Caspar Olevianus on the Christian’s freedom and slavery

[Reformed Covenanter]

First, there is no greater freedom under heaven. It is as great as the suffering and most powerful resurrection of Christ, by which we have been called into freedom. It is the greatest freedom in heaven and earth because the sacrifice of the Son surpasses heaven and earth and remains valid in eternity, so that the devil cannot attack us any more. Similarly, the slavery of a Christian is greater than any other slavery, except that it is a slavery not to the bad but to the good and is motivated by a free conscience. After all, who was a greater slave than Christ, who became the servant of his enemies and even washed the feet of Judas? Thus a Christian must do good even to his enemies and opponents, as Christ said: “You too must wash one another’s feet.”

If Christ suffered the vilest things for you and took your shame on himself, for he took your sins and crimes on him as if he were the one who had committed them and he suffered the pains of eternal damnation for you. As it is said, “He tasted death for us all,” and now Christ has placed our brothers and neighbours in his place, so I ask you, what is so awful about serving Christ and your brothers, at his command? Philippians 2 exhorts us to serve our neighbours by following the example of Christ. In fact, we are not just slaves; we are the garbage and filth of the world, just as Christ was rejected for our sake and considered to be the filth of the world.

For the reference, see Caspar Olevianus on the Christian’s freedom and slavery.