Dateline: Apr. 17, 2008
A Happy Slavery
The gospel is simple enough for the simple minded (like me) and complex enough for the very intelligent. I haven’t been able to talk much to my husband while he’s away at Together for the Gospel so I have enjoyed checking out Tim Challies' blog. He is a blogger extraordinaire who live blogs the conference. At least this way I can get a glimpse of what’s going on. Tim describes the session in which RC Sproul spoke and he has this to say:
"Sproul discussed what it means that Jesus was cursed by God. Though Sproul has studied the subject for over fifty years, he still feels like he is barely scratching the surface of the meaning and significance of the cross of Christ.”
Wow – over 50 years of study by a man who studies diligently and he’s barely scratching the surface.
I was just marveling this morning how rich God’s word is. It really is like a mine full of priceless treasure just waiting to be mined and it all points to the gospel, God’s redemptive plan for his creation. Yesterday I meditated on these verses from Romans:
When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? The end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and it’s end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:20-23
I was struck by the fact that it mentions fruit that we get. Not fruit that we produce but fruit that we get. What is that fruit? It’s the opposite of death; it’s sanctification (becoming more and more conformed to the image of Christ) and eternal life. It’s all ours as a free gift from God. It reminds me of a song by harpist Amy Shreve. The lyrics are based on a story told about Abraham Lincoln who bought a slave and then immediately granted him freedom. The former slave replied that he would now go with Mr. Lincoln because he belonged to him. Amy then relates this to what Christ has done for us. The song is a beautiful reminder of this truth of being purchased out of slavery to sin and death and becoming slaves to God (should I say glad and willing slavery?). I am a happy slave when Christ is my master!
The gospel of Jesus Christ has purchased me and I can spend my whole life pressing in deeper and never come to the end of its glories. I belong to God and am free from sin.