The Hard Truth About Slavery in the Bible

Last updated on: April 13, 2016 at 9:33 am by Grayson Gilbert

The Hard Truth About Slavery in the Bible 2016-04-13T09:33:38-05:00 Grayson Gilbert

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Image Source: Chain Chain Chains by Rick Harris; CC 2.0

If my heart were given to the fullness of its lusts, the intensity of its rage, the breadth of its deceit, the entirety of its envy, and given the satiation of its proclivity to idolatry, I would be in my natural, unbridled state. It is terribly frightening to know the Spirit restrains evil (2 Thessalonians 2:6-7), not because He is doing so, but to the effect that even the genocide of Hitler, the cannibalism and rape of Dahmer, and the spurge of ISIS, is restrained. We don’t think in these terms. We don’t truly perceive how wicked and vile humanity is – and how much more so we could be if we were left without this restraint.

It is even more disturbing when personalized – for I know only a fraction of how sinful I can be, being blind to my own blindness. Is this not what the psalmist echoes when he asks forgiveness for hidden sins, and even presumptuous sins knowingly and willfully committed against God’s commandments (Psalm 19:12-13)? David makes a bold assumption, being convinced he not only commits sins he is unaware of, but knowingly disregards the Law. Hence, he petitions the Lord not only to forgive him – but keep him from these deeds, so that he will be blameless.

Again, David asks, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way” (Psalm 139:23). He asks this, knowing that he is sinful from conception (Psalm 51:5), those born of women cannot be righteous (Job 15:14), and from birth mankind is continually wayward (Psalm 58:3).

Christ also exposes the nature of man in saying, “truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin” (John 8:34). Paul ushers forth a similar, universal edict in Romans 6:16, proclaiming that we are “slaves to the one whom you obey, whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness.” Peter displays this principle equally vividly, speaking of the false prophets who entice others away from the faith with fleshly desires, sensuality, and blasphemies, promising freedom while they themselves are slaves to corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved (2 Peter 2:19).

Perhaps we see this the most clearly when Paul quotes Isaiah in saying, “There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one” (Romans 3:10-12).

In lieu of this, being sinful is not simply a matter of what we do – it is a positional stance; it is a declarative statement on our very nature. We are sinful and every aspect of our being is tainted. This positional stance was imputed to us by the sin of Adam (Romans 5:12-21), bringing about the due penalty of death and condemnation for those apart from Christ. Again, this is a universal edict, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). As James also indicates for those feeling particularly righteous: whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point has become guilty of all (James 2:10).

Yet this inherited sinful nature is contrasted with the positional nature of those justified by faith, namely, demonstrating they are no longer bound to live according to the flesh. Indeed, those who were once alienated from God are brought to a new, positional stance in Christ as slaves of righteousness (Romans 6:18). Notice the juxtaposition is displayed through the crucifixion of the old self (v. 6) and new life in Christ (v. 10). Thus, Paul is describing two different natures of man, rather than actions; men are either slave to sin or slave to God. The subsequent actions of the differing slaves are evidenced by their positional stance.

Read Ephesians 2:1-4 to grasp the fullness of this.

1. We were dead in our sins (v.1)

2. We walked in accordance with Satan, who blinded us even further than we presently were in our own unbelief (v.2).

3. We lived in accordance with the lusts of our flesh, which is at enmity with God (v.3)

4. We were by nature children of wrath (v.3)

All of this speaks to the utter hopelessness of those without Christ – for they are without the ability, as slaves to unrighteousness, to be positionally located in Him and obey the commands of God. Obedience then, is predicated upon conversion, as conversion marks the new locus of the believer in Christ, enabling them to walk contrary to the ways of the flesh. This is particularly why you can never have a “moral” pagan.

One is either a slave to righteousness through faith in Christ Jesus, or they are a slave to sin, incapable of producing any acceptable works in the eyes of the Father – for that which does not proceed from faith, is sin.

Previous Post

May 20, 2015

Why You Should Stop Saying You Have Free Will

Next Post

June 2, 2015 Bruce Jenner: You Will Always Be a Man

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category #ShoutYourAbortion 10 Commandments 2016 Election 2017 2020 Election Abortion Accelerate Books Adultery America Andy Stanley Arminianism Ashley Madison Atonement B&H Academic Baptism Barry Horner Beauty Biblical Elders Billy Graham Blog Book Review Bruce Jenner Caitlyn Jenner Calvin Calvinism Cheating Chick-fil-A Children Christ Christian History Christian Living Christian Podcasts Christianity Christmas Church History Church Leadership Civil Disobedience Constitutional Coronavirus Culture Death Demoninations Discipleship Doctrine Doctrine of God Donald Trump Ecclesiology Entertainment Eschatology Ethics Evangelical Evangelism Evil Evolution Fear Forgive Yourself Forgiveness Francis Chan Future Israel Gay Marriage Gender Genesis George Floyd Gospel Government Gun Control Halloween hamartiology Heavenly Reward Hermeneutics History Hollywood Holy Spirit Homeschool Homosexual Homosexuality Hope Hospitality Humor Husband Infant Baptism Interview Jesus John Piper Josh Duggar Joshua Harris Judgment Justice Kathy Griffin Kim Davis Leadership Logic Love Manhood Marriage Martin Luther Messianic Prophecy Miscarriage Mocking Modesty Money Movie Reviews Music Music Review Netflix New Testament Obergefell Old Testament Parenting Pastor Pastoring Persecution Planned Parenthood Podcast Politics Pop Culture Pornography Prayer Preaching Predestination Pride Prosperity Gospel Rachel Held Evans Racism Ravi Zacharias Redemption Reformation 500 Reformation Day Reformed Theology Relationship Repentance Salvation Same Sex Marriage Satan Satire Scripture Seminary Sex Sin slavery Sola Scriptura Soteriology Sovereignty Spiritual Gifts Spurgeon Star Wars Steven Furtick Suffering Sufficiency of Scripture Sunday School Supreme Court Technology Testimony The Church The Lord of the Rings The Problem of Evil The Shack Theology Theonomy Tithing Transgenderism Tullian Tchividjian Uncategorized Universalism Vanity Fair Video Games Virgin Birth Voting Wife Women Worldview Worship

Select a Month June 2025 April 2025 March 2025 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 June 2023 April 2023 March 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz