The last time I began a series on what I believe to be some very practical practices for you and I as
those who wish to follow God's divine Law and in the end, be found "worthy" to enter into God's
divine rest.  Or as one might well say; "I'm not satisfied with just being a "Status-Quo" Christian,
I want to DO BETTER!"  "I'm determined to STRIVE HARDER!" (Lk. 13:23-24)  (Heb. 6:1-3)

    We started out with the first principle; --The principle of EXPEDIENCY:  The apostle Paul says; 
"All things are lawful for me, but NOT all things are EXPEDIENT." (profitable)    (I Cor. 6:12)
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    All right, now for this particular part of our study let's consider another and equally as 
important principle; --- The principle of ENSLAVEMENT.

    Again, Paul writes; --- "All things are lawful to me, but not all things are expedient.  All things 
are lawful for me, but I will not be MASTERED BY ANYTHING."   (I Cor. 6:12)

   That is to say, "I am not going to be ENSLAVED by anything!"
Jesus Christ not only gives us goals to live by; but He said He came to set us FREE!!  Our Lord
said; --- "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a SLAVE of sin.  And the slave does
not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever.  If therefore the Son shall make you 
FREE, you shall be FREE INDEED."   (John 8:34-36)
The Bible says; "If the SON makes you FREE, -- you shall be FREE indeed!!"

    You look around our great country and observe; --- Those who talk most about "FREEDOM"
are the ones who have the least of it!  In this day and age people are always talking about; ---
"Free speech", "Free sex", "Free love" and on and on;  while they themselves are SLAVES!
SLAVES TO SIN!!   Of course they would deny it if you was to ask them.
   They say; "I do what I want to do!"  And THAT'S the reason he's a slave, you see.
Jesus Christ sets us FREE -- NOT to do what we WANT to do, but rather what we OUGHT to do.

   The sinner  is free to do what he WANTS, but he's NOT free to do what he OUGHT to do as 
long as he continues under the power of SATAN!   I say again; --- It is ONLY IN JESUS CHRIST 
that we become FREE NOT TO SIN; --- FREE to do what we OUGHT, rather than what we 
WANT.
   It is Jesus Christ that gives us that PURE LIBERTY; --- (James 1:25) says; "But one who looks
intently at the perfect law, the law of LIBERTY, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful
hearer, but an effectual DOER , this man shall be BLESSED in what he does."  And as Christians,
we are not to be ENSLAVED by ANYBODY or ANYTHING!!
   And yet, far too many Christians who have been set free by the precious blood of the Son of 
God --- Have AGAIN  become entangled in the defilements of this world! You see, there are many 
Christians who are free theoretically, --But they are not free practically.   Let's illustrate;
There's an old story about a soldier in a certain war; ---
   He calls his C.O. and said; "I have taken a prisoner!"
His C.O. replies; "Very good, come on back to headquarters and bring the prisoner with you."
The soldier answers; "But sir, he won't come!"
The officer then said; "Well then leave him, and you come alone."
The soldier replies (sheepishly); "Well he won't let me go!"
Makes you wonder, --- Who's holding who prisoner, doesn't it??

    We often sing that great hymn; "Faith Is The Victory"; --- But at the same time, many of God's
people seem to be ENSLAVED!!
    We look among ourselves and ask; --- Am I enslaved by LUST?  Some even today in the Lord's
church are enslaved by NICOTINE .  It's amazing how many people in the world today who are 
"slaves" to a little white varmint about 3 inches long, known as a cigarette.  SLAVES!!
They've GOT to have them. 
   I've got a friend about two years older than I.  He never had a good education, leads a fairly 
simple life, mostly because he can never afford much, but he will do without food in order to buy
a pack of "smokes".  He told me about ten years ago; "Well I guess if the price gets high enough
I'll quit."  He's still puffing away! His wife, brother and father all died with cancer.  Yet still, he
chooses to be A SLAVE to nicotine.

    Still others are enslaved to CAFFEINE.   If it takes you 2-3 cups of coffee every morning to 
make you fit to live with; --- Maybe you had better check up.

    How many of us are enslaved to T.V?   Enslaved to SPORTS?  And some of us are enslaved to 
our APPETITES!! --- YES, many of us are enslaved to something!!!    YOU pick the subject! 
And do you want to know what the BIBLE has to say?   What the apostle Paul said on the matter, 
whether it's RIGHT or  IF IT WRONG??

Paul says; --- "IF IT ENSLAVES ME, IT'S WRONG!"

Christians are not supposed to be SLAVES to anybody or anything but CHRIST JESUS!!

  If we sacrifice the power of choice which is implied in the thought of liberty, we cease to be free; 
and we are then brought under the power of that which SHOULD be under our power. (Or control)

Okay, --- There's the Bible principle of ENSLAVEMENT
                                                                                                               Humbly Submitted ;
                                                                                                                  Earl Wilburn