Conversion To Christ Changes Everything!

# 398 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 1Sa 30:14,15, “We made an invasion of the southern area of the Cherethites, in the territory which belongs to Judah, and of the southern area of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire." 15 And David said to him, "Can you take me down to this troop?" So he said, "Swear to me by God that you will neither kill me nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will take you down to this troop." (1 Sam 30:14,15) The Egyptian slave, left to die by his master proves to be very useful to David and his men. He knows where the Amalekites have camped and promises to lead David to them if David would promise to spare his life and not return him to his master. Evidently traitors and slaves were not treated very well in biblical times, and this Egyptian feared for his life at the hands of David and the Amalekites. Well, he need not fear David because God's people had a different view of slaves. De 23:15, 16 says, "You shall not give back to his master the slave who has escaped from his master to you. 16 "He may dwell with you in your midst, in the place which he chooses within one of your gates, where it seems best to him; you shall not oppress him.” Reading this portion of Deuteronomy, one can't help but think of the runaway slave named Onesimus, that we find in the New Testament Book called Philemon. In this book we read of Onesemus becoming converted to Christianity under the preaching of Paul while he was in Rome. Technically, Onesimus was home free! The Word of God protected him from being sent back to his master, but the Holy Spirit uses the incident to teach us about the relationships between fellow Christians. Paul urges Philemon to receive Onesemus as a brother in the Lord. And even though Onesimus remains a slave, everything about his relationship with Philemon changes. This incident with Philemon and Onesimus is the personification of the truth found in Ga 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Conversion to Christ changes everything. The ground at the cross is level. May the Lord help us grasp this truth and love and serve each other with pure hearts, no matter what our station in life may be.