ENSLAVED

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

I lift up my eyes to You, to You who sit enthroned in heaven. As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till He shows us His mercy.

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us, for we have endured no end of contempt. We have endured no end of ridicule from the arrogant, of contempt from the proud.

Psalm 123

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Have you ever thought of yourself as enslaved to the Lord?

It’s not something we talk about is it? And yet if you look throughout the original Greek Bible texts that were translated into what we read as the New Testament, you will find us referred to as slaves to Christ Jesus. The Greek word commonly used that defines this relationship is doulas but in most if not all of the Bible translations we read the word is translated as “servant”, not slave.

Now although there is nothing wrong with the word “servant” being used to describe our relationship with Jesus, it certainly is not the same meaning or connotation as being a slave to Him. Pastor John MacArthur, who actually wrote an entire book on this matter simply entitled “Slave”, had this to say:

While it is true that the duties of slave and servant may overlap to some degree, there is a key distinction between the two: servants are hired; slaves are owned.

Servants have an element of freedom in choosing whom they work for and what they do. The idea of servanthood maintains some level of self-autonomy and personal rights.

Slaves, on the other hand, have no freedom, autonomy, or rights. In the Greco-Roman world, slaves were considered property, to the point that, in the eyes of the law they were regarded as things rather than persons. To be someone’s slave was to be his possession, bound to obey his will without hesitation or argument.

John MacArthur’s writing opened my eyes up to new avenues of understanding about how I am to relate to the Lord. Considering myself a servant over a slave almost becomes a watered-down version of what I am supposed to be, a relaxing of my obligation to Him, a liberation from the bondage I should be under.

When I chose to give my life to Christ, He didn’t just demand a part of my life. No, He demanded and expected that I would surrender everything for Him, including my worldly freedom, just as He surrendered everything, to include His life, for me. And yet, how much do I really give Jesus my everything? How often do I fully submit to Him without reservation or stipulation?

The thought is convicting and transforming all at the same time.

For I WANT to be Christ’s possession, fully enslaved to Him and bound to His every command and direction. I don’t want to have ANY option when it comes to whether or not I serve Him. I don’t want any freedom except for the freedom He brings, a freedom from the bondage of worldly enslavement so I can experience true freedom in Him now and forever. I want to surrender my rights in exchange for His righteousness.

My hope is that you will begin to feel the same if you aren’t already.

Of interest, look at the words of the psalmist in the 123 rd Psalm in regard to this matter of being enslaved to the Lord:

I lift up my eyes to You, to You who sit enthroned in heaven. As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till He shows us His mercy.

Note the concept of being enslaved to the Lord did not just sprout in the New Testament. The psalmist here clearly confesses that the desires of the people of Israel, as well as his own, were focused on their Master, the Lord God Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth. There is submissiveness to these words, a compliance with the One who made them and ruled them.

We would be well served to adopt the psalmist’s attitude and relinquish all that we are and all that we have to the Lord in complete obedience and enslavement. For God purchased all of us at a very steep price, the life of His Son, our Savior, Jesus, and with that, we are forever indebted and bound to Him, not violated in bondage but rather blessed now and forever.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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