You Can Go Free
Robert Walker
Exodus 21:1-6
This Bible picture reminds me of an often-told story about President Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln, of course, was instrumental in the first steps toward abolishing slavery. And the story goes that one day he went down to a slave block to buy a slave girl.
As she looked at the well-dressed white man bidding on her, she figured that he was just another one that was going to buy her and then abuse her. Well, Lincoln won the bid, but as he was walking away with his legal property, he said, "Young lady, you're free."
She was silent for a moment, and then she asked, "What does that mean?"
"It means you are free."
"Does that mean I can say what I want to say?"
"Yes."
"Does it mean I can say what I want to do?"
"Yes, of course."
"Does it mean I can go where I want to go?"
"Yes, you can go wherever you want to go."
Then with tears streaming down her face she said, "Then I will go with you."
What a picture. Pierce her ear to the door! She's a slave captivated by love alone.
God's planned and desire for each one of us that we should serve Him for ever; but what is meant by serving Him? Often we have a very limited conception of what it really means to serve God.
We think of service as being necessarily manifested in activity and movement, but the real meaning is far deeper than that. To serve the Lord, to be His servant, is to be His bond-slave, to be absolutely at His disposal and ready without question to do his will.
2 Samuel 15:15
And the king's servants said unto the king, Behold, thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my lord the king shall appoint. The alternative is to be the servant of sin.
Romans 6:17
But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
The alternative is to be the servant of self-
Romans 7:18
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good ...
Robert Walker
Exodus 21:1-6
This Bible picture reminds me of an often-told story about President Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln, of course, was instrumental in the first steps toward abolishing slavery. And the story goes that one day he went down to a slave block to buy a slave girl.
As she looked at the well-dressed white man bidding on her, she figured that he was just another one that was going to buy her and then abuse her. Well, Lincoln won the bid, but as he was walking away with his legal property, he said, "Young lady, you're free."
She was silent for a moment, and then she asked, "What does that mean?"
"It means you are free."
"Does that mean I can say what I want to say?"
"Yes."
"Does it mean I can say what I want to do?"
"Yes, of course."
"Does it mean I can go where I want to go?"
"Yes, you can go wherever you want to go."
Then with tears streaming down her face she said, "Then I will go with you."
What a picture. Pierce her ear to the door! She's a slave captivated by love alone.
God's planned and desire for each one of us that we should serve Him for ever; but what is meant by serving Him? Often we have a very limited conception of what it really means to serve God.
We think of service as being necessarily manifested in activity and movement, but the real meaning is far deeper than that. To serve the Lord, to be His servant, is to be His bond-slave, to be absolutely at His disposal and ready without question to do his will.
2 Samuel 15:15
And the king's servants said unto the king, Behold, thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my lord the king shall appoint. The alternative is to be the servant of sin.
Romans 6:17
But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
The alternative is to be the servant of self-
Romans 7:18
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good ...
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