This blog is from Brian, a slave of Christ Jesus.
Have you ever thought of yourself as a slave to God? I hadn't until recently.
Switch your bible app to NLT and take a look at the first chapter and verse of James, Jude, 2 Peter and Romans.
These are authors of the most important book of all time, and yet each starts their writings with a title of SLAVE.
When I think about a slave, I think of someone with no rights, no possessions, and no personal identity; someone who is owned by a master, who must deny himself of his own personal desires.
The American Dream (or as a friend put it recently, a PHD in entitlement) doesn't lend itself to this kind of thinking. The atrocity of slavery in America makes even saying the word difficult. But this is the terminology used by early followers of Jesus.
In the Old Testament we are told about "bond slaves" those who had been slaves ... released ... then actually go back willingly to their master as slaves because it was a better alternative than their hopeless situation. A bond slave would say "everything I have, everything I am, I sign over to my master." Having visited third world countries, I can somewhat appreciate this idea.
As Christians, isn't this what we profess?
In our earthly world, a slave and master relationship could never work. We are far too broken and sinful. But in the kingdom of God, I have a master who always provides for me. Always protects me. Cares for my needs. Takes the junk in my life and makes it a masterpiece. Gives me peace and rest. Forgives my sins. And oh yeah, adopts me as His son.
We can choose to be a slave to many things. Money. Success. Fear. But it is only after we sign up to become a slave to Jesus, that we truly experience freedom.
