December 22, 2014

“Slaves/Bondservants/Servants”

Blessings folk!

The Lord continues to instruct us on how we are to relate to one another.

Ephesians 6:5-8
5 Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart,
as you would Christ,
6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,
7 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man,
8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord,whether he is a bondservant or is free.

Different translations communicate the first word in varied ways: slave/bondservant/servant.

Each carries specific connotation.

Often, we think that this passage does not apply to our culture.
We believe that none are slaves.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
“There is no greater slave than he who thinks he is free…”

Slaves...those forced into their situation…
Bondservants...those who make a conscience decision to place themselves in servitude…
Servants...those employed for such…

All are to act the same way.

They are to…

• obey earthly masters
• obey masters with fear and trembling
• obey masters with a sincere heart
• obey in the same way one obey’s Christ
• obey, not by eye-service...just when someone is watching, just to be a people-pleaser
• obey a bondservants of Christ

Doing the will of God.

More later, but for now...did you notice that we are bondservants of Christ?