‍No Longer a Slave

‍“Do you not know that if you present yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or obedience resulting in righteousness?” Romans 6:16 (NET).

‍Salvation offers us a new chance to choose obedience to God rather than being enslaved by sin.

‍“Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.

‍“But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you.” Romans 8:5-9 (NLT).

‍If our love for Jesus isn't enough to motivate us to obey him, then we should examine the truthfulness of our salvation. Perhaps we have deceived ourselves.

‍Ladies, ask yourselves two questions: “How does God, my Father, want me to relate to my husband?” and, “What happens if I don’t want to do what God wants?” Both questions are answered in the Bible’s writings.

‍“How does God, my Father, want me to relate to my husband?”

‍“But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.” Ephesians 5:24 (NASB).

‍“…the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.” Ephesians 5:33 (NASB).

‍respect: phobeō; to frighten, i.e. (passively) to be alarmed; by analogy, to be in awe of, i.e. revere: — be afraid, fear (exceedingly), reverence. Strong’s Bible Dictionary

‍“What happens if I don’t want to do what God wants?”

‍“For the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son he accepts… that we may share his holiness.” Hebrews 12:6,10 (NET).

‍“‘If… you do not obey me, I will discipline you seven times more on account of your sins. I will break your strong pride and make your sky like iron and your land like bronze.” Leviticus 26:18-19 (NET).

‍Would God ever ask for something that would deprive us of our greater good? Our enemy, Satan, the deceiver, would like us to believe so. 

‍“The serpent said to the woman… God knows that when you eat from [that tree] your eyes will open and you will be like God…” Genesis 3:4,5 (NET).

‍In other words, Satan wants you to believe that God directs us to do things that will rob us of our highest good.

‍“Try it! Put me to the test! Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. “Then all nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.” Malachi 3:10-12 (NLT).

‍Give it a try! Put God, your Father, to the test by obeying Him with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. You’ll be overwhelmed with blessings.

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‍© 2025 Steve Bydeley.

‍All publishing rights reserved. Permission is herewith granted to reprint this article for personal use and to link or refer to it; however, no commercial re-publishing of the material in this article is permitted without prior written consent.

‍Steven is the author of *Fathered by God* and, together with his wife Dianne, co-author of *Dream Dreams* and *Dreams that Heal and Counsel*. They have appeared as guests on the Miracle Channel, Trinity Television, and Crossroads Communication, and have taught various topics around the world.

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‍Without Prejudice. © 2025, Steven., house of bij de Leij., of man.