No Longer a Slave

In my class on "Resurrected Life" last night, Alan Platt told a story about Johnny and Sally and a goose.

It seems that Johnny is given a bb gun for his birthday. He is outside messing around with it and accidently shoots his grandma's favorite goose in the head. The goose falls over dead. Johnny is appalled at what he has done and afraid of how upset his grandma will be. He decides to bury the goose so there will be no evidence. He digs a hole, buries it, and covers it with grass and twigs. As he is walking into the house his sister Sally says, "I saw what you did".

Before dinner his grandma asks Sally to sweep out the kitchen. Sally looks at Johnny and says "Johnny will do it. Won't you, Johnny?" Johnny says he will and proceeds to sweep out the kitchen. After dinner, Grandma tells Sally it's her turn to wash the dishes. Sally says "Johnny will do it. Won't you, Johnny?" So Johnny does it, too fearful of getting caught to stand up to Sally.

All night long, Johnny is bothered  by this and doesn't sleep well. It still bothers him the next day. So Johnny decides to come clean and confess to his grandma what he has done.

Johnny goes to his grandma and tells her the truth. Grandma says, I already knew you did that". Johnny says, "Why didn't you tell me you knew?" Grandma says, "I wanted to see how long you would let Sally keep you as her slave".

I feel like this is what Jesus is saying to me. "How long will you let Satan keep you as his slave?" I have been listening to Satan's lies all my life. I have believed it when Satan has told me I am guilty and bad and undeserving of God's goodness.

By God's grace, I am no longer going to be enslaved by Satan's lies. I am going to believe that I am declared innocent because of Jesus' shed blood on the cross. I am going to believe I have been delivered of guilt and shame and condemnation because of Jesus' love.

God's Word tells me that this is the truth. "Jesus said to the people who believed in Him, "You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free", John 8:31-32. NLT; "So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free", John 8:36, NLT; "So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law", Galations 5:1. NLT