Bondservant for Christ

Inductive Bible Study – May 1, 2013

Ephesians 6:5

Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ,

Interpretation

What a powerful verse! I could go on so many different levels on this verse. We are called to serve our earthly masters and those over us as if it were Christ himself we were serving. Not only as a hired servant, but as a bondservant; one who devotes the remaining of his life on his own free-will as a willing service to his master.

We are to be a bondservant with fear and trembling. How often do I not take the work I do seriously? Is it not true that God can work in any day and in any way? God doesn’t wait around for the next big spiritual retreat or the next big outreach to reach the unsaved. He works every day through willing bondservants who take their walk seriously; with fear and trembling. What does this fear and trembling look like? Well first of all it starts with communion with God. If we are not being filled daily by the truths of scripture revealed by the Holy Spirit, how can we pass on the truths of God? We may be able to do it in the flesh but then we are like King Saul who didn’t wait on the Lord to provide the sacrifice the Samuel but took matters into his own hands. King Saul lasted in his position for some time but ultimately came crashing down. The end of Saul’s life may have been different if he would have served the Lord seriously; with fear and trembling. But back to communion with God; how often do I come to that precious time with the Lord without fear and trembling? I should be in awe that I can communicate with the almighty creator of the universe so much higher than I. I should come to His word with the mindset that my time spent with the Lord could result in a changed life in myself and those I come into contact with throughout the day. My time with the Lord could result in saved souls snatched from hell. We as Christians need to take this time seriously; with fear and trembling.

We are to be a bondservant with a sincere heart, as you would Christ. O the human, carnal heart! O how it longs to receive attention to itself. Our nature craves approval from others and one of the most deadly tools in satan’s toolbox is to make a Christian do ‘good service’ with a heart that is simply looking for approval from those around him; not as if he were doing it for Christ. I know that my heart gravitates this way and whenever success comes especially in spiritual ministry I have to plead that the Lord humbles my heart. I really like how Charles Spurgeon pens this article:

“Success exposes a man to the pressure of people and thus tempts him to hold on to his gains by means of fleshly methods and practices, and to let himself be ruled wholly by the dictatorial demands of incessant expansion. Success can go to my head, and will unless I remember that it is God who accomplished the work, that He can continue to do so without any help, and that He will be able to make out with other means whenever He cuts me down to size.”

So let’s serve with sincerity as if unto Christ; To his honor and glory alone!

Application

Whenever I have any success this week I will pray that the Lord humbles my heart. I will record each of these events and record how the Lord works through a humble servant at the end of the week.