Slaves to sin

"For we know that our old self was crucified with Him, so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin ... " Romans 6:6


Let's go, in our imaginations, to West Africa, circa 1801. Very early morning in our village, just before sunrise. The night sounds are still heard, but there is another sound as well. It is the sound of heavy feet; different from anything we have ever heard before. There is also a sound that is completely foreign to our ears; later we would learn that it is the sound of metal chains clanging against each other. A rather pretty and somehow melodic sound, but also a frightening sound. As sleep tumbles from our eyes, we sense firelight moving in and out among our tents. Then screams. Babies crying and mothers shrieking. Mens' and boys' voices raised in anger and fear. Then darkness descends as a heavy club knocks consciousness away.


We awaken, you and I, several hours later, to horrific smells and a foreign, sickening movement. Another unknown sound is heard - a whip, slicing through the air and splitting open backs and arms and faces. Again, angry screams and the smell of blood. There are chains around our ankles and our wrists and we have been stripped of our garments. We are inside some kind of a large box, it seems. This box sways and moves - it is a ship. We are captives aboard a slave ship and life as we had come to know it is forever over. Tears spill from our eyes, even as we are forced to sit on tiny benches and row at oars. Anger that is kept under control by the chains, becomes our constant companion.


After days and weeks of anguish and death, we would do anything to be free once again, but there is no hope for us. We are slaves now and we will be slaves forever, or so it seems. The only way out would be for us to die; for dead men cannot be slaves anymore to anyone ever again.


Do you see that that is what Paul is trying to have us understand? You and I were slaves, slaves to sin, but we died and have been given the opportunity to live a new life. Those chains, which used to bind us, bind us no longer, because they were loosed from our dead wrists. Those whips that use to scar us can do so no longer, for we are dead and dead men feel no pain and fear no whips. And the slave drivers who made our lives so unbearable? As soon as we died, they lost interest in us. Do you get it? When we died to sin, we were set free from its mastery over us.

"Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"


Today, recognize that you died and that sin has no hold on you at all! Live as free men! And don't go back to your old life of slavery.

Stinky Feet?

Are your feet stinky and dirty?

Have you ever washed someone else's dirty feet?

The thought that the creator of the universe, the king of kings and lord of lords washed stinky feet is such a strange thought, but a real story, and I think it bears another look don't you?

After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand." "No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me." "Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!" Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you." For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Isn't that an amazing story? Here are some things I'd like to point out:

Jesus said they wouldn't understand what He was doing until later? So He meant there was something symbolic as well as physical going on.

He said they were already clean except for Judas Iscariot, but He had also bathed, but He didn't receive Christ as the others did. So being clean referred to their lives being made clean, their sins having been cleansed or forgiven and covered by virtue of their belief and acceptance of Jesus.

He said that we still get dirty stinky feet. Because we're not yet separated from our natural man, the sinful world, and we still stumble (sin) our feet get dirty. Our Christian walk and communion with God gets compromised. So Jesus and other believers need to "wash our feet" restore us to a good walk and fellowship from time to time.

We are supporsed to wash each other's feet and it will be a blessing to us. But, how do we do that?

Pray for each other... Hold each other accountable... Live transparent lives in fellowship with other believers... (Stay in the light house, so the dark is not so tempting) Counsel each other... Train, forgive, and restore each other... Be there for each other...

Do you need your feet washed?

Is there someone else that needs you to wash their feet?

Your wife? Your kids? Your Christian brother?

The more sensitive instrument

In my first job out of college I sold Swiss made Mettler Balances. These sensitive instruments were used to measure grams 1/454th of a pound and even micrograms, 1/454,000 of a pound. Chemists and Gemologists used them to precisely measure amounts of chemicals for experiments and diamonds and rubies in Carat weights. Needless to say, you had to understand how to use these valuable instruments or if you ham handed them dumping a lot of weight on them without a thoughtful process, they were easily damaged.

1 Peter 3:7 says "You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered."

Where it says someone weaker, rather think about "a more sensitive instrument" as one marriage teacher explained, "wives are like your radar, they can pick up on people's feelings, and situations in a sensitive way that is oblivious to the average man."

If you've ever seen a young mommy carry around a toddler on her hip through a store pushing a heavy laden shopping cart for hours, you might doubt the "physically weaker" interpretation, but there is no doubt that they are made specially different to complement man, and they certainly have intuition and read situations better than us.

We need to understand this and treasure this for the value of the godly design and intent guys.

Let's honor our wives today, and work on that understanding part.

God’s Workmanship!

Do you want to be all God wants you to be? Do you feel like God’s workmanship as expressed in Ephesians 2:10? Watch this neat Christian Skit put on by the Skit Guys entitled Chisel Away and let me know what you think. Part of being like Jesus is the discipline part as expressed in Hebrews 12. When I think about this I remember an old football coach who used to shout, “No pain, no gain boys!”

Learning from your kids

The old Indian chief thought he'd seen it all, done it all and with nothing else to die for, decided he should go ahead and die. So the tribe had a celebration banquet with food cooked over the campfire, and of course the obligatory dancing, when the chief observed a young boy rubbing his fingers in the mud before picking up his char grilled food. The old chief asking the young boy why he did so, he said the mud protected his fingers from the hot meat and he could eat without burning his fingers. The chief acknowledged, "I've learned something new from this small boy," called off the feast and went on to lead his tribe for 10 more years before joining the "great white spirit."

This weekend my son was home from college, and as we were driving together he came out with "The difference between temptation and testing," very clearly and distinctly... "The devil, or his minions, seek to tempt us to exploit our sin nature, call attention to our unworthiness for salvation, get us depressed, and take us out of our game. God does not temp anyone, nor is He tempted by sin, but rather tests his children (gives us the chance to respond correctly under trial) to confirm our godliness and holiness as He sanctifies us, to encourage us that He's working in our lives.

The old man learned something new from his kid, so I guess I'll keep on keeping on.

I've got a lot I can learn yet, how about you?

The Benefits of “M”

Men who are “M” earn more money that those without “M.” Men who are “M” have less illness, accidents, and are less prone to alcoholism and suicide that men who are not “M.” Women who are “M” are wealthier, physically healthier, and less likely to be victims of violence. Couples who are “M” report being more satisfied with their sex lives than any other group. The children of couples who are “M” have better academic performance, less criminal behavior, and are less likely to live in poverty.

By now you’ve probably guessed that “M” is for marriage. But both the Family Dynamics Institute and my wife and daughter say that I should say “HM” for the benefits of healthy marriages.

A healthy marriage would be one that followed the institution’s creative design… Oh yes, you did know that marriage was God’s idea. You remember, the leave and cleave, the love and respect, the mutual submission, the help-mate and completed man thing.

So as our culture tries to redefine marriage, and as cohabitation and children out of wedlock continues its popularity, I wanted to remind us of the original plan, and of the statistics validating doing it God’s way.
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* The Case for Marriage (2000), by Linda J. Waite and Maggie Gallagher, and the Family Dynamics Institute

Bread Alone

When Satan tempted Jesus in the desert wilderness after 40 days of fasting, Satan suggested to Jesus, appealing to his flesh, "Turn these stones into bread." But, Jesus answered him, "Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.

As we thing about God's word, several things come to mind:

Whole wheat or rye, bread can keep the physical body alive, but not the Spirit and Soul. The bible says that we are dead, separated from God until we respond to Jesus' good words, the Gospel, and make him Savior and Lord of our life.

God's word, as opposed to ours is full of his infinite power. His Word keeps the very stars and earth in their appointed orbits. His Word created everything in the Universe. And His Word created and formed us, and sent a Savior to redeem us.

God's word, the bible, is His message to us on how He wants to relate to us and how we should live. It is our owners manual, for how to live successfully.

His Word, the bible is also our repair manual, for how to fix broken lives, mend them, and put them back on track.

The real you, and the real me, our soul, that part which can have eternity in view, lives by the Word of God.