Slaves

(Greetings)

1. How many of your (our) people are slaves?

2. What did you say? Slaves? Why there are no more slaves among our tribes. The slave traffic (trade) is a thing of the past. (Or: The people of our tribe have never been slaves. We are a free people and always have been so.)

1. No, my friend, you are mistaken. Many of our people are slaves. Many today are serving Satan. They are his slaves if they obey him. You need to know this. If sin is ruling in your heart, you are a slave of sin. If sin is holding you, do not deny it. Rather, cry to God who will set you free because of Jesus Christ.

2. I have never heard this. Tell me more.

1. Satan blinds the minds of people so that they do not understand this. He is leading them to the lake of fire. We must warn them. We must tell them that Jesus Christ can free them.

2. How does Satan keep them from freedom?

1. Satan rules his slaves by the power of a great hunger. A man who drinks beer or who smokes (hemp, marijuana) is held by the hunger for these things. It eats him up; it kills him. A person who loves to tell lies is ruled by his desire to deceive. Immoral persons are held as slaves to their own lusts. Pride also has its slaves - people are proud because of their possessions, or beauty, or cleverness. Some are proud of their nationality, education, color of skin, and of many suchempty things.
Truly, Satan's slaves are miserable creatures. They hunger (want), but they are never(fully) satisfied. God says, "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within." These show the power Satan has over them.

2. Well, how can we free ourselves from Satan and these hungers (desires)?

1. We can never free ourselves. There is only One who is greater than Satan. Jesus Christ is that One. He came to earth and willingly took the punishment for our sins. By dying for us, He freed us from punishment. Then He rose from death (came back to life). By rising from death (living again), He showed He had power over Satan. Thus He broke Satan's power over us.

2. But it is very clear that Satan still has power over men.

1. Yes, that is so. God does not force men to follow Himself. They may choose to follow Jesus Christ, but if they do not, then they remain in Satan's hand. God tells us that if we follow His Son, Jesus Christ, we can be free. He came into the world so that we "being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve Him (God) without fear." God's message to us is that Jesus Christ came to give light to all of us who sit in darkness, and to set free all who are slaves of Satan. Jesus Christ is so powerful that Satan cannot stop Him; and demons tremble at His name.

2. But will He receive me if I come to Him?

1. Yes. He has told us, "The person that comes to Me, I will not refuse."

2. But how can I come to Him? Isn't God far away?

1. God is so great He is not in just one place. And yet He is able to dwell in our hearts. If you will open your heart, He will put His Spirit inside you. All who receive Him into their lives, He will make them His children. They will no longer be the slaves of Satan.

2. How can I do this?

1. He can hear you talk to Him. You can tell Him right now. Say, "Oh, God, come into my heart. Free me from the sins that bind me. I choose to follow your Son, Jesus Christ. I want to leave the path of Satan forever." God says that those who come to Him in this way, He gives the power to become His children. Not only that, you will have peace, and a new joy will fill you.

REFS: Mark 7:21,22,23; Luke 1:74; John 6:37b.