Slaves By Choice

Slaves by Choice

You are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil.

1 Peter 2:16

Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.

Galatians 1:10

A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people.

2 Timothy 2:24

Hello, I’m Bill Jones. I’m a real estate agent in Springfield.”

“I’m Christopher. I’m on the varsity basketball team.”

“Hello, I’m Ashley Smith. I’m friends with Taylor.”

These are the ways we typically introduce ourselves to people we are meeting for the first time. We try to figure out what to tell the other person about ourselves that will give us a sense of identity and credibility in their eyes.

The first thing we say about ourselves or the way we identify ourselves when we meet someone new makes a strong statement about how we see ourselves. It says a lot about what we believe is important about us. This helps us understand the significance of the way Paul, James, Peter, and John introduce themselves at the beginning of their letters. Each of these writers introduces himself the same way—as a bond servant or slave of Jesus Christ (See Romans 1:1; James 1:1; 2 Peter 1:1; AND Revelation 1:1). It’s as if each writer is saying, “The most important thing about me is that I’ve made Jesus Christ my master. Obeying him is the focus of my life. He is so precious to me that I’ve willingly bonded myself to him as his servant for life.” Bond servant doesn’t just describe them; it defines them. It shows they know they’ve been bought by Christ and are owned by him. They have submitted themselves completely to do whatever pleases him.

Becoming a bond servant is not just for super-saints. It is the calling of every believer—to define ourselves as servants of Jesus.

DISCUSSION STARTERS

Think about a recent time when you introduced yourself. What did your choice of words show about what you see as significant about yourself?

What would be difficult about being a slave? How is it different to be a slave of Christ compared to being a slave of another person?

How might seeing yourself as a bond servant to Christ impact how you pray?