BONDSERVANTS OF JESUS CHRIST

Paul, Peter, John, James, and Jude all referred to themselves as slaves, servants, or bondservants of Jesus Christ (Romans 1:1; 2 Peter 1:1; Revelation 1:1; James 1:1; Jude 1:2). Needless to say, all true apostles of Christ will clad themselves in the comely robe of Christ’s humility (Matthew 20:25-28), not pompously put on and parade around in the posh apparel of pride. 

The primary Greek word used for “slave" or "servant” in the New Testament may be translated “bondservant," since it means someone who belongs to another. However, bondservants were not involuntarily enslaved, but willingly gave themselves to their masters, who they voluntarily served out of love and devotion. The scriptural law concerning bondservants is found in Deuteronomy 15:12-18. According to this law, the poor could opt to pay unpayable debts to their creditors by volunteering for six years of servitude. In the seventh year, the creditor was to free his debtor and to recompense him with a percentage of the profits his service had produced, since sending him away empty-handed would only jeopardize his freedom all over again. However, if the servant had become so endeared and devoted to his master that he did not want to leave his master’s service, his master could make him his bondservant, by piercing his ear with an awl to show that the servant was forever the master's.

All Christians, just like Paul, Peter, John, James, and Jude, should be bondservants of Jesus Christ, as the following clearly explains.

1. We owe Christ a debt we could not pay. We could neither pay our sin debt to God nor pay back Christ for paying it for us, because we could never pay it for ourselves.

2. Because of the debt we owe Christ and of His purchasing of us with His own blood (1 Corinthians 6:19-29; 1 Peter 1:18-19), the only reasonable thing for us to do is to give ourselves to Christ, who gave Himself for us (Romans 12:1).

3. Our love for Christ, who first loved us (1 John 4:19), should endear us and devote us to Christ as His bondservants for the rest of our lives. 

4. The proof of our lifelong bond service to Christ is that Christ will always have our ear; that is, we will always listen to His Word and live it out in our daily lives.