Slave

No one can serve two masters. for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (Matthew 6:24)

Massive cosmic puzzle piece put in place
I am reading the book Slave, by John MacArthur, published in 2010. I was shocked to learn that the word slave had been incorrectly and repeatedly translated into the word servant in the New Testament, because of the obvious negative connotations that the word slave conjures. This means that each time the word servant appears, the word slave ought to be reinstated. This astounding truth has changed my view, my sense of belonging to Christ. It feels as though a massive cosmic puzzle piece has been placed into my understanding of myself and the experiences I have had with non believers.

Makes me blush with self reproach

 

Here is the distinction I am making for myself. To serve God or one another is almost a nicety, a gesture of chosen kindness. We serve each other food and drink, maybe watch each others pets or children for the weekend and more often than not, we get paid for serving others by selling them products or services. To serve God seems to me, now that I have had time to absorb the shocking truth, like I am doing him a favour. How embarrassing... me, the creature, doing God, the Creator, favours in service. This morning this realization sent my humiliation gauge through the roof, bringing me low. I have been smug, believing somehow that my service has been a generous and benevolent gift to God and man; this makes me blush with self reproach.

God's very own possession
To be a Christian holds a meaning within, and it is the belief that Christ paid some kind of ransom for me, paid an exorbitant price that I could not afford by shedding his blood, and that I belong to him. This I have long believed, but here is the part that stands out as extraordinary. By accepting his sacrifice, I became his very own possession 

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.. (1 Peter 2:9)

He owns me dear reader and I am His slave. Possession means I serve Him to please Him and the beautiful part of all this, is that there is no coercion, no gun to my head, no bullets being shot at my feet. To be owned by Christ means I am free from the consequences of sin, and this trade off seems almost too good to be true! If only the secular world could comprehend that Christ came to save life, not take it away:

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23)

Slave to sin or slave to Christ
We are either slaves to sin or slaves to Christ. These are our only options, and with this understanding, I now comprehend more completely why so many turn away from Christ. Most of us, including me, do not like the idea of submission: serving for the pleasure and purposes of another, even if the other, happens to be God, the Redeemer and resurrected Christ. Just like the people of old, who had Jesus in their physical midst, people of now look Him in the eye and say no, you will not be my King: I do not pledge my allegiance to You. I will not serve You, and I will be damned before I ever consider myself a slave to anyone.

He fell with his face to the ground and prayed

• Look to the top of this page, at the quoted scripture. You know who you serve, don't you dear reader? 
• You know what enslaves you, isn't that right?

You are living to serve a master and perhaps, this means you live to serve yourself, with periodic gestures of societal niceties, offered to make you appear, generous in spirit? Or perhaps, you are like me, in this moment, recognizing what an ingrate I have been, and how arrogant and elevated in my own estimation? now wanting so much instead, to be a slave to Christ, because I have been bought and paid for and am Gods very own possession. I am finally getting it dear reader, Jesus' refrain, as God incarnate, models the humility of a servant. He leads the Way, we must go, if we are to follow: 

And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou will (Matthew 26:39)

Defining moments

We all have defining moments in our lives. This is one of mine. I pray it may be one of yours too dear reader, for the good, for the will, for the glory of our heavenly Father. 

We are owned, who, pray tell, is your Master?