Ignorant Slaves

John 8:33-34 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. 

How ignorant these Jews were about how enslaved they really were. They claimed to be free, while in the midst of being oppressed by the Romans. They also neglected to admit that in the past Israel had been under the oppression of other nations because of their sins and rebellion against God. Here, they failed to see that they were not only enslaved physically, but they were also spiritually enslaved to sin and the Law. The church today is no different. Far too many Christians are blind to their own sins, but like these religious men, are always ready to cast the first stone at others for their sins. Jesus warned us about removing the plank from our own eye, before attempting to remove the splinter from someone else's eye. Sadly, this same attitude is seen even amongst Christian leaders. The Pharisees held on to the fact that they were descendants of Abraham, and that they had the Law, and held that to higher esteem than the spiritual truth and true freedom Jesus was offering. Part of the problem that has created this mindset is that too many Christians have categorized sins from "not so bad" to "bad" to "worse" to "unacceptable". Therefore, it is fine to condemn people for the "unacceptable" sins, such as rape, adultery, and murder, but we can give a pass to the "not so bad" sins of gluttony, gossip, and causing division; just to name a few. The bottom line is that our religiosity will not set us free. Our church attendance, or ability to memorize and quote Scripture, will not set us free. True freedom comes from Jesus, and Him alone. There are far too many of us who are walking around like we are free, and do not realize that we are actually still enslaved to our own hypocrisy and sins. We have chosen to become ignorant slaves.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).