As a Christian, I know a lot of “Christian” answers. But every so often a question touches me. Confuses me and makes me think. Do you ever run into a question that makes you think?
That is exactly what happened when Scott Asher (@epecho), a friend of mine, asked whether we are really slaves to Christ in a recent blog post.
His set-up was pretty simple and straightforward – and I believe, quite sincere. You see, he was looking at Romans 6:1-23 and noticed that the Bible said that we should be slaves to Christ rather than slaves to sin. And, looking at the reality of his own life, noticed that he was maybe just a little more a slave to sin than he would like. And maybe not so much a slave of Christ.
So, he asked the question:
The question is, what does that mean for my Christianity? Can I be a Christian – a follower of Christ – and still be a slave to my sins?
via AshertopiA
A Self-Justifying Doctrine
My knee-jerk reaction was to respond with a comment on his blog. To apply the “Gospel of Self-Justification” and tell him that it’s all OK. That none of us really live as slaves to Christ and completely free from sin.
Or maybe to respond that I’m not a slave – I’m a servant of God by choice.
In short (and this is the scary part), my first response would have been cheap grace. But thank God, the Holy Spirit drove the question to a deeper place. As I meditated on this question, my perspective began to shift.
No Place in My Life
You see, sin has no place in my life. Or at least it ought not have any place in my life.
The Bible says that I’m a slave. A slave by choice but a slave nonetheless.
For too long I’ve lived as though having sin in my life is OK. I acknowledge my need for grace and forgiveness.
But too often I deny the power of sanctification that is available. Too often I make excuses or put on my “self-serving theology” hat. But the fact that I sin points out my need for repentance and the grace of God. It does not mean that sin is OK.
There’s no Excuse
Sure, to say that I will never sin again is a lie. It denies what the Bible says (1 John 1:8-10).
But that doesn’t mean there’s an excuse for sin in my life. And there certainly is no excuse for making room for sin in my life. There just isn’t. In fact, if I make space for sin, the Bible tells me that I’m walking in darkness rather than light (1 John 1:5-7)
I’m a Slave
I’m a slave. We all are. We all must serve somebody (or something). The matter at hand is what or whom we will serve. I choose to serve Jesus.
How about you?
What’s your choice?
Being a slave would suggest that one is forced against his will to do something, held in bondage. A servant has more freedom; his service is out of sacrifice or to get something in return. On the other hand, a son is obedient out of love and honor. A son is free but choses to give himself wholly to the family business and cares deeply about its success because his inheritance is at stake. I believe slave, servant and son describe three different levels of intimacy with Father God. Reference Galations 4:7: “So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.”
Hey Martina, Thank you for your comment.
I can agree with you that servant, slave, and son definitely describe various nuances of our relationship with God. There are numerous metaphors in Scripture for our relationship with God. Son, heir, bride, body, slave, bondservant, servant, and so on. Each of them are true and express various nuances of our relationship with God.
In this particular passage, the metaphor is slave. Or perhaps bondservant if we use the looser, metaphoric translation of the word (http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/n…). But whether slave by force or slave by choice, it's the same in my mind – we are a slave of whatever or whomever we serve.
Regardless of the metaphor, sin still has no place in my life. Whether child, bride, beloved, heir, servant, or slave, sin ought not be part of my life.
Hey Martina, Thank you for your comment.
I can agree with you that servant, slave, and son definitely describe various nuances of our relationship with God. There are numerous metaphors in Scripture for our relationship with God. Son, heir, bride, body, slave, bondservant, servant, and so on. Each of them are true and express various nuances of our relationship with God.
In this particular passage, the metaphor is slave. Or perhaps bondservant if we use the looser, metaphoric translation of the word (http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/n…). But whether slave by force or slave by choice, it's the same in my mind – we are a slave of whatever or whomever we serve.
Regardless of the metaphor, sin still has no place in my life. Whether child, bride, beloved, heir, servant, or slave, sin ought not be part of my life.
Hey Martina, Thank you for your comment.
I can agree with you that servant, slave, and son definitely describe various nuances of our relationship with God. There are numerous metaphors in Scripture for our relationship with God. Son, heir, bride, body, slave, bondservant, servant, and so on. Each of them are true and express various nuances of our relationship with God.
In this particular passage, the metaphor is slave. Or perhaps bondservant if we use the looser, metaphoric translation of the word (http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/n…). But whether slave by force or slave by choice, it's the same in my mind – we are a slave of whatever or whomever we serve.
Regardless of the metaphor, sin still has no place in my life. Whether child, bride, beloved, heir, servant, or slave, sin ought not be part of my life.
Hey Martina, Thank you for your comment.
I can agree with you that servant, slave, and son definitely describe various nuances of our relationship with God. There are numerous metaphors in Scripture for our relationship with God. Son, heir, bride, body, slave, bondservant, servant, and so on. Each of them are true and express various nuances of our relationship with God.
In this particular passage, the metaphor is slave. Or perhaps bondservant if we use the looser, metaphoric translation of the word (http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/n…). But whether slave by force or slave by choice, it's the same in my mind – we are a slave of whatever or whomever we serve.
Regardless of the metaphor, sin still has no place in my life. Whether child, bride, beloved, heir, servant, or slave, sin ought not be part of my life.
Hey Martina, Thank you for your comment.
I can agree with you that servant, slave, and son definitely describe various nuances of our relationship with God. There are numerous metaphors in Scripture for our relationship with God. Son, heir, bride, body, slave, bondservant, servant, and so on. Each of them are true and express various nuances of our relationship with God.
In this particular passage, the metaphor is slave. Or perhaps bondservant if we use the looser, metaphoric translation of the word (http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/n…). But whether slave by force or slave by choice, it's the same in my mind – we are a slave of whatever or whomever we serve.
Regardless of the metaphor, sin still has no place in my life. Whether child, bride, beloved, heir, servant, or slave, sin ought not be part of my life.
Hey Martina, Thank you for your comment.
I can agree with you that servant, slave, and son definitely describe various nuances of our relationship with God. There are numerous metaphors in Scripture for our relationship with God. Son, heir, bride, body, slave, bondservant, servant, and so on. Each of them are true and express various nuances of our relationship with God.
In this particular passage, the metaphor is slave. Or perhaps bondservant if we use the looser, metaphoric translation of the word (http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/n…). But whether slave by force or slave by choice, it's the same in my mind – we are a slave of whatever or whomever we serve.
Regardless of the metaphor, sin still has no place in my life. Whether child, bride, beloved, heir, servant, or slave, sin ought not be part of my life.
Hey Martina, Thank you for your comment.
I can agree with you that servant, slave, and son definitely describe various nuances of our relationship with God. There are numerous metaphors in Scripture for our relationship with God. Son, heir, bride, body, slave, bondservant, servant, and so on. Each of them are true and express various nuances of our relationship with God.
In this particular passage, the metaphor is slave. Or perhaps bondservant if we use the looser, metaphoric translation of the word (http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/n…). But whether slave by force or slave by choice, it's the same in my mind – we are a slave of whatever or whomever we serve.
Regardless of the metaphor, sin still has no place in my life. Whether child, bride, beloved, heir, servant, or slave, sin ought not be part of my life.
Hey Martina, Thank you for your comment.
I can agree with you that servant, slave, and son definitely describe various nuances of our relationship with God. There are numerous metaphors in Scripture for our relationship with God. Son, heir, bride, body, slave, bondservant, servant, and so on. Each of them are true and express various nuances of our relationship with God.
In this particular passage, the metaphor is slave. Or perhaps bondservant if we use the looser, metaphoric translation of the word (http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/n…). But whether slave by force or slave by choice, it's the same in my mind – we are a slave of whatever or whomever we serve.
Regardless of the metaphor, sin still has no place in my life. Whether child, bride, beloved, heir, servant, or slave, sin ought not be part of my life.