I Want to be a Slave!

I WANT TO BE A SLAVE! WHAT ABOUT YOU?

"This letter is from Paul, Jesus Christ's slave" (Romans 1:1). The apostle Paul does not beat about the bush. He does not hide his allegiance to Jesus. Right from the start of the letter, Paul nails down the important point that he is a Christian, and that everything he is and has belongs to Jesus. Slavery to Jesus is the keynote of Paul's letter. Paul tells us that he is not a hired man working with Christ for wages, but a slave who totally belongs to Him. Central to Paul's life and message was the fact that he had been redeemed by the blood of Jesus on Calvary's cross" (Romans 3:24).

Paul informs us in Romans 6 that all of us also belong to someone, and that no person is a free agent. The apostle helps us to understand that every individual is either the slave of "sin, which leads to death, or obedience, which leads to righteousness" (Romans 6:16-23). But slavery to Christ, says Paul, is not bondage. To the contrary, it is how a person gains freedom. And this freedom is to climax in eternal life (Romans 6:23)

My beloved friend, Paul does not mince words that he is a slave of Christ Jesus. What about you and I? How do people view our relationship with Christ? Do they see that we are also slaves of Christ who have surrendered all to Him? Or that they see that we are interested in parading our own accomplishments, good looks, possessions, and our own form of Christianity? These are not questions we should try to avoid. As with Paul, we should be willing to go the extra step to become the slaves of the Master that He can use to glorify Himself at all times. Interestingly, as we present ourselves to the Lord as slaves, He rather loves to see us differently. He sees us to be His own treasured Sons and Daughters of the glorious kingdom (Galatians 4:7).

Jimmie Jackson