Our world teaches us to fight slavery and value freedom. This philosophy even shows up in the way our team offenses are conceived and executed these days – less rules, more options.

The Bible goes a little more the other way. It teaches us to be careful about our freedoms and to embrace obedience like slaves. That cuts against the cultural grain.

Here's how the apostle Paul instructs us to look at slavery and obedience:

• Slavery permeates life more than we think. It's universally pervasive. It gets to everyone and everything. No one is immune.

• Slavery is a choice we make more often than we think. We enslave ourselves to whomever we choose to obey.

• In the end, our slavery has but two masters: sin and righteousness (Romans 6:16).

• Life's goal is not strictly emancipation. Yes, God sets us free from sin. But it's to become a new kind of slave, a slave to righteousness. This kind of slavery is better than any other kind of living (Romans 6:8,18,23; Romans 7:4).

Becoming a “slave to righteousness” simply means being a slave to “the Righteous One,” Jesus. Whatever He says, goes. His atonement makes us righteous, and our obedience honors that sacrifice.

A costly grace received demands a costly response.

Look to Jesus. His obedience model is best. His coming and going was all obedience-driven. It made Him world-class powerful. He was obedient in life. He was obedient in death. May His obedient life mark our lives too (Philippians 2:5-11; Hebrews 12:2,3).

Reflect: Who is your master? What sin enslaves you? (Real answers, please!) Are you known for your obedience or lawlessness? Are you operating as a gratefully willing slave to righteousness? Are you gazing on Jesus to fuel your obedient spirit? What fresh step might you take today to keep Jesus in view?

A prayer to consider: LORD, I'm Yours today and forever. There's a slavery war going on in me that makes me want to be more alive to You and dead to me. I'm glad. Keep captivating me. May I be driven by grace-gratefulness and marked by complete obedience. Thank You for Jesus, the obedient One and my righteousness alone. Amen.