Glad to be a slave…

 

I’m troubled if a sermon or in conversation with other Christians I hear the idea that ‘I’m working for God’ or that ‘I need to please God' or earn His favor. Sometimes I don’t understand what troubles me about that kind of thinking, but today’s devotional reading makes it clear that I am not in a wage-earning relationship with God. I cannot do certain things to please Him for He has no need for anything. Piper quotes these verses then adds a chart to clarify (sorry if the chart doesn't line up well):

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. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:20–23)

Sin’s slavery                                New “Slavery”
slave master is sin (20)                slave master is God (22)
free from righteousness (20)        free from sin (22)
benefit? none (21)                          fruit? sanctification (22)
the final end? death (21)               the final end? eternal life (22)
the master pays wages (23)        the master gives gifts (23)
the wage is death (23)                the gift is eternal life (23)

This clearly says that I am not supposed to relate to God as a wage earner, but as a gift receiver. My “slave role” is not about working for wages, or to gain something for myself, but walking submissively where the gifts are, which means walking by faith and receiving what God gives me. This is part of what this passage is saying:

(God) said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9–10)

Being powerless in my old life is the prerequisite to living in the power of Christ. Part of that powerless state is giving up self-effort which is sin and relying on God’s gift of the Holy Spirit and His power. 

Sin and self-effort do not bear spiritual fruit. Instead, sin demands works and pays wages, but the wages are self-glorifying, such as popularity, power, finances, prestige, even feeling good. However, a slave of God is gifted freely with eternal life, a new way of thinking, even the mind of Christ and communication with my Creator, answered prayer, assurance of His love… and a long list of undeserved, unearned blessings.

Piper says, “Beware of a wage relation to God. There is no such thing.” He is right, the master in a spiritual wage relations is always sin, and sin gives me nothing permanent. Even the selfish glory does not last. Besides, sin produces heartache and even disasters in the long run. Nothing of eternal value and mostly “I wish I hadn’t done it” sorrow in my heart. The ‘death’ is separation from God, never loving fellowship or a sense of purpose in life. No wonder God says:

Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. (Romans 6:13)

PRAY: Jesus, sometimes the reality of what You have done for me is like a gift wrapped in gold, a renewal of that initial joy that came as a startling wonder. My heart sings. I’m so glad that You gifted me to be your slave!