You Are Not A Slave

Israel is not a slave; he was not born into slavery. Why then do his enemies hunt him down? They have roared at him like lions; they have made his land a desert, and his towns lie in ruins, completely abandoned ~ Jeremiah 2:14-15 GNT

So then, you are no longer a slave but a child. And since you are his child, God will give you all that he has for his children ~ Galatians 4:6-7 GNT

In one of his teachings here on earth, Jesus gave a parable of the prodigal son as recorded in the book of Luke 15:11-24. This young man, who was the youngest child of his father, decided to exercise his right as a son. He went to his father and asked for his share of the inheritance. His father didn’t object; he divided his property between his two sons. The younger one sold his share and left home with the money. He went to a far-off country, wasted his money on reckless living, and spent everything he had. He was left with nothing – not even anything to sustain himself. He begun working – something he was not doing in his father’s house – just to get something to eat.

A closer look at this story, and you will realize that it is a perfect example of robbery without violence. This young man was robbed of his inheritance by the world and was left alone to deal with his situation the best way he knew how. He was not supposed to struggle or work to feed himself, yet he found himself in the exact position. The enemy took everything away from him, including his privileges and rights as a son, but he consented to it. This happened because he submitted to the world and surrendered his inheritance to it, and when it was all gone, he began to suffer. He suffered so much until he could not take it anymore and remembered that he had a father. He made up his mind to return to him, repent and beg him to take him in, at least as a slave. But this is what happened;

And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate ~ Luke 15:20-24 ESV

This man did not count his son’s sins or losses. Instead, he accepted him wholeheartedly, forgave, and restored him back to his original position – that of a son. Not only that, he ordered a ring to be put on his finger, and sandals on his feet. A ring in ancient times was a symbol of authority, while sandals on his feet indicated rest. Any person wearing sandals means that he or she is relaxing or resting and I believe that he wasn’t wearing like this while taking care of the pigs. In his father’s house, he found rest.

The prodigal son was in his rightful position until he desired something more – independence. In his pursuit for independence, he lost his rights as a son and became a slave. This ushered him to a life of toiling, struggling, and suffering. One of the most profound things we all need to understand is that once we break out from God and declare independence, we become slaves. In the book of Jeremiah 2:9-13, God is stating His case against His people for turning away from Him and choosing to follow other gods. This is why He says in the scripture I have quoted at the beginning that Israel was not born into slavery and that he is not a slave. The only reason why his enemies were after him was because he had departed away from God. Watch this;

Have you not brought this upon yourself by forsaking the Lord your God, when he led you in the way? And now what do you gain by going to Egypt to drink the waters of the Nile? Or what do you gain by going to Assyria to drink the waters of the Euphrates? Your evil will chastise you, and your apostasy will reprove you. Know and see that it is evil and bitter for you to forsake the Lord your God; the fear of me is not in you, declares the Lord God of hosts ~ Jeremiah 2:17-19 ESV

Yet despite what we have done or how far we have gone from God, He is offering us a chance to return to Him. This means that all hope is not lost and that there is room for freedom. Isaac told his son Esau;

“…you shall serve your brother; and it shall come to pass, when you become restless, that you shall break his yoke from your neck.”

Just like the prodigal son got tired and returned to his father’s house, we also need to get tired and return to our Father. Jesus, in the book of Matthew 11:28, is inviting us to take rest in Him, while God declares in Isaiah:

I spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices ~ Isaiah 65:2 ESV

Even though we have gone astray, our Father eagerly awaits our return. He doesn’t hold our sins against us. He is always ready to forgive us, take us in, and restore us back to our rightful positions. This is only possible through Jesus Christ.

… If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved ~ Romans 10:9 ESV

In Christ Jesus, we are no longer slaves, but sons and are entitled to enjoy all the privileges of a son.

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God ~ Galatians 4:6-7 ESV