PODCAST
Benefits of Slavery
March 10th, 2015
Romans 6:1-23
The Quilombos are descendants of runaway Afro-Brazilian slaves. Many years ago, fleeing their masters, they took refuge in remote, inhospitable regions of South America. Recently they were identified and received attention from government and religious groups.
During a visit to one of their former hiding places, I could imagine the severity of their ordeal: lack of water, food, schools, electricity, health care, roads and many basic services. Freedom is indeed so precious as to make generations rebel and flee from where they had some food and relative safety to almost subhuman conditions.
It is startling, then, to read in in Romans 6:13 of “giving thanks” for becoming slaves. The attraction here is the Master. Instead of sin leading to death, slaves of our righteous God are lavished with purity and a clean heart; He invites them to the table of holiness; Oswald Chambers states: “Commitment is the willingness to be ruled.” Under God’s rule slaves become free.
Author: Jorge De Barros
