Whose slave are you?

People don’t like the word slave and don’t want to be called someone’s slave. But in life, you will be someone’s slave. The question is, whose slave are you? Do you live after the flesh and do you belong to the darkness and are you a slave of the devil and do you listen and obey him? Or do you walk after the Spirit and do you belong to the Light and are you a slave of Jesus Christ and do you listen and obey Jesus Christ?

The allegory of Agar and Sarah

Tell me, you that desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid (slave woman), the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the free woman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.

But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bears not; break forth and cry, thou that travails not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free. Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage (Galatians 4:21-5:1)

Paul gave this allegory of Agar, a bondmaid (slave woman), and her child Ishmael, who was born after the flesh, and of Sarah, a free woman, and her child Isaac, who was born by the promise of God.

This allegory represents the old creation, who is born of the flesh (the old covenant), and the new creation, who is born of the promise, in Jesus Christ, by the Holy Spirit (the new covenant).

Slave of the devil

Before you knew Jesus Christ and before He delivered you from the kingdom of darkness, you were a slave of the devil; a carnal child. You were a slave of your flesh; your body, mind, emotions, feelings, thoughts etc. The flesh ruled as king in your life and you were tossed to and fro by your feelings and emotions.

You were led by your flesh and fulfilled the lusts and desires of your flesh and your carnal mind. Your flesh was in control and you listened to – and obeyed your flesh. You were not free, but you were a slave of your flesh and lived in spiritual bondage of death

The two sons of God

Before the day of Pentecost, before the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, God had two sons on this earth; Adam and Jesus.

The first son Adam was perfectly created after the image of God (Elohim; God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit). However, Adam believed the lie of the devil above the truth of His Father (the commandment of God). Adam did his will instead of doing the will of His Father. Therefore Adam became disobedient to God and sinned (Read also: Are the commandments of God still valid?).

Adam did what God had forbidden Adam to do. Because of his disobedience, Adam (and Eve) became a slave of the devil; slaves of darkness and slaves of the flesh.

I will put enmity between you and the woman, between thy seed and her seed

Their spirit died and they were no longer free. They were carnal and bound by the flesh. Everyone, who would be born of the seed of man, would be born as a slave of the devil; a child of the devil; a sinner.

The second Son Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and was born of the virgin Maria. Jesus came in the flesh, but He was born of the Seed of the Spirit. He was the Son of the promise.

In Genesis 3:15, God promised that His Son would bruise the head of the devil. Jesus would take his authority and power and give it back to the new creation.

And that’s exactly what happened when Jesus died at the cross as a sacrifice for humanity. Jesus took all the iniquities and sins of the world upon Him. Jesus was made sin and therefore Jesus entered Hades legally (Read also: What is the true meaning of the cross?).

In Hades, Jesus took back the keys of death and hell and dethroned the devil, by taking his authority. Jesus rose from the dead and is now seated at the right hand of God (Read also: What did Jesus do in hell?).

Everyone is born a sinner

Every person who is born on this earth is born of the seed of fallen man and is born as a sinner; a slave of sin. There is no one excluded.

Every person is a sinner and remains a sinner until the person repents of his/her sins and turns to Jesus and becomes born again.

Only when a person becomes born again, by the incorruptible Seed of the Spirit, (s)he will no longer be a sinner; a slave of sin; a child of the devil (Read also: Do you always remain a sinner?).

As soon as a person becomes born again, (s)he becomes a slave of Jesus Christ.

The person becomes a new creation; a son of God; born of the promise of the Holy Spirit.

The sons of the flesh

Through the interference of Sarah, Ishmael was fathered after the flesh. Sarah wanted to help God a little bit and offered her bondmaid Agar to Abraham. But God didn’t need her help. Sarah’s deed had consequences for the offspring of Isaac. Because the offspring of the one, who was born after the flesh persecuted the offspring of the one, who was born after the promise.

The sons of Agar represent the sons of the devil; the sons of this world. These sons have the nature of the devil and the spirit of this world within them; the spirit of the antichrist.

They’re sinners; slaves of sin and therefore they live in the bondage of sin. They are controlled and led by the thoughts of their carnal mind and live after the will, lusts, desires, emotions, and feelings of their flesh.

They do those things, which God dislikes and forbade His people to do in the law of the Old Covenant.

They’re just like Adam, who believed the lie of the devil, instead of the truth of God and became disobedient to God’s Word and His commandment.

They think they are free. But in reality, they are slaves of the devil; slaves of their flesh (body and soul). They are controlled by the evil spirits of darkness, who cause them to sin. Because by sinning they give power to the devil.

The sons of the promise

The sons of Sarah, the free woman, are the sons of God; the sons of the Kingdom of Heaven. They are the sons of the promise; the new creation. They’re born again in Jesus Christ in the spirit, by the Seed of the Holy Spirit.

by one man's disobedience many were made sinners

Although they live in the flesh, they are born of the Seed of the Spirit, just like Jesus.

They have become sons of God and have access to the Kingdom of Heaven and to the throne of God.

They are no longer sinners and don’t live under the judgment of the law anymore. Because they have crucified their flesh (their will, ‘self’, feelings, emotions, lusts, desires, etc.) and buried their flesh through baptism in water.

Their spirit has become alive, because their spirit, who was dead, has been raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit.

They have been made holy and righteous by the blood of Jesus Christ and are free from the bondage of the darkness.

Controlled by the Holy Spirit

Because of the fact, that they’ve been made holy and righteous and that the Holy Spirit of God dwells inside of them, they will also live a holy and righteous life. Because the law of God, which represents His will, is now written upon their heart, by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

They are controlled by the Holy Spirit and will be obedient to the Word of God and therefore they shall live according to the will of God. They will do, those things, which pleases Him, so that He will be honored and exalted.

The persecution of the sons of God

But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now (Galatians 4:29)

And this still happens today. The children of this world, who live in sin and iniquity, persecute the sons of God, who stay obedient to God’s Word.

We see an increase of iniquities and sins, just like in the days of Noah. We see that the hate towards God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, Who dwells in the sons of God, increases as well.

Followers of the world

As long as you accept and follow the world and talk, the way they talk, and act the way they act, and think the way they think, etc., and as long as you accept their opinions, wisdom, and knowledge (i.e. science, education), etc. then you have nothing to worry about; everything will be fine. As long as you bow before the spirits of this world and be a partaker of their works, you will not be persecuted, but you will be accepted by the world.

Followers of Jesus Christ

But as soon as you come with the Word of God and show some kind of resistance and give them an undesired answer or don’t accept their works; their sins and iniquities (the abominations of God). When you don’t walk, the way they walk, and think, the way they think, and talk the way they talk, and stay obedient to the Word of God, then you will be persecuted.

If you take a stand in Jesus Christ; the Word and stay obedient to Him by keeping His commandments and doing His will and representing His Kingdom on this earth, then you will be persecuted by the people around you, who have the spirit of this world; the spirit of the antichrist (the devil).

That’s the price you have to pay if you want to follow Jesus.

When you become a slave of Jesus, you will automatically become an enemy of this world.

We live in an age, where too many believers are watering down the gospel of Jesus Christ. Instead of pleasing God and taking their position in Jesus Christ; the Word, they please the world and please people, because they want to be liked, accepted, and honored by people.

The ones, that do take a stand on the Word of God, and follow the Word, instead of the world are considered too strict, religious, rigorous, old-fashioned, etc. While these people are the ones, who live in true freedom in Jesus Christ. They walk after the Spirit instead of the flesh and are no longer slaves of sin. They are no longer bound by the sins and iniquities of the flesh, but they live in the liberty of the Spirit.

Walking in the promise as a son of God

Walking in the promise as a son of God is walking by faith in Jesus Christ; the Word. If you walk by faith, you will be obedient to the (whole) Word of God. Only through the Word of God, you will get to know Him, and get to know His will.

I don’t mean by ‘being obedient to the Word’ to go back to the sacrificial laws, food laws, keeping the feasts, etc. in order to be saved or stay saved. Because we are only saved by His work; the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and by His blood.

We live in the New Covenant through Jesus Christ. In Him, we have become a new creation (born of the water and Spirit).

But the will of God; what pleases Him and what doesn’t pleases Him, has not changed, nor will it ever change. God is the same, Yesterday, Today, and forevermore.

Therefore, it is important to get to know Him, and His will, through His Word, and to renew your mind with the Word of God, so that your mind will line up with Him.

If you really love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, you will be able to stay obedient to God and keep His commandments (Read also: Do you love God with all your heart?).

A free will

But you will always have a free will, even after you become born again. As long as you walk after the Spirit, you will not fulfill the lust and desires of the flesh and not sin and don’t experience condemnation.

But as soon, as you start walking after the flesh and listen to your flesh, instead of the Word and the Holy Spirit, and choose to do your own will, and be led by your carnal lusts, desires, thoughts, feelings, emotions, etc., and walk in disobedience to the Word of God, in sin, then you shall become a slave of the devil again.

You shall be controlled by the powers of darkness and shall no longer be free. But you shall become oppressed by the devil and live under his yoke of bondage again.

Renew your mind with the Word of God

That’s why it’s so important, when you become the new creation, to renew your mind with the Word of God. Only by the renewing of your mind with the Word of God, you get to know Jesus and His will, and through Him, you will get to know the Father and His will (Read also: Why is it necessary to renew your mind?).

When you put the Word into practice, you will become doer of the Word and become like Him and walk like Him.

Through the Word and the Holy Spirit, Who is your Teacher in the Word, you shall discern good and evil.

When you stay in the Word; Jesus, you shall reigen over the enemy; the devil, and his whole army. But as soon as you leave the Word and start walking after the flesh, and after the knowledge of your old carnal mind; the knowledge of this world, then the enemy will take you captive again and shall reign over you (Read also: How to walk in the dominion God has given you?).