3:15-23).
We are a slave of sin if we commit sin (John 8:34). Remember that before becoming a Christian we were all captives of Satan—we did what he wanted us to do (2 Timothy 2:26). We were slaves of sin (Romans 6:17).
But God called us out of Satan’s slavery (Romans 8:2). He revealed the truth, and that made us free (John 8:32). We are “called to liberty” (Galatians 5:13), and it is the truth that enables us to understand God’s “perfect law of liberty” (James 1:25; also: 2:12). It is the truth which sets Christians apart from Satan’s influence (John 17:17).
Now, as Christians, we are “slaves of God” (Romans 6:22). We have been redeemed—our freedom from slavery was bought by the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19; 1 Corinthians 6:20; 7:23).
As slaves, we are called servants of God and Jesus Christ (compare Revelation 1:1; 22:6). That means we are to give our service to them—which understanding is borne out in many of the parables of Jesus, for example, “‘So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, “We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do”’” (Luke 17:10).
There is a very high standard for serving God—and Jesus Christ, as the Servant of God, has set the example for us (compare Matthew 12:18; Acts 3:13, 26; 4:27, 30). The reward for serving God as Jesus Christ did places us in a very special relationship with Him:
“‘No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you’” (John 15:15).
Yet, there is so much more in store for the former slaves of Satan who have been called to become slaves of God—as the apostle John reveals:
“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:1-3).
Whose slaves we are will be reflected in how we live—will it be in righteousness or wickedness? There really is only one right choice to make!
