Bondservant: To Jesus or to sin?

[Keith]

Bondservant: To Jesus or to sin?

What is a bondservant? It's someone whose person and liberty is subjected to the authority of a master; being bound to something/someone and serving them, or it.

Bondslave is another word that's been used for bondservant. But both terms, valid in their definitions, should get Christians to reflect on their own lives. We know that if we are not a servant of Jesus Christ, we are servants to sin and ourselves. What a hard thought! It seems impossible because it requires either all or nothing from us. Hot or cold. But that is what God requires from us. We've all heard what God will do with the lukewarm: "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth." Revelation 3:15-16

Paul chose to be a bondservant of God. When he had his vision on the road to Damascus, it was one that defined his direction in life. God was calling him. He let Paul know that He won't have any other aim or purpose or goal other than His. Paul, telling the king about his vision, said, "Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision." Acts 26:19

He belonged to Jesus and Jesus was his purpose. "For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.." (1 Corinthians 2:2) Paul didn't see or live for anything else. He didn't have his own agenda. He wasn't serving a cause. It was all for Jesus alone.

It's not enough to just realize or believe that God sent Jesus to redeem the world. We need to have our basis in a personal relationship with Jesus. I mean a real one, not just believing in Jesus to be saved. We need an intimate, personal, daily knowledge of Him that only comes from relying on Him, trusting Him and spending time in His presence. It's a determination to serve, like Paul did.

"Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God."

Romans 1:1

"For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake. For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." 2 Corinthians 4:5-6

"For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ." Galatians 1:10

"Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart," Ephesians 6:5-6

"Exhort bondservants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back, 10 not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things." Titus 2: 9-10

"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross." Philippians 2:5-8

The above is a great job description of a bondservant! One who humbles himself and becomes obedient, even to the point of death, for his Master. The question is, who is our Master? Jesus or sin?

Who, or what, are we serving? Are we serving ourselves? Our agenda? Sin? Or are we serving Jesus? For the answer, we need to look past our head knowledge and our words. We need to look at our hearts, our motives and our actions because they give the answer for us.

"For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men

[nebula]

I know this most likely is not what you were thinking of . . .

but one thing that struck me with this . . .

is how few Christians truly think of their life in Christ this way . . .

which is probably why so many when they fall into hard times and questions about the truth of Scripture tend to fall away.

They forgot that they made a seal to belong to God and be the servant of Jesus here on Earth.

They forgot that "it's not about us [but] all about Him."

It's good to be reminded that we are servants who are bounded to our Master.

It puts life in a whole different perspective.

Thanks for the study, Keith!

[Keith]

Thanks Nebula,

Actually, I believe your comments go right along with this study. When Christians forget that they are no longer their own, but were bought with a price, they begin to stray and fulfill their own agenda, in their own way, in their own strength, ending up in sin. It's one or the other.

That's what Christians find so difficult... staying as a bondservant to Jesus. I think we tend to abuse His grace when we are back and forth so much.

I've done more on this study, but I wanted to see if there was any interest in it first. Again, I didn't post a popular or the typical "feel good" study. I love studying the stuff that makes me grow and challenges me to be the best that He created me to be!

[Pilgrim7]

Praise God for the truth!

God bless,

Dennis

[Keith]

Paul said in Luke 22:26-30 "...on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.

"But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials. And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

Here is a good part of the description of what it means to be a bondservant. It's pretty serious stuff. It's a big cup to drink from. Forsaking ourselves, our motives, our ambitions, our reputations, our lives... to be bound to Him for His purpose and His will alone. To follow His example in serving others. Serving others is a part of serving God. It's not an easy task, which causes it to be a conscious, on-purpose decision to make. It's not something we just fall into. It's a determination to serve Him.

2 Corinthians 4:5 "For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake."

Paul made the determination to serve God with everything he had, as long as there was one person out there who hadn't heard the gospel, he was debted to serve them. Whether his circumstances were abased or abound, good or bad, he didn't waiver from His service to God. He was a bondservant! He served men because he loved God

What could he, and we, expect from this servitude? Paul was broken-hearted, abused and crushed in his service. He was shown ingratitude by many people. But none of this stood in his way to serve the God he loved. Great! Where do I sign up! Can't resist an offer like that!

That's why it's a conscious choice. How much do we love Him? Can we be so debted to Him that we will serve Him through any circumstance? How about in serving others, even the unlovely? I'm sure Paul had his times of joy, comfort and appreciation! Serving God is not all about misery and difficult times. In Him we have our peace and joy and He is a God who loves to bless us! But I think that it's the tough times are stressed so people can fully know the choice before them. It's part of the meat of the Word, and not the milk. It's a hard thing.

More to come...

[Keith]

"...the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts..." Romans 5:5

When the above verse happens to us, we identify ourselves with Jesus and His interests. What He's interested in is people.

Do we then have a right to act according to our own agenda or feelings? When we understand that we are not our own and that we were bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:19,20), we begin to see that we will need to make sacrifices. Bondservants do just that. They are no longer their own but are bound to their Master. It's definitely not easy, is it? (Boy, do I know!)

Side note: But if we are diligent, we will keep striving to be perfect, just as He is perfect. We can be perfect as 2 Timothy 3: 16,17 says, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." By staying in the Word which thoroughly furnishes us! That's why we should keep striving!

One of those sacrifices is laying down our lives for Him. "I will very gladly spend and be spent for you." 2 Corinthians 12:15. We aren't doing this for a cause, but for Jesus and His interests. Paul's life was spent winning people to Jesus. He didn't do any of this for himself.

"Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings." 1 Corinthians 9:19-23.

In his sacrifice, he became all things to all people. He did this to win people to Jesus. He made himself available to be used by Jesus, for Jesus. He didn't say He needed to go off by himself to develop a holy life. If he did, what use would he have been to anyone? He would be thinking about himself. Instead he gave his life freely, to serve people as Jesus did. How many of us have gone off by ourselves to develop a holy life? Are we studying the Word and spending time with Jesus for ourselves or so that we can spend ourselves in serving others, as Jesus did?

Are we after our own agenda? If we are then Jesus can't help Himself to our lives. If we are His bondservants, we will have no agenda of our own to serve.

That's a tough order to fill though isn't it? How do we surrender ourselves so completely? How can we live in the world, serve others and not take thought for ourselves? Isn't that asking a lot? Yes, it is, but He gave up so much for us. That's the answer to the question: "How can I possibly do that?"

Paul's example gives us the answer. Simply put, Paul was in love with Jesus. People in love have incredible devotion to the one they love. Paul said, "For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers," in Romans 9:3. Paul is talking about his concern for his fellow Jews. Paul isn't saying that he actually wishes he were cut off from Jesus so other Jews would be saved, but his grief for them is so deep that it brings him very near to that point. A man in love with Jesus would talk that way!

Paul's motivation was Jesus, not the things that freed him spiritually. We all need to take the time to examine our own lives. What motivates us? Are we willing to become true bondservants of Jesus Christ? Do we love Him that much?

[Your closest friendnt]

Yes bond servant to Jesus , that's what I want, and not to forget my family, serving two Masters, but never forgetting Jesus in every thing I do.

And serving one another in humility and the guidance of the holy spirit.