Bruce Collins, Evangelist

The personal website of Bruce Collins

How Much are we Worth?


1 Corinthians 6:19-20   Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Who in this life wants to be considered a slave?  In 1865, after a bloody Civil War, the 13th Amendment to the constitution was passed making slavery illegal in the United States.  Most people want to be free from slavery and yet Christians are called upon to be bond slaves of the Lord Jesus.  Why would we want to be bond slaves if we really want freedom?  Doesn’t the Lord say that He sets us free?  In John 8:31 and 32, the Lord says, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  In Romans 6, a Christian is set free from sin to become a slave to righteousness.  Romans 6:17and 18 says, “But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”

It almost sounds as though we who want freedom have been set free from one bondage to come into another, and we have!  When the Lord sets us free in John 8, he makes believers “Sons.”  Now that’s not so bad, A Son of a King is a Prince and that’s what believers are.  Princes and Princesses!  But believers also are freed from the old master Sin, to serve the new master Righteousness.  Sin is simply a way of describing Satan.  Righteousness of course describes Christ.  Now who would want to just change masters?  I believe anyone would like that change if the old master is cruel and the new master is loving and kind and caring. I believe that in one way or another we all serve one master or the other.

In a sense we believers are voluntary slaves to righteousness because no one is forced to become a believer in Christ.  The Holy Spirit convinces, draws, convicts and persuades people to believe on the Lord, but in the final analysis, no one is forced to believe.  I believe many people turn away from true discipleship because they simply don’t want anyone telling them what to do. They don’t realize that we don’t live in a vacuum and either Satan is our master or the Lord is.  If Satan is our master, at the end of life and often during our short stay here in earth, it will become obvious that he is a cruel task master.  But the Lord wants what is best for us and submitting to Him brings blessing both now and in eternity. 

How valuable are we to the Lord? Every person in this world is valuable and the Lord paid the ultimate price to make us His.  He didn’t bargain to pay the lowest price, He paid the highest price.  He paid all.  He gave Himself!  Some days when I begin to wonder if anything really matters, I think about the price that the Lord paid to make me a Son in His family and to allow me to be freed from Satan so that I can serve Him.  And then I think about how He not only delivered me from sin, but He sent His Holy Spirit to dwell in me.  So now I am His temple as well.  The Old Testament temple was big and beautiful and ornate.  This temple called my body is short and pudgy and not extremely attractive.  But the Lord paid more to have me as His temple than He did to build that Old Testament temple.  He calls me His Son and asks me to serve Him. 

I realize that salvation is free, but a little thanksgiving would seem to be in order.  Serving Him is the least I can do.  Serving Him is not burdensome because of the kind of master that He is.  His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matthew 11:29). 

Being the Lord’s slave is a privilege.  He paid dearly to own me.

Bruce Collins

Meditation for the week of August 25, 2013

3 Comments »

Comment by Helen Pierce

August 26, 2013 @ 2:09 pm

Bruce, I have never known anyone to address this issue as you have. Thanks for putting this into words. it was very helpful and I hope that it will bless many others as it did me… Our love to Geneva!

Comment by silencer

August 27, 2013 @ 6:35 pm

whats your twitter?

Comment by bruce

August 27, 2013 @ 6:58 pm

Bruce Collins@preacherofpeace

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