I Am a Slave

I looked up a resource for reflecting on my identity in Christ and came across this: My Identity in Christ. I spent some time in 1 Corinthians 6 and focused on these verses (see context below):

19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

In thinking about my identity in Christ, I thought it was really important to see that I am not my own, I have been bought with a price, the precious blood of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19). It reminded me of Pastor Greene's sermon a couple of weeks ago when he was talking about slaves and masters. He pointed out that God is our Master and we are His slaves, not in the African American slave trade sense, but in the Old Testament Hebrew slave system sense (it would take a lot to fully explain that and I'm not going to do that here). The master would provide for his slaves and they would be part of his household, but the slave would be obligated to obey his master always, any time. I thought of how this is different from a job. One goes to work and listens to their boss, but when they come home, their time is their own. I realized that this is often how I look at my obligation to God. I do the things I think God wants me to do and then it is my time to do what I want to do. Well, if God is really my Master, then I must obey Him 24/7. I realized the thought of this did not make me happy! I did not think I would like doing what God wants me to do all the time. I want time to do what I think is fun. How sad that I am believing a lie that I would not have joy obeying my heavenly Father. I need my mind to be transformed! I believe. Help my unbelief!

12 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. 13 “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. From 1 Corinthians 6 ESV