“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11)
The Basket Case Chronicles #72
“Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called. Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s servant. Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men. Brethren, let every man, where he is called, therein abide with God” (1 Cor. 7:20-24).
Paul acknowledges that God is the one who writes every story; He is the one who directs each of our lives. This means that we must assume that He knew the position we would be in at the time He called us to Himself. We do not resign ourselves to that condition forever and ever, with a kind of fatalism, but neither are we to panic as though something terrible has happened.
The example of this principle Paul turns to now involves slavery—a condition of servitude. Paul says that if a man was called to Christ while a slave, he ought not to be anxious over the fact. Remain there, Paul teaches. But if a natural opportunity for freedom comes, then take it. Freedom is better than slavery, but agitation over slavery while a slave just makes the slavery worse. Paul here prohibits Christians from becoming slaves voluntarily, and he urges slaves to become free as they have opportunity. But the way a person comes to freedom is very important . . . otherwise, he will just bring his slavery with him, and it will turn into a different kind of slavery. A number of the slaves that Moses liberated remained in slavery in the wilderness.
A slave should therefore live as Christ’s freeman—and if he is set free, he will be ready. And a man who is free should live as Christ’s slave, which in turn will prepare him for any eventuality. A man should assume that God wants him to be in the condition he was in when he was converted, unless providentially led to another condition.