Everyone Is A Slave To Someone

The children of Israel expressed great annoyance when Jesus suggested they needed to become free. 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?” what they did not know is that everyone is a slave to someone.

Please find time to read the link above in context, it will really help you to become truly free. My book “No longer a Slave: To the church” also has the same concept but you are better off reading the bible. Always. Many of us are like the Jews; we believe we are not in bondage because…. I put the ellipsis at the end of that sentence because we have many reasons for claiming freedom.

Once, I actually heard someone claim to be a Christian because their father built the church in their village. Ha! He does not know that everyone is a slave to someone and that he needs to be set free. And that is what makes this post so critical for our freedom. Because unless and until you know you have a problem, you will not know to seek a solution. So today, know for sure that everyone is a slave to someone.

Many of us enjoy a good life and we may assume it is because we are believers. But that is not necessarily true. God makes his rain to fall on the just and the unjust equally, as we see in Matthew 5.45. Besides, unbelievers sometimes fare better in this world than believers and the reason is not far to seek. Unbelievers do not mind cutting corners just to get wealth. Or to quote the bible, the sons of this world are shrewder in their generation than the sons of light.

Involuntarily, Everyone Is A Slave To Someone

Although everyone is a slave to someone, that was not God’s design for man. Indeed, He created us to enjoy Him forever. That was why He used to come to the garden of Eden to chat with Adam and Eve every evening. But then, the Fall happened. And from then until now, we have become slaves whether we know it or not, willy nilly.

From then, we have been slaves to sin, mediated by the devil and his cohorts. He rules over us to make us do his devilish will despite our better intentions. Even the Apostle Paul lamented his powerlessness about slavery to sin. He famously cried the good that I will to do, I do not do. But the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it. It is the sin that dwells in me.

That was the great Apostle Paul, enslaved to sin which dwelt in him; how much less ordinary believers. If nothing else, that shows us that everyone is a slave to someone. Necessarily. You cannot help yourself. No doubt you are familiar with the issue. You commit something you know to be wrong; you mentally kick yourself and promise not to do it again. What happens? The very next day, you are falling into the same sin again. That is the evidence that you are enslaved by sin, as 2 Timothy 2:26 declares.

We Started By Being Slaves To Sin

Because of this power of sin over mankind, you might be tempted to rephrase our topic. You may wish it to read everyone is a slave to something instead of o someone. However, we stay with the someone concept because sin does not exist in a vacuum. Somebody serves to ensure that the sin is enforced and you know his name as satan, the devil, or the serpent.

So, in the final analysis, everyone is a slave to someone, and that someone is the devil. Anyone who continues in sin is a slave of satan, not to sugarcoat it. The bible talks about this in Romans 6.16 as a question, suggesting it should be obvious to any serious reader. “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves? Whether of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness?

That question also implies that we have a choice whom to obey. Sin (and by extension, satan) or obedience (to God) leafing to righteousness. Are you not glad that Jesus came to free us from the slavery of sin? Because while in the past, we had no say in the matter, now, because of what Jesus did, we have a choice. Satan can no longer enslave us against our will.

The question remains: if we have a choice, how do we say that everyone is a slave to someone? Are we not free by believing in Jesus? Yes, glory be to God. We are now free to become slaves of Jesus. Don’t let that last bit throw you off because once you truly understand it you are fully liberated forever.

Everyone Is A Slave To Someone, Willingly

When the Apostle Paul finally understood it, he attempted to explain it to us in Romans 6:18 this way. “And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” We can now willingly take on the yoke of Christ and become His slave. You may be wondering why we would like to become slaves again.

The answer is quite simple really. Slavey to satan and sin is involuntary but Jesus does not force anybody. He simply invites you to come and lay your burdens at His feet so He can give you rest. “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”  

This new Master is gentle and lowly. So, even as everyone is a slave to someone, each experience differs greatly. He is the kind of Master to whom you would gladly say “Yes.” On the contrary, Satan is a wicked master, making his slaves serve with rigor. He is the kind of master you would do well to escape from.

But you know that no slave master will willingly release his slave and neither does Satan. If he did, most people would have become born-again Christians, not just churchgoers as we mostly have now. You have to be determined to come to Jesus otherwise, he will pull you back into involuntary slavery to sin.

Run, and don’t look back. Jesus, the new master, is waiting for you with open arms. Become a willing slave today because today is the day of salvation. And by so doing, although everyone is a slave to someone, you will be on your way to heaven. You will not end up in hell.

Maranatha!