“Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery— to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.” (Galatians 2:4–5, ESV)
Slavery leaves a very bitter taste in our mouths and it should. It involves the exploitation of people for a variety of reasons. In our country’s history, we were involved in the utilization of slaves. It was not just our country, but also others. Slaves were taken by groups in Africa and sold to Europeans who mad money in transporting them to be marketed in other countries like cattle for use. While there were a few slave owners who were good to their slaves, many were not. Moreover, there was a stigma attached to the trade. Slaves were considered property to be used to benefit their owners.
Around the world, slavery is still going on today. Wikipedia indicates that today the number of enslaved people runs between 38 million to 49.6 million worldwide. The International Labour Organization estimated that number to be over 40 million by their definition.
I do not think that any of us today would like to be in slavery. Yet there are many people today who are in slavery and do not even know it. It is estimated that today there are 5.4 billion people who are not professing Christians in the world. By the definition given in the Bible these people are in slavery, that is slaves to sin. Moreover, many who profess to be Christian have likely missed the mark of true faith, adding to the number who are enslaved.
Paul explained that in Jerusalem the legalists were at work. They snuck in like spies in an effort to take away the freedom that the true believers had in Christ. Their effort was to take away their freedom and make them slaves. How were they trying to do this. It was by making them slaves to a false gospel. They were trying to force people to a bondage of a works-oriented means of justification.
This is exactly what was going on. They were pressuring Titus, a Gentile believer to be circumcised. Their point was that faith alone was insufficient and that human effort was necessary for salvation.
We today have slave traders running around our society unaware. They sneak in as spies would in the guise of Christianity. They try to enslave people into a works-based salvation. They go with crafty prepared arguments designed to confuse the unsuspecting and those who are not deeply ingrained in the full counsel of God’s word. These false teachers undermine the grace of God and elevate men to be able to save themselves. Yet what they leave in their wake are people caught up in a system of forced labor, working in a futile way to earn something that can only be obtained as a gift from God by faith.
The church today must ensure that the gospel of free grace is proclaimed and reinforced. The church must ensure that all parishioners understand this doctrine and the biblical basis for it. Pastors and church leaders must guard the flocks from the ravenous wolves who will come in, the slave traders who will try to enslave people with a doctrine devoid of grace.
Renewing the Heart 