Does the Bible Condone Slavery? | Kingdom Freedom - Week 4

09/25/23 • 35 min

We're in the 4th week of a series called Kingdom Freedom. We've been talking about how we can never truly be free unless we are set free by God. All other freedom is temporary, but Kingdom Freedom is eternal. If you are still a slave to sin, it doesn't matter how much to pretend to be free, you're not truly free.

But I can't finish this series without addressing what the Bible says about slavery. There's this rumor spreading around the world that the Bible condones slavery, or that at least the Old Testament condones slavery, but is that true?

When we study Scripture, we can't look for the verses to prove what we already think. We have to follow it, to trust it, to bow to it.

“When we come to the Bible and try to listen to its claims, we can easily misjudge those claims if we hear them only from within the framework of our own modern assumptions. Letting the Bible speak for itself, that is, letting it speak in its own terms, includes letting the Bible speak from within its own worldview rather than merely our own.” – Vern Poythress

Luke 4:17-22

17 The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written: 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, 19 and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.[a]” 20 He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. 21 Then he began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!” 22 Everyone spoke well of him and was amazed by the gracious words that came from his lips. “How can this be?” they asked. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”

When we study Scripture, we can't look for the verses to prove what we already think. We have to follow it, to trust it, to bow to it.

Luke 4:17-22

Previous Episode

The Strength of God's Kingdom - Week 3

We're in a series called Kingdom Freedom, and we're focusing on the freedom that being a part of God's Kingdom gives us. What is the Kingdom of God? When you read the phrase Kingdom in Scripture, I think it would be helpful for us to replace the word kingdom with rule, reign, or dominion.

God's Kingdom is everything that he rules over. So if you have a big view of God's power, then you think it's a great kingdom, but if you have a weak view of God, it's a weak kingdom.

The strength of a kingdom is determined by the strength of its king.

There's this terrible idea that's dominated our world since Adam in the garden. It's the sin demonstrated in King Arthur (the Sword in the Stone) or in any Guy Ritchie movie or any Disney movie. They're perpetuating: The great lie of you are the master of your domain.

If you are the king of your kingdom, your kingdom is weak.

You can pretend to be strong, but deep down you know your weaknesses. You know there are chinks in your armor. Well, eventually the enemy will find the weakness in your defenses. The world's dominant worldview is Humanism.

When we pretend we're in control, we really just hiding our flaws. How much time do you spend hiding your flaws? But you always get caught don't you. Someone sees them. Jesus said

Luke 12:2-3

²The time is coming when everything that is covered up will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all.

If you've got a secret sin, it's not going to be secret for long. You will be found out. So surrender to God. Bring everything out into the light. Jesus continues:

³Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the housetops for all to hear!

The world talks a lot about "managing" mental health, managing anxiety, and managing addictions, but Jesus doesn't want us to manage our addictions & our anxiety. He was to destroy them, to set us free!

If you are righteous, it's because God made you righteous.

We are powerless to make ourselves good, to make ourselves holy. But what's the result of being in a relationship with God? We call it the fruit of the spirit. When we are in relationships with God, HE changes us.

Galatians 5:22-23

²²But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Next Episode

The Fig Leaf Cover Up | Kingdom Freedom - Week 5

At some point in your life you have delt with fear, guilt, shame and condemnation. Let's see how Adam and Eve dealt with them in Genesis 3:6-7

⁶So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise,^[a] she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. ⁷Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

The first instinct was to hide and this is the first step in isolation. We are not what we used to be so we try to cover up what we are. It's like a mask we put on anytime we feel ashamed of who we are. We hide from ourselves just as much as we hide from others.

We think if we put on enough fig leaves and praise the lord at the same time nobody will realize we have any problems. Thankfully the real you will come out and you will be exposed in the presence of God. He doesn't condemn you. Romans 8:1 says "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." and nothing will separate you from the love of Christ. (Romans 8:39).

Not only are you valuable but you are fearfully and wonderfully made. You contain a spark of the divine. You have your Father's eyes. There is something within you so powerful, so majestic that once it encounters the divine love of God it tends to blossom into joy and peace and an irrational love of your neighbor. It is there waiting. It is glory.