I’ve been thinking how the bible is a really poor way to control and devalue people, as it talks about our value and freedom all throughout it. If we investigate what was actually being said in it, we would see how it empowers us. Yet many will speak against it, talking about how it condones slavery and subjugates women, even though they carry little understanding of it’s overall theme through old and new testaments, only pointing out verses taken out of the true context and not understanding the spirit realm or how God wired the universe, judging it in ignorance, while choosing to believe the lies that Satan most speaks: against the goodness of God. These lies and doubts about God are our default thinking because Satan is the prince of the power of the air(Eph 2:2), the one breathing lies over us, slowly programming us how to think, “blinding the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ”(2 Cor 4:4). This calls for a need to approach scripture with humility and without preconceived notions, as much of them are probably wrong about God. I can show one verse to reveal our perceptions of God verses what scripture demonstrates. “…For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.” Exodus 20:3. Did we see how great His love is, or did we only see His severity? His love went further than His punishment.
Slavery
One must understand the culture of slavery in that day. Just because we understand slavery in one way of subjugation doesn’t mean slavery was applied with injustice all the time. Context and definitions mean everything. One would sell themselves over to forced labor in order to pay a debt for a period of time. Yes, bad slavery happened, but just because there are historical accounts of bad things in scripture does not mean God endorsed it. Also, slave trading was forbidden in the new testament-1 Timothy 1:10.
Women
Many cite the case that women are under the power of a man. Not true. A WIFE is under submission to her HUSBAND. That wife is not under submission to all men. A wife being under submission to her husband is scary when all she has seen or known is abuse, so she will buck his leadership, even if he has pure motives that are for her good. But when a woman joins a Godly husband in marriage, she is coming under his protection, covering, and love. When the husband is submitted to the Lord and she is submitted to him and the Lord, she excels to be the woman that she was created to be because her God-honoring husband doesn’t control and abuse, but rather empowers, honors, and lifts her up better than any other man could and in this way she thrives and prospers in a way she never could have alone, because she was designed to be with a man.(Gen 2:20-24) We of course don’t believe that this model in Ephesians 5 is ideal because how often do we see this modeled? And how constant are the attacks against God’s ideas of marriage in tv shows, movies, culture, etc programming us to believe differently than God’s ideas of a perfect, harmonious union?
Paul is declaring that people are of equal value in Christ no matter what lot they have in life.
—“There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28.
Value
Jesus showed we all have the same value and worth in His sight when He gave His life for all. See John 3:16. If we haven’t come to know Christ as Lord, we are currently living a life that is without true value(Romans 3:12), and this is why Christ came to pay the penalty of our worthlessness(sins) so that we would be redeemed. You can’t redeem something if it had no prior value. We had prior value and gave it up by living according so sin, the lies of Satan, just as Adam did. Jesus is the redeemer of this value for all mankind that HE created. See Isaiah 44:24, Colossians 1:15-17, John 1:1-3.
Freedom
Christ died and rose again, breaking the powers of evil, rising above them all with all power and authority (Ephesians 1:19-22, Colossians 2:10,15, Matthew 28:18) so that all people could be free in all aspects…emotionally free from suffering, spiritually free from judgement, physically free from disease. We come into His protective covering of power and authority and experience his freedom, or salvation, aka sozo in the original Greek in Luke 19:10, when we follow Him as Lord, as this is what He came to do for us. My article God’s desire to heal goes into all this at much depth.
God is all about our freedom. And Jesus, who is God (Hebrews 1:3), showed this in His ministry, fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy in Isa 61 spoken of in Luke 4:18: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free,to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Also, this is what the Lord desires in Isa 58:6- “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
The Lord desires that we live in a joyful, fulfilling way. In John 10:10, we see who empowers and who takes away. We have an enemy that people will listen to, oppressing others. That’s why our battle is not with people, but recognizing the spiritual schemes they believe(Ephesians 6:11-20) and then operating in the power and authority given to us from Christ to overcome.
Paul echos this freedom:
–“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” Galatians 5:1
–“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom“ 2 Corinthians 3:17
Warnings to not act in such a way that would enslave others:
—“You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.” Galatians 5:13
—“Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.” 1 Peter 2:16
—“Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak.” 1 Corinthians 8:9
Love, Honor
We are called to love all people including our enemies.
— “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Matt 5:44
This definition of love goes beyond our idea of friendliness, as love doesn’t seek it’s own will.
— “It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking….” 1 Cor 13:5
It dies to it’s own desires so that someone else will benefit.
–“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13
Love honors others.
—“Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” Romans 12:10
—“Show proper respect(honor) to everyone…” 1 Peter 2:17
Not being submitted to God will naturally cause injustice to others.
— “For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do….Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Galatians 5:14-24
Sword of Truth 