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Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends all around the world.
When you hear the word FREEDOM what comes to your mind? A prisoner walking out of incarceration for the first time in a long time? Old pictures you’ve seen of slaves earning their freedom? Perhaps a dog unleashed and running free? Or maybe a graduation celebration?
Here’s a question for us to ponder? What is accomplished in gaining one’s freedom and what is the best use of newly gained freedom? Today would you consider with me what it looks like when a FREE person intentionally, by their own choice, places themselves in bondage to help others?
Have you ever heard of the word ‘bond-servant’? The Apostle Paul referred to himself that way often and in 1 Corinthians 9 he gives us a remarkable explanation of WHY he re-enslaved himself, even though free. The concept of ‘bond-servant’ is explained to us way back in Exodus 21:2-6. Listen: “If you purchase a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year he shall go free, without paying anything…but if the servant declares, ‘I love my master…and do not want to go free,’ then his master shall take him before the judges. He shall take him to the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his ‘bond-servant’ for life.” The piercing of the ear lobe would leave a hole which would never heal again, thus whenever you saw a person with a hole in their earlobe, you knew without asking, that they were a ‘bond-servant’. Someone who had earned their freedom but chose instead to commit themselves to serving their master for the rest of their life!
So I simply have to ask… are you a bond-servant? Have you in your freedom, chosen to commit yourself to a lifetime of service to someone? Is this a fresh look at marriage? Consider Ephesians 5:21 “Serve one another out of reverence for Christ.” Now that’s a great motto for every God honoring marriage, isn’t it?
Is ‘bond-servant’ a picture of the relationship you have chosen to develop and live, with Jesus Christ?
Now dig with me into 1 Corinthians 9 today. Paul says “Am I not free?” And then Paul goes on to describe why he should be viewed as an equal with all the other Apostles who had been with Jesus. But I’d like to focus on something very powerful Paul writes and ask us if it should be true of you and me today, if you are a Christian, and you want to make a significant difference in our world? Look at vs. 12 “…we put up with anything rather than hinder the work of the Gospel of Christ.” Do you remember what Jesus said in Matthew 5:11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of ME. Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
So my friends in North America, and in Europe, and in Asia, and in Africa and in South America. . .what have you had to ‘put up with’ as you have sought to live your life in a God honoring way, which was actually counter culture to the way most people live around you? Insult, being ignored, persecution, arrest, torture, loss of job, disowning by family, ridicule by friends? Is it the deep desire of your heart to say “As a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, I will put up with anything rather than hinder the work of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”?? Where does that courage come from?
Now look closely with me at what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:19 “Though I am free and belong to no person, I make myself a slave to every person, to win as many as possible.” Wow what a statement! Now look around your world where you live and work. What would this statement mean in your life if you began to really live this EVERYDAY in every situation? Of course it does NOT mean we set aside our convictions, or our core values, or our identity as a ‘bond-servant’ to Jesus. So what does it mean to you in your situation?
Now listen to vs. 22 & 23 “…I have become all things to all people so that by all means I might save some. I do this for the sake of the Gospel, that I may share in its blessings.” Do you remember Hebrews 12:2 says “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame…” Do you see how these two verses are reflections of each other?
Paul was amazed that Jesus would leave His glory in heaven to come and live here on earth limiting Himself to the restrictions of a human body. But far more than that, Jesus allowed the human race He had created to reject Him, humiliate Him, beat Him and crucify Him! (Philippians 2:5-11) Why? Because Jesus was determined to do whatever it would take, to provide the human race with the opportunity to find FREEDOM from their sin bondage, sin condemnation and sin deserved Hell!
I began today by asking ‘what is the best use of freedom’? Paul says ‘the best use of my freedom, which was earned by Jesus’ incarnation, death and resurrection, is to do as Jesus did, and serve humanity in anyway necessary to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with them in hopes that some of them will turn to and trust Jesus for their salvation and find FREEDOM in Christ as I have!’
It begins with a decision…that I will live my life in overflowing gratitude to Jesus for all HE has done in purchasing my FREEDOM.
And a second decision... I will live my life as a ‘bond-servant’ to Jesus, always available to serve Him in any way He instructs me.
And a third decision..., I will live my life serving humanity as Jesus guides me, seeking at every opportunity to share the Gospel of Jesus with those I am serving.
And when my life comes to an end, and I look back… I believe I will see that I lived my life as Jesus did, as Paul did, as millions of others have… a ‘bond-servant’ to God and both being and doing all I can to serve humanity for the purpose of drawing as many people to Jesus as my life possibly can. There is no great use of a life. . . is there? What do you think about that?
Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Click to read today’s chapter: 1 Corinthians 9. (At the top you can choose a different translation.)
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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