Slave Or A Prisoner, Which Are You?
You will either be a slave to sin or a prisoner to Jesus Christ. It is one or the other. The question we must ask ourselves is which one am I?
As we look at Ephesians 4, the apostle Paul kicks it off by clearly stating where he stands. He calls himself a prisoner, not to Rome, but to the Lord. Paul wrote the Epistle to the Ephesians while imprisoned in Rome for two years. He was under house arrest and used his time to teach the gospel. He knew that he would rather be in bondage to God than be enslaved by sin.
Satan's deception is to make being a slave to sin more appealing to the flesh which entraps those who have not made a definitive stance. As we see in Matthew 4:8–11, there are temporary false blessings the enemy offers. He promised Jesus all the riches of the world. These false blessings by satan, make you a slave to sin in the end. A Christian struggling to break free from repeating sinful behavior needs to come to terms with the fact that they are not yet a prisoner to Christ.
Being a prisoner for Christ means allowing Jesus to make the choices for you. Instead of falling into habitual sin you do, say, and think about the things Jesus wants for you, not temptation or the flesh. As we see the enemy makes sin look appealing. He has used entertainment to glorify, perverted sex, drugs, the occult and witchcraft. God promotes human flourishing, anything contrary to that is demonic. Paul understood he needed to be a prisoner to God or else he would give into sin. He was warning the Ephesians that he saw false preachers coming and that they should be yoked to God only.
Go Low
The letter to the Ephesians goes on to share how a follower of Christ should carry on. He urged believers to be humble, gentle, patient and united. Ephesians 4:10 talks about the value of Christ lowering himself to be that perfect example to us. “He who went the lowest ascended the highest” the scripture points out. Paul understood in prison you go low and although he was very educated and gifted he made himself to no reputation to be a prisoner to Christ alone.
Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will lift you up. Many times we tend to want to defend or elevate ourselves but in those moments we must go low. Every opportunity for conflict is a great time for humility. The more one tries to make their own way, the less room they make for God to do it for them. This world will leave you rejected, abused, neglected, lied on, cheated and robbed but God is all you need. We must allow Him to go before us and lay down pride and ego. There will be a remnant that only bows to God and nothing else.
Psalm 147:6 reveals that God sustains the humble. Another scripture in James 4:10 highlights that the Lord elevates those who go low.
God Gave Us Gifts
In Ephesians 4:11 we see different offices given to God's people. In his sermon on Ephesian 4 Pastor Mike Signorelli broke the offices down as follows:
Apostles: Govern
Prophets: Guide
Evangelists: Gather
Pastors: Guard
Teachers: Ground
The minister then listed several points that show whether or not the believer has matured in God. Apostles govern: but if we challenge everything that is said we have not matured in humility. Prophets guide: but if you are prophesying to lead people to you and not Christ then you are in error. Evangelists are to gather people to plug into a local church not just to attend an event. If you ignore the guardianship of your Pastors and follow your own desires you are not maturing fully. Lastly, as a Teacher, you are not to elevate yourself over others, but to help them stay grounded in the Word.
Paul went from prison to martyrdom. It was lower and lower and because of his progression in God, today we study his words in scripture to help us become more like Christ.
The church in Ephesus took heed of some of Paul's teachings regarding their stance against evil but as we read in Revelation 2:1–7, God still pronounces judgment on the Ephesian church because they lost their first love to God while practicing their religious deeds. A prisoner to Christ must remain bound to God and continue to do the things they did when they first believed.
About the Author
Jeannie Ortega Law is a chart-topping singer, evangelist, media personality and author from New York City. She can be reached on social media: @JeannieOrtega or emailed at Info@JeannieO.com
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