Slavery, spiritual

Humanity is enslaved

To sin

John 8:33–36 NIV84

They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

See also Ro 6:12–18; Ro 7:7–25; Tt 3:3; 2 Pe 2:19

To the law

Galatians 5:1 NIV84

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

See also Ga 4:1–7

To fear

Romans 8:15 AMP

For [the Spirit which] you have now received [is] not a spirit of slavery to put you once more in bondage to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption [the Spirit producing sonship] in [the bliss of] which we cry, Abba (Father)! Father!

See also Heb 2:14–15

Jesus Christ as the example of the true slave

Jn 13:1–17 Washing feet was the responsibility of the slaves of the household.

See also Mt 20:25–28; Php 2:5–11

Believers as slaves of God

They are God’s servants

Romans 6:22 AMP

But now since you have been set free from sin and have become the slaves of God, you have your present reward in holiness and its end is eternal life.

See also Mt 6:24; Ro 1:1; Col 3:23–24; Jas 1:1; 1 Pe 2:16; 2 Pe 1:1

They are sons and heirs

Galatians 4:1–7 NIV84

What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. He is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world. But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.

See also Ro 8:12–17

They have friendship with Jesus Christ

John 15:15 NIV84

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

See also Jas 2:21–23

They have true freedom

John 8:31–36 NIV84

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

See also Ga 4:21–31

Believers as slaves of righteousness

Romans 6:15–23 NIV84

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Believers as slaves of others

Matthew 20:25–28 NIV84

Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

See also 1 Co 9:19; 2 Co 4:5; Ga 5:13

The image of slavery in the teaching of Jesus Christ

Mt 24:45–51 Slavery involves readiness for the Master’s return; Mt 25:14–20 Slavery involves faithfulness to the Master’s purpose; Lk 17:7–10 Slavery involves diligence for the Master’s good.

Creation is itself in slavery until Jesus Christ returns

Romans 8:19–22 NIV84

The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.