36 Bible Verses about Slavery, Spiritual

They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants and we never have been anybody's slaves. How can you say to us, 'You will be set free'?" Jesus answered them, "I most solemnly say to you, everyone who lives in sin is a slave of sin. Now a slave does not live permanently in a household, but a son does.read more.
So if the Son sets you free, you will be really free.

Accordingly, sin must not continue to reign over your mortal bodies, so as to make you continue to obey their evil desires, and you must stop offering to sin the parts of your bodies as instruments for wrongdoing, but you must once for all offer yourselves to God as persons raised from the dead to live on perpetually, and once for all offer the parts of your bodies to God as instruments for right-doing. For sin must not any longer exert its mastery over you, for now you are not living as slaves to law but as subjects to God's favor.read more.
What are we to conclude? Are we to keep on sinning, because we are not living as slaves to law but as subjects to God's favor? Never! Do you not know that when you habitually offer yourselves to anyone for obedience to him, you are slaves to that one whom you are in the habit of obeying, whether it is the slavery to sin whose end is death or to obedience whose end is right-doing? But, thank God, that though you once were slaves of sin, you became obedient from your hearts to that form of teaching in which you have been instructed, and since you have been freed from sin, you have become the slaves of right-doing.

What are we then to conclude? Is the law sin? Of course not! Yet, if it had not been for the law, I should not have learned what sin was, for I should not have known what an evil desire was, if the law had not said, "You must not have an evil desire." Sin found its rallying point in that command and stirred within me every sort of evil desire, for without law, sin is lifeless. I was once alive when I had no connection with the law, but when the command came, sin revived, and then I died;read more.
and so, in my case, the command which should have meant life turned out to mean death. For sin found its rallying point in that command and through it deceived me and killed me. So the law itself is holy, and its specific commands are holy, right, and good. Did that which is good, then, result in death to me? Of course not! It was sin that did it, so that it might show itself as sin, for by means of that good thing it brought about my death, so that through the command sin might appear surpassingly sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am made of flesh that is frail, sold into slavery to sin. Indeed, I do not understand what I do, for I do not practice what I want to do, but I am always doing what I hate. But if I am always doing what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is right. Now really it is not I that am doing these things, but it is sin which has its home within me. For I know that nothing good has its home in me; that is, in my lower self; I have the will but not the power to do what is right. Indeed, I do not do the good things that I want to do, but I do practice the evil things that I do not want to do. But if I do the things that I do not want to do, it is really not I that am doing these things, but it is sin which has its home within me. So I find this law: When I want to do right, the wrong is always in my way. For in accordance with my better inner nature I approve God's law, but I see another power operating in my lower nature in conflict with the power operated by my reason, which makes me a prisoner to the power of sin which is operating in my lower nature. Wretched man that I am! Who can save me from this deadly lower nature? Thank God! It has been done through Jesus Christ our Lord! So in my higher nature I am a slave to the law of God, but in my lower nature, to the law of sin.

For once we too were without understanding, disobedient, misled, habitual slaves to all sorts of passions and pleasures, spending our lives in malice and envy.

promising them freedom, though they are slaves of destruction themselves; for a man is the slave of anything that conquers him.

This is the freedom with which Christ has made us free. So keep on standing in it, and stop letting your necks be fastened in the yoke of slavery again.

I mean this: As long as the heir is under age he is not a whit better off than a slave, although he is heir of all the property, but he is under guardians and trustees until the time fixed by the father. So when we were spiritually under age, we were slaves to the world's crude notions,read more.
but when the proper time had come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born subject to law, to ransom those who were subject to law, so that we might be adopted as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, "Abba," that is, "Father." So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir by God's own act.

For you do not have a sense of servitude to fill you with dread again, but the consciousness of adopted sons by which we cry, "Abba," that is, "Father."

Since then the children mentioned share our mortal nature, He too took on Himself a full share of the same, in order that He by His death might put a stop to the power of him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and set at liberty those who all their lifetime had been subject to slavery because of their dread of death.

Before the Passover feast started, Jesus knew that His time had come for Him to leave the world and go to the Father, and as He had loved His own in the world He loved them to the last. So Jesus, while supper was on -- although He knew that the devil had suggested to Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray Him -- because He was sure that the Father had put everything into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going back to God,read more.
got up from the table, took off His outer clothes, and took a towel and tied it around His waist. Then He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel which was around His waist. Thus He came to Simon Peter. Peter said to Him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus answered him, "You do not now understand what I am doing, but by-and-by you will learn." Peter said to Him, "You must never wash my feet!" Jesus answered, "Unless I do wash you, you can have no share with me." Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, do not stop with my feet, then, but wash my hands and face too!" Jesus said to him, "Anyone who has taken a bath has no need of washing anything but his feet, but he is clean all over. And you are now clean, though not all of you are." For He knew who was going to betray Him; this is why He said, "You are not all clean." So when He had washed their feet and had put on His clothes and taken His place at the table, He said to them again: "Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right in calling me so, for that is what I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you too ought to wash one another's feet. For I have set you an example, in order that you too may practice what I have done to you. I most solemnly say to you, no slave is superior to his master, and no messenger is greater than the man who sends him. If you know all this, happy are you if you practice it.

But Jesus called them to Him and said, "You know that the rulers of the heathen lord it over them, and their great men rule as despots over them. It is not to be so among you, but whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to hold first position among you must be your slave,read more.
just as the Son of Man has come, not to be served but to serve, and to give His life a ransom price to set many free."

Then Jesus called them to Him, and said to them, "You know that those who are supposed to rule the heathen lord it over them, and their great men rule as despots over them; but this is not to be the case among you. Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to hold the first positions among you must be everybody's slave.read more.
For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give His life a ransom price to set many free."

Keep on fostering the same disposition that Christ Jesus had. Though He was existing in the nature of God, He did not think His being on an equality with God a thing to be selfishly grasped, but He laid it aside as He took on the nature of a slave and became like other men.read more.
Because He was recognized as a man, in reality as well as in outward form, He finally humiliated Himself in obedience so as to die, even to die on a cross. This is why God has highly exalted Him, and given Him the name that is above every other name, so that in the name of Jesus everyone should kneel, in heaven, on earth, and in the underworld, and everyone should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the praise of God the Father.

But now, since you have been freed from sin and have become the slaves of God, the immediate result is consecration, and the final destiny is eternal life.

No one can be a slave to two masters, for either he will hate one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot be slaves of God and money.

No house-servant can be a slave to two masters, for either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Paul, a slave of Jesus Christ, called as an apostle, set apart to preach God's good news,

Whatever you do, do it with all your heart, as work for the Lord and not for men, for you know that it is from the Lord that you are going to get your pay in the form of an inheritance; so keep on serving Christ the Lord.

James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, sends greetings to the twelve tribes that are scattered over the world.

Live like free men, only do not make your freedom a pretext for doing evil, but live like slaves of God.

Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who through the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ have obtained the same precious faith that we have:

So, brothers, we are under obligations, but not to our lower nature to live by the standard set by it; for if you live by such a standard, you are going to die, but if by the Spirit you put a stop to the doings of your lower nature, you will live. For all who are guided by God's Spirit are God's sons.read more.
For you do not have a sense of servitude to fill you with dread again, but the consciousness of adopted sons by which we cry, "Abba," that is, "Father." The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirits that we are God's children; and if children, then also heirs, heirs of God and fellow-heirs with Christ if in reality we share His sufferings, so that we may share His glory too.

I no longer call you slaves, because the slave does not know what his master is doing; I now call you friends, because I have told you everything that I have learned from my Father.

Was not our forefather Abraham shown to be upright by his good deeds, namely, by offering Isaac his son upon the altar? You see that faith cooperated with his good deeds, and by his good deeds faith was made complete; and so the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham put his faith in God, and it was credited to him for uprightness, and he was called God's friend."

So Jesus said to the Jews who believed in Him, "If you live in accordance with what I teach, you are really my disciples, and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free." They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants and we never have been anybody's slaves. How can you say to us, 'You will be set free'?"read more.
Jesus answered them, "I most solemnly say to you, everyone who lives in sin is a slave of sin. Now a slave does not live permanently in a household, but a son does. So if the Son sets you free, you will be really free.

Tell me, you who want to be subject to law, will you not listen to what the law says? For the Scripture says that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave girl, the other by a free woman. But the child of the slave girl was born in the ordinary course of nature, while the child of the free woman was born to fulfill the promise.read more.
This is spoken as an allegory. For these women are two covenants, one coming from Mount Sinai, bearing children that are to be slaves; that is, Hagar (and Hagar means Mount Sinai, in Arabia) and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for Jerusalem is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. For the Scripture says: "Rejoice, you childless woman, who never bore a child; break forth into shouting, you who feel no birth pangs; for the desolate woman has many children, even more than the married one." Now we, brothers, like Isaac, are children born to fulfill the promise. But just as then the child born in the ordinary course of nature persecuted the one born by the power of the Spirit, so it is today. But what does the Scripture say? "Drive off the slave girl and her son, for the slave girl's son shall never share the inheritance with the son of the free woman." So, brothers, we are children, not of a slave girl but of a free woman.

What are we to conclude? Are we to keep on sinning, because we are not living as slaves to law but as subjects to God's favor? Never! Do you not know that when you habitually offer yourselves to anyone for obedience to him, you are slaves to that one whom you are in the habit of obeying, whether it is the slavery to sin whose end is death or to obedience whose end is right-doing? But, thank God, that though you once were slaves of sin, you became obedient from your hearts to that form of teaching in which you have been instructed,read more.
and since you have been freed from sin, you have become the slaves of right-doing. I am speaking in familiar human terms because of the frailty of your nature. For just as you formerly offered the parts of your bodies in slavery to impurity and to ever increasing lawlessness, so now you must once for all offer them in slavery to right-doing, which leads to consecration. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free so far as doing right was concerned. What benefit did you then derive from doing the things of which you are now ashamed? None, for they end in death. But now, since you have been freed from sin and have become the slaves of God, the immediate result is consecration, and the final destiny is eternal life. For the wages paid by sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life through union with Christ Jesus our Lord.

Yes, indeed, though I am free from any human power, I have made myself a slave to everybody, to win as many as possible.

For I am not proclaiming myself but Christ Jesus as Lord, and myself a slave of yours for Jesus' sake.

For you, brothers, were called to freedom; only you must not let your freedom be an excuse for the gratification of your lower nature, but in love be slaves to one another.

"Who then is the faithful and thoughtful slave, whom his master put in charge of his household, to deal out to the members of it their supplies at the proper time? Blessed is that slave if, when his master comes back, he finds him so doing. I solemnly say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property.read more.
But if the slave is bad and says to himself, 'My master is going to be gone a long time,' and begins to beat his fellow-slaves, and keeps on eating and drinking with those who get drunk, the master of that slave will come on the very day he is not expecting him, and will cut him in two, and give him his share with the hypocrites, where they will weep and grind their teeth."

And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful, thoughtful manager whom his master will put in charge of his household, to give out the supplies at the proper time? Happy is that slave whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. I tell you truly, he will put him in charge of all his property.read more.
But if that slave says to himself, my Master is not coming back for a long time, and begins to beat the men and women slaves, and to eat and drink and get drunk, his master will come back some day when he is not expecting him, and at an hour of which he is not aware, and will cut him in two, and give him his share with the unfaithful.

"For it is just like a man who was going on a long journey from his homeland, who called to him his slaves and turned his property over to them. He gave one five thousand dollars, another two thousand, another one thousand, to each in accordance with his ability. Then he started on his long journey. The man who had received the five thousand dollars at once went out and invested it, and made five thousand more.read more.
In the same way the man who had received the two thousand made two thousand more. But the man who had received the one thousand went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master's money. After a long time the master of those slaves came back and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five thousand dollars came up and brought him five thousand more, saying, 'You turned over to me five thousand dollars; here are five thousand more I made.'

So He said: "Once upon a time a man of noble birth went off to a distant country to get for himself a kingdom and then return. He called in ten of his slaves and gave them twenty dollars apiece and told them to do business with his money while he was gone. But his citizens continued to hate him, and sent a delegation after him to say, 'We do not want this man to become king over us.'read more.
Then after he had gotten the appointment as king, he returned and ordered those slaves to whom he had given his money to be called in, that he might find out what business they had done. Now the first one came in and said, 'Your twenty dollars, sir, has made two hundred more.' So he said to him, 'Well done, my good slave! Because you have proven dependable in a very small business, be governor of ten cities!'

"What man among you, if he has a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he comes in from the field, 'Come at once and take your seat at the table,' but will not rather say to him, 'Get my supper ready, and dress yourself and wait on me until I eat and drink, and you yourself can eat and drink afterward'? Does he praise the slave for doing what he was ordered to do?read more.
So you too, when you do all that you are ordered to do, say, 'We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done.'"

For all nature is expectantly waiting for the unveiling of the sons of God. For nature did not of its own accord give up to failure; it was for the sake of Him who let it thus be given up, in the hope that even nature itself might finally be set free from its bondage to decay, so as to share the glorious freedom of God's children.read more.
Yes, we know that all nature has gone on groaning in agony together till the present moment.