Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? Romans 6: 16, NKJV.
Dear God, please help us as we enter the study of Your Word. May we learn how to become slaves to righteousness. In the holy name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.
I believe if I asked most people the title question they would immediately think of their current employer. We do not think of our spiritual life in terms of working for someone. If we have been saved, then we are right about that. The saved person does not work for salvation, he or she simply receives it as a gift. But if we look at it from the point of view that we are all obeying someone, then it makes a world of a difference!
The interesting thing here is that in God’s cause we choose to be His slaves. When it comes to the Adversary, He makes us his slaves. Now let us take a look at the wages. If you are obeying the Adversary, your wages will be death. If you are living in obedience to the Savior, then righteousness and life eternal will be the gift you receive at the end of life’s day (Romans 6: 23).
It looks like a no-brain-er, right? Wrong! If an employer is really anxious to hire someone for a job, the wise, or should I say, shrewd, employer will not show the person the unpleasant tasks to be performed. He or she will show the person all the perks that can be theirs if they accept the job. The unpleasant tasks will become visible eventually.
Let’s not forget, that in this life, we are dealing with the arch-deceiver. Remember when he wanted to get Eve to work for him? He assured her that she would not die. To the contrary she would “be like God.“ He did not explain what knowing evil would imply. He simply said that her eyes would be opened (Genesis 3: 4, 5). Be sure to read the fine print before you accept employment. The unpleasant tasks in the job description might be intentionally hidden!
When the Adversary offered employment to David, I am sure that he did not show him the harvest he would reap: that of a daughter who would be a rape victim (like Bathsheba); and the fourfold (four dead sons), he would have to repay for having taken Uriah’s “one little ewe lamb” (Bathsheba); or, the sword dipped in blood that would not depart from his house all the days of his life (2 Samuel 12: 1-6, 8, 9). He only showed him the moonlit body of a beautiful woman, and whispered in his ear, that as king, he did not have to deny himself any pleasure.
Then he tried to offer Jesus employment. Listen to his presentation: “the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, ‘ “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me” ‘ ” (Matthew 4: 8, 9). Do you believe he showed the Savior the sick people in hospitals with terminal illnesses? Or, the terrible wars in which the world would be engaged? Or, the many broken homes and the misery that would follow? Of course not! He showed the Savior only the “glory” of these kingdoms! Perhaps he forgot that Jesus had fought with him in heaven and was acquainted with his deceptive methods of warfare.
It is easy to find yourself working for the wrong employer. God has left us a work manual complete with job descriptions. Prayerfully review the working code of ethics of each job before accepting any job proposals. It is a matter of life and death!