Slaves to God

by Travis Tubbs

Slave. 

The word itself brings several images to a person’s mind. I dare say most of those images, if not all, bring about a negative connotation. We visualize the word “slave” negatively because of the American history behind the word. 

Yet in Scripture, we find the Greek word “doulos” meaning “slave” used over 100 times, and in most of those instances, if not all, the connotation is not meant to be negative. 

In Romans 1:1, the apostle Paul identifies himself as a “bond-servant” (doulos) to Christ. In James 1:1, James uses the very same “doulos” when describing his relationship to God and to Jesus Christ. In the 1st century AD when these books were penned, it is estimated that nearly 40% of the population under the governance of the Roman Empire was enslaved. 

While America hasn’t seen slavery in over 120 years, Paul, James, and the other apostles of the New Testament were very familiar with the dynamics of slavery. Slavery was commonplace for them. Although the visualizations of slavery were fresh every day, the apostles were certain that this was the correct understanding of the kind of relationship they had with God through Jesus Christ: complete submission to their Master. 

Fast forward to today. In the realm of modernized and social Christianity, the relationship between God and His people is not characterized as a Master/slave but more like Father/child or Friend/friend or Santa Claus/deserving child. In modern Christianity and particularly in the pulpits of churches every Sunday, I dare say that the word “slave” would be rarely if ever used in reference to how we identify our relationship to God. 

On page 10 of his book entitled “Slave: The Hidden Truth About Your Identity in Christ”, Dr. John MacArthur writes about the view many have of their Christianity:

“For some, being ‘Christian’ is primarily cultural and traditional, a nominal title inherited from a previous generation, the net effect of which involves avoiding certain behaviors and occasionally attending church. For others, being a Christian is largely political, a quest to defend moral values in the public square or perhaps to preserve those values by withdrawing from a public square altogether. Still more define Christianity in terms of a past religious experience, a general belief in Jesus, or a desire to be a good person. Yet all of these fall woefully short of what it truly means to be a Christian from a biblical perspective.” 

In Romans 6, Paul gives us a more vivid and precise picture of the constructs of our relationship with sin and with God. Verses 16-22 read: 

“Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching which you were committed, and having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.”  (ESV)

Paul gives believers their two identities in this passage: a slave to sin (before salvation) or a slave to God (after salvation). While our human (sinful) nature strives to live in a world of grays, this passage paints all humanity in black or white. 

It is hard, especially for the western world, to swallow the idea of not being totally free and being a slave to someone. Currently in America, we hear about and see the exercising and the violation of freedoms or rights every single day. Yet in Scripture, we see that in Christ alone we are truly set free from the bondage of sin and death. Because we were bought with the ultimate price, we are called to be completely submissive and obedient to the Holy God that purchased us. 

Our identities as true born again children of God should never be misconstrued as something that is casual or comfortable. We should constantly remind ourselves that we too should identify as Paul, James, and other New Testament writers did: as slaves to God.