This one's longer than usual for a text-length communication world, but stick with it--it's worth it . . .
This blog post is
written for the reader who has determined that his/her out-of-balance eating
behavior is sin. Recall from previous
posts that not all out-of-balance eating is sin (Repentance
in Overcoming Addiction, Repentance). However, if you have determined that sin is
involved consider the choice you have to either be a slave of sin or a slave of
righteousness in Romans 6:
“What
shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer
in it? Or do you not know that as many
of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through
baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory
of the Father, even
so we also should walk in newness of life.
For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Therefore
do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of
unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the
dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you
are not under law but under grace.
What
then? Shall we sin because we are not
under law but under grace? Certainly
not! Do you not know that to whom you present
yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey,
whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to
righteousness? But God be thanked
that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that
form of doctrine to which you were delivered.
And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I speak in human terms because of the
weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of
uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present
your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.
For when you
were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.
What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed?
For the end of those things is death. But now having been
set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to
holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of
God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans
6:1-23 (NKJV)
If you are in bondage
to food consider the choice you have to either be a slave of sin or a slave of
God. The dilemma comes for people who
don’t want to make a choice to be a slave to anyone or anything, but we don’t
have that choice. There are only two choices—sin that leads to
death, or God Who leads to eternal life. That’s it, and
we get to choose. As Pastor Jack Abeelen
says, a lot of Christians just want to be freed from hell and be a slave of
sin. Many people are in denial that they
are in slavery to sin, thinking they are “free”. Others may simply prefer to be a slave to sin rather than be a slave of righteousness,
not understanding that being a slave of righteousness leads to true freedom—freedom
to do the right thing--whereas the flesh is never satisfied ("lawlessness leading to more lawlessness" in Romans 6 above). Still others may not even realize they are
sinning in a society that is writing the word “sin” out of its lexicon as evil
is called good. Until we realize that we
are a sinner we will not realize if we are a slave to sin.
A slave of righteousness is better understood to be a servant. The word “slave” may conjure up ideas of unfair bondage or abuse, the kind of slavery that has marred history due to the sin of man. But using the word slave of righteousness is to express the idea of total obedience and belonging to one’s Master. When we have been bought by the blood of Christ we belong to Him. Like sheep happy to be with their good shepherd, who wouldn’t want the Good Shepherd as their Master? A slave of righteousness is one who becomes a servant out of thankfulness, a natural response to being touched by the love of God like Peter’s mother-in-law who when she was Healed by Jesus got up and immediately served (Mark 1:29-31).
Servants
of God
God honored many noble men as His servants
as a position of dignity, not slavery.
In fact, God’s servant Moses freed
the people from their slavery and God’s
Servant Jesus frees us from our slavery.
Abraham
“And the Lord appeared to him the same night and said, ‘I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for My servant Abraham’s sake.’”
Genesis
26:24 (NKJV)
Moses
“Suddenly the Lord said to Moses,
Aaron, and Miriam, ‘Come out, you three, to the tabernacle of meeting!’ So the three came out. Then the Lord came down in the
pillar of cloud and stood in the
door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam. And they both went forward. Then He said,
‘Hear now My words:
If there is a prophet among you,
I, the Lord, make Myself known to
him in a vision;
I speak to him in a dream.
Not so with My
servant Moses;
He is faithful in all My
house.
I speak with
him face to face,
Even plainly, and
not in dark sayings;
And he sees the form
of the Lord.
Why then were you
not afraid
To speak against My
servant Moses?’”
Numbers 12:4-8 (NKJV)
“And when the
Israelites saw the mighty hand of the Lord displayed
against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put
their trust in him and in Moses his servant.”
Exodus 14:31 (NIV)
“After the death
of Moses
the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of
Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying: ‘Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore,
arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am
giving to them—the children of Israel. . . Only be strong and very courageous,
that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to
the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:1-2, 7 (NKJV)
“Remember the law
of my
servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel.”
Malachi 4:4 (NIV)
“And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward”
Hebrews 3:5 (NIV)
Joshua
“Now
it came to pass after these things that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of
the Lord, died, being one hundred
and ten years old.”
Joshua
24:29 (NKJV)
Caleb
“But
My servant
Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed
Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall
inherit it.”
Numbers
14:24 (NKJV)
David
David
is called the Lord’s servant more than 30 times in the Old Testament. Here are a few:
“Now
Abner had communicated with the elders of Israel, saying, ‘In time past you
were seeking for David to be king over you.
Now then, do it! For the Lord has
spoken of David, saying, “By the hand of My servant David, I will save My people Israel
from the hand of the Philistines and the hand of all their enemies.”’”
2
Samuel 3:17-18 (NKJV)
“But
that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying:
‘Go and tell my
servant David, “This is what the Lord says: Are you the one to build me a
house to dwell in?”. . .
‘Now then,
tell my servant David, “This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from
tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel.”. . .
Then
King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said:
‘Who
am I, Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this
far? And as if this were not enough in
your sight, Sovereign
Lord, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant—and
this decree, Sovereign Lord, is for a mere human!
‘What
more can David say to you? For you know your
servant, Sovereign Lord. For the
sake of your word and according to your will, you have done this great thing
and made it known to your servant.
‘And now,
Lord God, keep forever the promise you have made concerning your servant
and his house. Do as you promised, so that your name will be
great forever. Then people will say,
“The Lord Almighty is God over Israel!” And the house of your
servant David will be established in your sight.
‘Lord
Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to your servant, saying,
“I will build a house for you.” So your
servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you.
Sovereign
Lord, you are God! Your covenant is
trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant. Now be pleased to bless the house of your
servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, Sovereign
Lord, have spoken, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be
blessed forever.’”
2
Samuel 7:4-5, 8, 18-21, 25-28 (NIV)
“However
I will not take the whole kingdom out of his [Solomon’s] hand, because I have made him ruler all the
days of his life for the sake of My servant David, whom I chose because he kept
My commandments and My statutes.”
1
Kings 11:34 (NKJV)
2 Kings 19:32-34 and Isaiah 37:33-35 (NKJV)
In 1 Chronicles 17 (God’s Covenant with David) we see that God’s idea of a servant was to make David a ruler, be with him wherever he went, cut off all his enemies from before him, establish the kingdom of his descendants and build him a “house” that He will bless forever, and make him a name like the name of the great men on earth:
“Now it came to pass, when David
was dwelling in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, ‘See now, I
dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under
tent curtains.’
“Then Nathan said to David, ‘Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you.’
“But it happened that night that the word of God came to Nathan, saying, ‘Go and tell My servant David, “Thus says the Lord: ‘You shall not build Me a house to dwell in. For I have not dwelt in a house since the time that I brought up Israel, even to this day, but have gone from tent to tent, and from one tabernacle to another. Wherever I have moved about with all Israel, have I ever spoken a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people, saying, “Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?”’” Now therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people Israel. And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and have made you a name like the name of the great men who are on the earth. Moreover I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them anymore, as previously, since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel. Also I will subdue all your enemies. Furthermore I tell you that the Lord will build you a house. And it shall be, when your days are fulfilled, when you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up your seed after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son; and I will not take My mercy away from him, as I took it from him who was before you. And I will establish him in My house and in My kingdom forever; and his throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”
“According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.
“Then King David went in and sat before the Lord; and he said: ‘Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far? And yet this was a small thing in Your sight, O God; and You have also spoken of Your servant’s house for a great while to come, and have regarded me according to the rank of a man of high degree, O Lord God. What more can David say to You for the honor of Your servant? For You know Your servant. O Lord, for Your servant’s sake, and according to Your own heart, You have done all this greatness, in making known all these great things. O Lord, there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And who is like Your people Israel, the one nation on the earth whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people—to make for Yourself a name by great and awesome deeds, by driving out nations from before Your people whom You redeemed from Egypt? For You have made Your people Israel Your very own people forever; and You, Lord, have become their God.
“’And now, O Lord, the word which You have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning his house, let it be established forever, and do as You have said. So let it be established, that Your name may be magnified forever, saying, “The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, is Israel’s God.” And let the house of Your servant David be established before You. For You, O my God, have revealed to Your servant that You will build him a house. Therefore Your servant has found it in his heart to pray before You. And now, Lord, You are God, and have promised this goodness to Your servant. Now You have been pleased to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue before You forever; for You have blessed it, O Lord, and it shall be blessed forever.’”
1 Chronicles 17:1-27
A servant of God/slave of righteousness is not sounding too shabby, now is it?
Isaiah
“Then
the Lord said, ‘Just as My servant Isaiah has walked naked and
barefoot three years for a sign and a wonder against Egypt and Ethiopia, so
shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians as prisoners and the
Ethiopians as captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, with their buttocks
uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.’”
Isaiah
20:3-4 (NKJV)
Jesus
Jesus Himself took on the form of a bondservant:
“but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”
Philippians 2:7-8 (NKJV)
There are four “Servant-songs” in the Bible about Jesus:
Isaiah 50:10 (NKJV)
Isaiah 52:13-15 (NKJV)
Isaiah 53:11b-12 (NKJV)
Bondservants of Christ
Paul, Timothy, James, Peter and Jude all described themselves as bondservants of Christ (Romans 1:1, Philippians 1:1, James 1:1, 2 Peter 1:1, Jude 1:1, NKJV). A bondservant in the Hebrew sense of the word (unlike the Greek) denotes a willing slave who is happy in his relationship with his Master whom he loves. All believers in Christ are described as slaves or bondservants of Christ (1 Corinthians 7:22, Ephesians 6:6, 2 Timothy 2:24). We are not our own, we are bought at a price:
“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NKJV)
“For you know that it was not with
perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty
way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a
lamb without blemish or defect.”
1 Peter 1:18-19 (NIV)
Jesus elevated the role of servant:
“Sitting down, Jesus called the
Twelve and said, ‘Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of
all.’”
Mark 9:35 (NIV)
And He further explains:
“If anyone serves Me, let him
follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.”
John 12:26 (NKJV)
Jesus teaches about the
kingdom of heaven as a lord with his servants in the parable of the talents in
Matthew 25. It is a parable about
faithful steward servants and fruitfulness:
“‘For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
‘But his lord answered and said to him, “You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.
“For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”’”
Matthew 25:14-30 (NKJV)
The reward of the faithful servants is based on faithfulness, not results. The “wicked servant” does not know the true nature of the Master, calling Him a hard man, reaping where He had not sown, and gathering where He had not scattered seed.
And so we are back to
the choice we all must make—slave of sin or slave of righteousness. While the work of sanctification (becoming more
Christ-like) is a work of the Holy Spirit (we can’t sanctify ourselves), we do
have a responsibility. There is choice involved. Re-read Romans 6 above to see if you can find
your responsibility. Notice the word
“present” yourself. It doesn’t say fight with the sin, but choose to yield yourself to God. Surrender.
The ironic truth (as usual) is we need to surrender to win the battle!
Once we surrender to God our old master of sin no longer has any claim
on us. Another ironic truth from Romans
6—being baptized into Christ’s death (and uniting with Him in death to self) results in newness of life and eternal life.
Finally, obedience is key to being a slave of righteousness. We choose to surrender, present ourselves to God, and actively pursue obedience in the process of sanctification. We can choose righteousness by putting off the old self (in repentance and submission to God at salvation) and putting on the new self (in union with the resurrection of Christ). We are utterly unable to be righteous in and of ourselves, but we receive righteousness from God at salvation, which involves turning from sin:
“You
were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is
being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of
your minds; and to
put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
Ephesians
4:22-24 (NIV)
Some
questions to think about:
Am I a slave (in
bondage) to my desires? Do my desires
lead to sin?
“Blessed
is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will
receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am
tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt
anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away
by his own desires and enticed. Then,
when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is
full-grown, brings forth death.”
James
1:12-15 (NKJV)
Am I living for the glory of God or am I living to please my own sinful nature and desires?
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
1 Corinthians 10:31 (NIV)
Have I surrendered my life to Jesus at the
Cross, or just “accepted Him” into my life?
We have to repent for sin and die to self, “buried with Him through
baptism into death . . . so we also should walk in newness of life" (Romans
6:4).
Have I truly repented
for my sin at the Cross or am I still holding onto it?
“knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him,
that the body of sin might be done away with, that we
should no longer be slaves of sin. For
he who has died has been freed from sin.”
Romans 6:6-7 (NKJV)
Who would you rather be a slave to—your tyrannical sin and flesh or your
Gracious and Loving God? Sad to say,
countless people actually choose to be slaves of sin and flesh which are
tyrannical masters (and sin always leads to more sin and death) instead of to God because
they do not want to crucify the old man with Christ.
Since sin describes the “old life”, and righteousness “the new life”,
the choice is between choosing the old life or the new life:
“Therefore we were buried with Him through
baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory
of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
Romans 6:4 (NKJV)
For
the reader enslaved by sin, are you ready to let go of the old life and walk in
the new life God has for you?
For more encouragement and help you can check out the N.E.W. LIFE e-book which includes more support, the N.E.W. LIFE Eating Plan and additional nutrition information.
Your Christian dietitian and friend in Christ,
Diane
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