Day Four – As bond servants

Day Four – As bond servants
Passages: Gal 2:20, 1 Pt. 1:16

Gal. 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

1Pt. 1:16 - for it is written, "Be holy because I (am) holy."
Paul claims to be a bond servant in the introduction of many of his letters, a bond-servant to Christ. What does this mean? The Greek word, behind this text is "doulos" and it basically means “slave” (Zodhiates). Another way to think about it is “one who gives himself up to another's will those whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing his cause among men.” I love how Oswald Chambers puts it, “The passion of Christianity is that I deliberately sign away my own rights and become a bond-slave of Jesus Christ. Until I do that, I do not begin to be a saint (Chambers).”
Being a bond servant or a slave is not easy. Paul is calling us to be crucified with Christ. He is calling us to live by faith, not flesh. And Peter repeats Moses’ call for us to be holy as God is holy. Romans 6:13 says, “Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.” This means we need to do three things: First we must refuse to give ourselves to sin. Then we must yield our whole self unto God. This means to give in to surrender. Finally it means to yield ourselves as instruments of righteousness unto God. We are not slaves to sin. We are not slaves to self. We are to be slaves to God and God only.