"O Lord, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, and the sonof your handmaid; You have loosed my bonds." (Psalm 116:16)
That is the language of the soul that has learned that: "Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful." (Psalm 116:5)
But the loosing of bonds is the work of the Holy Spirit; "For where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." (2 Corinthians 3:17)
The Spirit of the Lord proclaims "liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound." (Isaiah 61:1)
But, "As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but you have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God." (Romans 8:14-16)
Therefore as soon as we recognize the fact that God has delivered us, so that we may serve Him, and we acknowledge that we are His servants, and free, He says, "Wherefore you are no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ." (Galatians 4:7)
When the returning prodigal said: "I have sinned...make me as one of your hired servants," (Luke 15:19) the father said: "This my son was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found." (Luke 15:24)--Present Truth, April 25, 1895--Original title: Back Page--Psalm 116:16.