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Prepare Your Heart

To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.

Read God’s Word

Ezekiel 35-36
2 Peter 2

A Verse for Today

Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.

2 Peter 2:19 (CSB): “They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption, since people are enslaved to whatever defeats them.”

Reflecting on God’s Word

In the verse I have chosen for today, Peter was warning his readers about false teachers. They were headed for Hell, taking others with them through their flawed teaching.

I chose 2 Peter 2:19 to reflect on because it contains a powerful life principle. We know from the New Testament epistles that all the writers, at least in one of their letters, began by claiming to be a servant/bondservant (lit. “slave”) of Jesus. The New Testament writers celebrated that Jesus bought them with His own blood, and so they belonged to Him.

But unbelievers are also slaves. Second Peter 2:19 tells us that whatever defeats a person is what enslaves them.

2 Peter 2:19 (CSB): “They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption, since people are enslaved to whatever defeats them.”

If someone struggles with consistently overeating, then they are a slave to food. If someone is consumed with finances and consistently trying to have more, then they are enslaved to money. If someone is consumed with worry over their finances, or family, or (fill in the blank), then they are enslaved to worry.

Is it possible for Christians (who are slaves to Jesus) to be slaves to other things? Yes! Of course! We do it all the time! But it shouldn’t be this way! If we are slaves of Jesus, we should act like slaves of Jesus. Regarding materialism (and this principle applies to anything), Jesus essentially told us to choose sides because we cannot be slaves to more than one person/thing.

Matthew 6:24 (CSB): “No one can serve (lit. “be a slave”) two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve (lit. “be a slave”) both God and money.”

So, friend, are you enslaved to anything other than Jesus? Is there some sin that regularly defeats you? Then that is what you are enslaved to. Ask the Lord to enable you to defeat that sin stronghold in your life as you do your part in killing the deeds of the flesh (Romans 8:13). You can only truly be enslaved to one person/thing at a time. Make that person Jesus!

Spend Time in Prayer

  • Ask God to help you to see if you are enslaved to anything but Him.
  • Ask Him to help you break the chains of sin and yield yourself wholeheartedly to Him as His slave.

Going Deeper

If you want to dig a little deeper into what it means to be a slave in the spiritual sense, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:

“What does it mean to be a slave to sin?”

Sharing

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Matt Ellis is the pastor of White Hall Baptist Church in Richmond, Kentucky (whitehallbaptistchurch.org)