A friend recently pointed out a verse that got us thinking.
"Bondservants (or Slaves), obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.(Colossians 3:22 ESV)
He wondered whether a slave should not be a slave.
We are rescuing people from a life of slavery all over the world, but are we to rescue first or give the gospel first. Obviously, people are in danger at times and if it was my daughter or son, I probably wouldn't ask questions and just go get them back. And yet, is this what we should be about all the time? Can we even rationally talk that the slave, in whatever the circumstance, is being provided for? And yet how can slavery be compatible with the Bible? Paul seems to be stating that slaves are to fear the Lord first and obey in everything those who are your masters.
My friend mentioned wanting my advice regarding a lady he leads in swimming at the local college in the morning and how she asked him to hold his phone. She's an abortion doctor. And she is known for doing abortions at the last possible moment, receiving $5K per. She even has times when 911 has to be called because the baby escapes the womb and is born (somehow). And at that point, it has rights and 911 must be called for an ambulance to show up to take the baby away--alive. She was swimming and he was holding phones. He does this for the other doctor's there he teaches. The other people that swim think she is an ER doc, but he knows she isn't and they may not want to be even be there if they knew the truth of her. And he struggled with it because she said that if the phone rings, let her know immediately. He was hoping and praying it wouldn't ring. It did. He told her and she was out the door in less than a minute. And he wondered, was he helping an abortion procedure and could he keep doing this?
I reminded him he was her employer basically. He has a contract with the college to teach swimming and he gets payment from the college and these folks pay the college. So, he is in a way her slave. Just like Colossians 3:22. He is to be obedient to her as she is his earthly master. He wondered whether he should tell her he is uncomfortable doing this and he can't be a part of an abortion (if that is what in fact the phone call was about). To me, based upon this verse and what we know of the Gospel, it's Christ that changes lives. People need to be "in Christ." I told him, what she needs is the Gospel first. If you tell her her work makes him uncomfortable you judge her and you do more damage to her having any hope of seeing the Light. Instead, share the Gospel and let the Law (as we have learned) be the judge. You be obedient to the Gospel and let God take care of the outcome.
Is this good advice?
