We learned from Matthew 25 through the parable of the talents that:
The way we will live in eternity and what we will receive at the end of this earthly life will depend on the choices we make, how we invest in the kingdom of God and how we use our life, our time, our gifts and our resources on this earth.
The understanding of the lordship of Christ was stolen from the current generation of believers. Many accept Jesus only as a saviour but not as the Lord of their lives.
Today’s Message: Slave of Christ
I know that the word “slave” doesn’t sound good to our ears, slavery is such a distasteful part of our past and no one in their sound mind could think anything positive about slavery. But when you read the New Testament, you’ll see we are called “slaves of Christ”.
Let’s read some verses that speak about this truth.
“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
Colossians 1:13-14 NIV
“And they sang a new song, saying: “You Jesus are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.”
Revelation 5:9 NIV
Jesus rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and he bought us, paid a high price with His own blood for you to be part of his kingdom.
In Him we have Redemption!
Redemption’ is a word taken from the “slave market” – the basic idea is to obtain freedom by the paying of a ransom.
If we do not have revelation of the Cross and of our redemption, we will live unhappy life, focussed on ourselves and at the end of our life we will deeply repent for not having lived a life as “slave of Christ”!
May the Holy Spirit help us to understand and give us the revelation that we are here to love and serve Jesus and his Kingdom!
The New Testament was written originally in Greek and if you read in its original text you are going to see that the word “slave” appears in the New Testament 130 times in the original text.
The Greek word for slave is “Doulos” . The translators’ favourite word for “doulos” is “servant”.
For example,
Jesus said this: “No man can be a slave for two masters.” Matthew 6:24
What does your Bible say? “No man can serve two masters.”
The Greek word used by Jesus was “δουλευω douleuo” – No one can be a slave for two masters.
I was looking at different translations, such as the Russian, English, Portuguese and the Russian translator and some English translations only uses the word “slave” and not the word “servant”.
Let’s see another example.
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant”
Matthew 25:21 NIV
The Greek word used here by Jesus is “δουλος – doulos”: “Well done, good and faithful slave.”
Being a slave of Christ may be the best way to define a Christian.
We are, as believers, slaves of Christ.
The person who truly believes in Christ is a slave to Christ. If you’re not a slave to Christ, you don’t truly believe on Him.
Now let’s see how all disciples and apostles saw themselves.
The apostle Paul, for example, did not see himself, the great writer of the New Testament, as the great founder of Christianity. He did not see himself that way. He saw himself as a slave of God and Christ.
“This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News.”
Romans 1:1 NTL
So in Romans 1:1, where some translations say: a servant of Christ Jesus. The word is actually “doulos”, a slave of Christ Jesus. That was his formal introduction to the Romans, a slave of Christ Jesus.
“This letter is from Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus. I am writing to all of God’s holy people in Philippi who belong to Christ Jesus, including the church leaders and deacons.” Philippians 1:1 NLT
Apostle Paul includes Timothy, “Paul and Timothy,” – and again here is the Greek word “doulos” as slaves of Christ Jesus.
“Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Galatians 1:10 NIV
Paul says it again, he says, “If I was trying to please men, I would not be a slave of Christ.”
Now, he knew what slavery meant. I only do what pleases my master. This is the singular focus of being a slave. You don’t have to please a lot of people, you only need to please one.
He says it to the Corinthians, “I have as my ambition to be pleasing to Him.”
Do what He says and do what pleases Him. It’s that simple. That’s what a slave does!
“This letter is from Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ.”
Titus 1:1 NLT
He is a slave of God, he is a slave of Christ.
Let’s see what said James the half brother of Jesus.
“This letter is from James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
James 1:1 NLT
He is James, the half-brother of Jesus. He’s not trying to elevate himself, he doesn’t say, “I’m James the half-brother of Jesus.” He says, “I am James, a slave of God and a slave of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
“Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.””
James 4:13, 15 NIV
That is a slave talk. That’s what it means to be subject to Lordship of a Lord.
Let’s see what the apostle Jude says in his letter.
“This letter is from Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and a brother of James.”
Jude 1:1 NLT
James and Jude and the apostle Paul all said they were slaves of Jesus, now let’s look at the “great” Apostle Peter.
“This letter is from Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ.”
2 Peter 1:1 NLT
We’re talking about the elite here (the apostles of Jesus)! We’re talking about those at the top of the spiritual list and they happily and gladly identified themselves as slaves of Christ and slaves of God.
In 2nd Timothy chapter 2 in verse 24, Paul is writing to Timothy and he’s giving instructions on how pastors ought to conduct themselves and how they ought to minister and serve in the church.
“And a servant (δουλος doulos) of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient,” II Timothy 2:24 NKJV
Here those who teach and lead the church are identified as slaves. This is not some reference of any old believer. What I’m trying to tell you is this: the apostles took this identification upon themselves. The most noble authors of the New Testament took this title to themselves.
They conferred it upon the noblest of their brotherhood and they so labeled those who, following them, would become the leaders of the church.
We should all be slaves of God and slaves of Jesus Christ. Several times in the book of Acts, believers are referred to as slaves. This is consistent all through the New Testament.
Let’s look now at the book of Revelation. You might not think this triumphal book is a place to talk about slavery, but the book that speaks about our future with the Lord doesn’t change our title of slave.
“The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants (δουλος doulos) what must soon take place.”
Revelation 1:1 NIV
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave him to show to His slaves.”
This extends it beyond the New Testament era, beyond the apostles, beyond those who followed the apostles.
In Revelation 7:4 , the 144,000 in the future during the time of the Tribulation are still called slaves.
“but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants (δουλος doulos) the prophets.”
Revelation 10:7 NKJV
The prophets were His slaves in the past. People of the future are also His slaves. And it just continues on like that through the book of Revelation.
The people of God are identified as slaves.
Let’s go to heaven in Revelation 22. Revelation 22 we get a glimpse of heaven.
“No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and His servants (δουλος doulos) will serve Him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads”
Revelation 22:3-4 NIV
Here’s the word “Doulos” again – “ slaves will serve Him; and they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.
Well, as slaves, we’re going to have something on our forehead, it will be His own name whom we serve.
“The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants (δουλος doulos) the things that must soon take place.”” Revelation 22:6 NIV
They were slaves in the past, they’ll be slaves in the future, slaves in heaven.
We’re His slaves now who are being taught by the book of Revelation that these things will come to pass. We will never stop being slaves, never.
Are you a slave of Christ? What are the characteristics of a slave?
First: Exclusive ownership.
A servant can be hired and quit. A slave is owned. That means exclusive ownership because he was bought with a price.
Second: Complete and constant availability and obedience.
No man can be a slave to two masters, right? Impossible. You could have two employers, you could have a day job and a night job. But you can’t have two masters who has total control over you.
We are slave of Jesus Christ. We are owned by Him because we’ve been bought with a price.
We must be in a position of complete and constant availability and obedience to that one master to the degree that we can say, “Not my will but Your will be done” all the time
And, by the way, you’re always going to be the slave of someone.
Being a slave to Jesus Christ is the greatest privilege we can have, because He treats us like children and gives us all the rights of His own children.
He adopts us into His family, calls us joint heirs with Christ, takes us to heaven where we rule and reign from His own throne, and pours out all the riches on our lives, forever and ever and ever, for our own joy and His own glory.
Who would not want to be a slave under that master? What a joy to be a slave of Christ.
Today He calls you, come serve Me, come love Me, give your life to Me, be a good and faithful slave because one day I will take you and you will be with me for all eternity!
May God bless and keep you.