A DANGEROUS PLACE

Slavery is an unpopular word but there was a time in history when it was the norm and a matter of public discourse the same way poverty and climate change dominate in our time.

Jesus in John 8:35a made a profound statement, though, it is an analogy it speaks a lot on our state today as it did for the people listening to Him inside the temple. Jesus says”And the servant abideth not in the house for ever…” KJV.

A servant (slave) to a large extent, share so much in a house that some even graduate to become a member of the house. They share the same roof with the children, eat the same meals (after all, they make the meals), some like Joseph was in the house of Potipher become so trustworthy that the management of the house/farm/business is turned over to them to management but they “they abideth not in the house forever”- whatever they end up becoming. Expressed in other words, “they share no inheritance with the children”.

So many of us are slaves in the house of God, yes, we eat the crumbs that  fall from the children’s table, we enjoy the same covering they enjoy, the same grace, some favours, sometimes the freedom we enjoy in the house is more than those of the children but we are still not His children.

This is a dangerous place to be. These benefits that accrue by virtue of association can mislead us to think that perhaps we don’t need to be as obedient as we should, as holy as we should, as consecrated as we should, and so on afterall, we are enjoying what the children are enjoying.

It is called costly assumption or self deceit and without listening as Jesus admonishes us right now to whom the fullest of time has come, we will end up as slaves end up….OUTSIDE THE INHERITANCE OF THE CHILDREN.

Why? Jesus make us know that “Not everyone who calls me 'Lord, Lord' will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only those who do what my Father in heaven wants them to do.”Matt 7:21 (GNB)

Let us examine ourselves once again to see whether we are in Christ. It is not a matter of the benefits of sonship that we enjoy or how much use we are of God but it’s all about WHOSE WILL WE ARE DOING. Matt 7:22 (GNB)

The place of Slaves enjoying the status of sons is the most dangerous place. May you not be found there and may I not be found there in Jesus name. Amen