Romans 6:22
But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life.
The original word for slave, δούλος, properly signifies a slave.
It was originally used as a term of honor. In this sense, Moses would have been called δούλος του Θεού, a slave or Servant of God.
The Hebrews spent 400 years in captivity, as slaves, in Egypt under Pharaoh. If you were to speak to one of these captives, none of them would refer to themselves as "σκλάβος του Φαραώ" (slave of Pharaoh). While someone serving in a position of distinction under Pharaoh might refer to themselves in this way.
Prior to learning this, it was confusing when I read verses such as Romans 6:22. It was confusing when, throughout The New Testament, Paul, James, Peter, Jude, and others referred to themselves as slaves or bondservants of God. There is a recurring theme of slavery to God and His righteousness.
I had only ever viewed the word slave as a negative one. It brought to mind the African slave trade and forced labor.
I had accepted the word's negative connotation and, in my mind, had worn it as a badge of honor.
It was my understanding that when Jesus gave me new life, He had sealed me. He had made me unable to do anything but follow Him.
Where once I was unable to follow Him, now I was unable to do anything but follow Him.
When I read in Romans:
"Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life."
I read it like this:
"Now, you have no choice but to do those things that lead to holiness."
How often has following Jesus felt like this?
How often has it felt like a chore to wake up on Sunday to go to church?
How often has reading a chapter of your bible before bed been something you do out of obligation, to check off a box?
Being a disciple of Jesus is not about a "quiver in your liver". You are not always going to feel like running down the aisles, twirling a flag...
Sometimes, being a disciple means enacting discipline.
Sometimes it means doing the hard work of digging through the Word, of meditating on its deepness, and not stopping at surface level.
However, if reading The Word of God starts to feel like a chore, it's an indication of some sort of misunderstanding.
This misunderstanding had permeated every area of my life.
My understanding of the Word was incorrect.
I believed that, when Jesus saved me, He made me a new creation and that this new creation was unable to do anything but "those things that lead to holiness."
Yet, my day-by-day, minute-by-minute straying from God testified against my understanding.
This created a disconnect.
When I would look in the mirror, I saw two people: who I understood myself to be... and who my actions proved that I was.
Being "A slave to God" was a mental construct, not a reality. It was religious jargon.
My misunderstanding of the word had allowed me to live in hypocrisy, the very hypocrisy that Jesus despised and warned against when He said, in Matthew 6:1, “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven."
In my mind, because I was a slave, those "acts that lead to holiness and result in eternal life" were going to happen whether I wanted them to or not. They were a condition of the state of being born again.
This understanding led to a "hands-off" approach when it came to my discipleship. "Acts that lead to holiness" were not something that I planned out.
Please do not misunderstand me: I am not capable of producing good works. ONLY God is capable. Any good work that we have a part in is only possible via The Holy Spirit choosing to act through us...
The Holy Spirit, though, does not take over our bodies and cause us to operate as robots.
A good work, accomplished via The Holy Spirit, happens when we choose to act in the authority of Jesus as His representative. Then, The Holy Spirit empowers that act.
Think of it like this: the President of the United States has representatives underneath him. He sends these representatives across the world in order to carry out his plans and purposes. These representatives are acting under his authority.
Imagine that you walked in to see one of these representatives in their hotel rooms, kicked back with their shoes off, watching TV while they were supposed to be at an important meeting. You ask them, "What are you doing here?" and their response was "I’m waiting for the president to do a work through me!"?
Yet, as a Christian, this is how I was living!
I called myself, like Paul, "A Servant of Jesus"
My life did not look like Paul's.
My life looked like some guy in a hotel room with his shoes off, watching TV.
After learning the true meaning of the word slave, δούλος, I see that it is a position. It is a role.
How many of us, who are born again, can truly call ourselves A Slave of Jesus?
How many of us hold that occupation?
Jesus offers this position to anyone who believes.
Not only does He offer it, but it is the life He is expecting His followers to live.
Ephesians 2:10 tells us, "we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Only when we step into our role as δούλος του Θεού, Slave of God, are we able to fulfill the reason for our being alive.
Pray like this:
"God, I have sinned. I have made my life about me. You put me here in order that I may do good works. You gave me authority and power to do those good works in your name. I have not been prudent. I have not walked as a representative. Help me to do so. Show me who I am and open my eyes to the authority you have given me. Give me your wisdom and direction so that I can live as I should, no longer out of a feeling of obligation but with a feeling of gratitude and excitement that you, The King, would call me and equip me to participate in your kingdom.