JAMES // THE SLAVE

> If you were to describe your relationship with God, what words would you use?

Friend? Follower? Skeptic? Curious Seeker?

I can be fairly certain that the word slave didn't make your list. Why, you ask? Because no one likes that word. The connotations are just too negative.

Here are some examples of images that we picture when we hear the word slave:

Imagine being held against your will, forced to work without pay, treated like an animal, being beaten, and living in poverty. Slavery is not a pretty picture, whether you're talking about slavery in America's history or slavery as it occurs today (yes, it is still a reality in many parts of the world). Yet, James used that very word to describe himself.

JAMES 1:1

James, a servant/slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion:

Greetings.

In this verse, James is referring himself as a "slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ."

Why would James use that term? - the term slave is totally foreign to us living in the United States today. No one would voluntarily write in an email or text message, "I'm a slave of..." It just won't happen! Our culture is opposed to any idea of enslavement. No one controls us, right?

The term is even more foreign to you as a teen. At this time in your life, you probably crave independence, to make your own decisions, to be on your own. You don't want anyone telling you what to do.

So what makes James different from us? Why would he be willing to call himself a slave? Why didn't care about his own freedom?

Let's read John 8:30-36 and get some answers.

The Truth Will Make You Free

³¹ So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; ³² and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” ³³ They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?”

³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. ³⁵ The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. ³⁶ So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

What we get from these verses:

Jesus himself is the truth that sets us free (8.36). He is the source of truth, the perfect standard of what is right. He frees us from continued slavery from sin, from all deception and from deception by Satan. He shows us clearly the way to eternal life with God. Thus Jesus does not give us freedom to do what we want, but freedom to follow God. As we seek to follow God, Jesus' perfect truth frees us to be all that God meant us to be.

Sin has a way of enslaving us, controlling us, dominating us and dictating our actions. Jesus can free us from this slavery that keeps us from becoming the person God created us to be. If sin is restraining, mastering or enslaving us, Jesus can break its power over our life.

Try answering these questions:

> According to Jesus, how does a person become a slave?

> According to these verses, how does a person find true freedom?

> How do you think the Jewish people felt when Jesus informed them that they were slaves? (Remember, their ancestors had spent their lives in slavery to Pharaoh until God delivered them)

REMEMBER THIS:

If your life is given to anything but Jesus, it's really not freedom at all. Sin takes us captive, and the only thing that can set us free is Jesus.

APPLICATION:

Stop for a minute and think about your own life and the things that captivate you. Anything that drives your actions, anything that you can't live without or dominates your thoughts and feelings–those are the things to which you are a slave.

Some examples:

Money, Sex, Popularity, Alcohol, Friends, Pornography, Self-centeredness, Food (or not eating), Makeup, Hobbies, Otherr' opinions, Caffeine, Pride, Boyfriend, Media (iPod, TV, Movies, etc.), Cellphone, Clothes, Gossip, Grades, Jesus

Which master enslaves you the most and how do you know?

My prayer for all of us is to be free from sin and to be slaves of righteousness.