Auto generated transcript:
Hello and welcome to another Five Good Minutes, where I answer your theological questions in five minutes or less. Today’s question is this: What does it mean to be a slave of Christ? That might be a question that some people may not even know the answer to, or perhaps you’re shocked that I even use the word “slave.” The word “slave” in our modern vernacular has a lot of negative implications because of the chattel slavery that existed in our country in the 16th, 17th, and 1800s.
The word “slave” is used in the New Testament again and again. As a matter of fact, 40 times in the New Testament, Christians are referred to as slaves of Christ. In fact, this is how Paul begins each epistle—he introduces himself as a slave of the Lord Jesus Christ, an apostle and a slave of Christ.
The first thing we need to understand in our individualistic culture is that we have this initial pushback about being owned by anybody or being a slave to anybody. How can being a slave to Christ be a good thing? However, when you see it in the biblical context, it is a beautiful thing. We are not just free agents doing what we want; we belong to Jesus. He owns us, and we are His possession.
To be a slave of Christ means He directs our steps. We obey Him. We listen to His voice. He is our Master. And unlike the masters of this world, He is a good Master. He lays down His life for His slaves. He serves His own. So yes, to be a slave of Christ is to be free in the truest sense—free from sin, free from death, free from self-rule, and free to serve the One who loves us most.