But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but…Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. – Romans 6:17-18, Amplified Bible (AMP)

One of the most common reasons a person gives for rejecting the Gospel goes something like this: “I don’t want to give up my freedom. I want to do what I want, when I want, and I don’t want God telling me what I can and cannot do.” People who offer this reason for rejecting Christ, whether they realize it or not, equate Christianity with a lack of choice, which is slavery. In contrast, they equate remaining unsaved with freedom – freedom to choose their own way in life.

People who argue such have it half right. Christianity is indeed slavery. But, so is remaining unsaved, and this is where the “I want to be the captain of my own ship” crowd has it all wrong. Those who reject Christ aren’t free. They are still slaves, but their master isn’t a holy, loving, sacrificial Father God who would do anything to bring peace to the souls of His children. Their master is a wicked, vile, deceitful devil who will do anything to drag souls into the place of eternal agony and darkness that the Bible calls Hell.

As God (through Paul) states in Romans 6:16 and 6:23 (AMP):

16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

When people choose to reject Christ, they choose to serve the slavemaster of sin. Doing so has a penalty, and that penalty is death – both physical death, which we all must face, and the second death, which is being cast forever into the Lake of Fire. On the other hand, when people choose Christ, they choose to serve a master who grants eternal life, not eternal death. Christ’s goal is to bring peace, joy, and harmony to every soul that chooses Him, and His end-game is to enjoy the fellowship, not the destruction, of those who follow Him.

In the short-term, it may seem a lot more fun to serve sin. But as sin takes its toll, it will wreak havoc on body, soul, and spirit – both here and in eternity. Righteousness, on the other hand, renews body, soul, and spirit; it’s long-term play is to build up, whereas the long-term play of sin is to tear down.

Who is more appealing? An employer who pays you with a little bit of fleshly fun followed by chains, pain, and darkness forever? Or, an employer who pays you with a holy way of living (which can be quite fun, by the way) followed by heart peace, joy, freedom from punishment, and fullness of fellowship? I think the choice is obvious; if you are going to be someone’s slave, choose the master that loves you and has your best interests at heart.

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