1 Corinthians 7:22 ESV — For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ.

Ok – this passage is confusing at first glance. What is Paul trying to communicate here. Each person described has a freedom associated with him and a slavery associated with him. What is going on?

It just didn’t make sense for me, and, as a paradox is wont to do, it took me outside of my usual way of thinking.

I suppose the best thing to start with is to understand the terms we are dealing with.

Freedom

What is freedom?  When we say we are free,  the question needs to be asked – free from what?  There is no freedom in a vacuum, for if we claim to be free from all restrictions, laws and common sense, we become more and more the slaves to our base nature.

Bob Dylan was right when he said “we gotta serve somebody”.

Paul is making the previous statement with this understanding, that freedom and bondage are two sides of the same coin. There is no third side, as it is an either or situation.

Physical Freedom

If we are free from the bondage of physical slavery, we can find freedom in the Lord. This freedom is found in our release from the bondage of sin, not man. Though we may be physically free, we are all slaves of sin. To become a believer and a slave to God, we are released from the condition of being slaves to sin. At this point we can experience freedom in the Lord.

Romans 6:22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.

Being set free from sin is the result of becoming a slave to God. 

Generally, for Paul to describe the believer as free yet a bondman to God, describes the non-slave in Roman times as a slave in his spirit to God.  As a slave to God, we have been set free from sin, that taskmaster that leads us to the grave.

Paul is speaking of the freedom of the slave of God! Tremendous paradox, in and of itself, speaking to the grace and goodness of God in His desires for His people!

Spiritual Freedom

On the other hand, if we are not free from the bondage of physical slavery, which is still a very tragic reality in our world even today, we, like the man discussed above, can experience the freedom of release from sin.

He may still be a physical slave slave, (a very common condition in Roman times), but he is free in Christ, free to obey the Messiah, free in the inner man.  He is  still owned by a human, and is responsible to the human master for his orders, yet he knows the Lord is over all, and the physical slave can find an inner freedom making his deplorable condition not only bearable, but full of purpose, direction and receive inner joy that comes from the Spirit. The physical slave, in becoming a slave to God also, actually finds freedom while owned by a man.

Incredible

But this pair of seeming paradoxes got me to thinking of an additional topic. A bit dangerous when my mind wanders, so I would appreciate a comment or correction in the following thoughts.

Freedom of God

Consider the freedom of God. He always and without exception performs all his works according to His nature, according to His attributes.  In a very heretical manner of speaking, He does not have the “freedom” to act outside of His nature.  Why would He?

Is God free? 

In the  most absolute sense, He is the freest of all, since He is not even tempted to follow after alternate (sinful) acts.  He is the most free, since He has never been in bondage to anything, other than His over the top love for a sinful people.

What think ye of this concept?

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