Slavery or Freedom?

Beloved Friends,

This year marks the150th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in the Netherlands. During this anniversary year, we reflected on the history of slavery and how it continues to affect the lives of many people today.

Slavery is a condition in which a person is owned by someone else or treated as such and therefore has no rights or cannot exercise them.

Despite the fact that slavery has been abolished, slavery still exists, worldwide. Also in the Netherlands. Visible and invisible slavery. There are many forms of slavery. Some familiar ones are: alcohol, smoking, drugs, sex, pornography, pedophilia, TV, coffee, work, sports, etc. There are legion forms of slavery in all degrees.  

All the things you compulsively desire and have to do are addictions. And that makes a person a slave. You are not free, because you must do that thing, because otherwise you cannot think of anything else, until you have done it. Then it subsides and you can move on to the next round. You are bound to what you desire; enslaved.

A slave is not only himself the victim of his or her enslavement. In most cases, there are other people who suffer as well. For example, have you ever thought about the wives of men who are enslaved by pornography? How this affects their marriage? Or about people who are slaves to the cigarette, thinking about people who have asthma and stand near a smoker. And so we can write a book full of examples.

•    Slaves must acknowledge their master's authority in everything and please him.

Titus 2:9

With addiction, you have lost control over your own will. You have become a prisoner and lost your freedom. You are stuck with it. When you decide to quit, you only notice that in most cases this is not easy. You experience a struggle in your thoughts and feelings in everything.

You experience a void that you have to fill. There is no peace. Usually you are not even aware of this. They are unconscious processes and feelings. You are looking for something or someone to fill the void.

Ever since the Fall, slavery has existed until today. But we were not made to be slaves. We were made to be free and stand in our power and destiny.

• Brothers and sisters, you are called to be free. Do not abuse that freedom to give free rein to your earthly lusts, but serve one another in love.

Galatians 5:13

If you are (enslaved) there is something that is in charge of you. The source of this boss is Satan. It wants to hold you captive and not return your freedom. Satan is afraid of your divine destiny. Everything he stole from you he tries at all costs not to have to give back. But Jesus intended you to rule over darkness and stand in victory. Where the serpent in the Garden of Eden stole our dominion through the Fall, Jesus gave this dominion back to us through His resurrection from the dead. Jesus said:

• Behold, I give you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and power over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will harm you.

Luke 10:19

•   And God blessed them, and God said to them, Be fruitful, be numerous, fill the earth and subdue it, and rule over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over all the beasts that creep over the earth!

Genesis 1: 28

God immediately gave His Rescue Promise after the Fall and announced the coming of the Messiah:

• Then the LORD God said to the serpent: Because you have done this, you are cursed.... And I will bring about enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring (Jesus); THAT shall crush you the head, and you shall crush it the heel.

Genesis 3:14a-15

Jesus gave you back your freedom. You are bought free. Not by any amount of money, but Jesus can set you free with His grace. Only Jesus. There is no other way.

•   When the Son will make you free, you will truly be free.

John 8:36

•   But now, freed from sin and in the service of God, you reap a life of holiness and ultimately eternal life.

Romans 6:22

Are you a slave or are you a free man? There is only one Way to true Freedom. And that is through Jesus. God came to earth as the Man Immanuel, His name is Lord Jesus. Savior from sin and slavery. He came not to judge the world, but to save man. Give your heart and soul completely to Jesus and He will make you truly Free! He gave His life for you and me. Made His blood flow for you and me. And. He rose again from the dead for you and me. Together with Jesus, we have received eternal life together with Him in true freedom.

• If we share in His death, we will also share in His resurrection. After all, we know that our old existence was crucified with Him because our sinful lives had to come to an end: we were no longer to be slaves to sin.                                                                                                                                   Romans 5:5-6

How wonderful, that we finally have freedom, because Jesus set us free! We must always cherish this truth and resolutely refuse to return to the bondage of our past!Don't wait until tomorrow, choose your Freedom today.

Awaiting His Return,

Natasja