SERVANTS OF CHRIST
Ephesians 6:5-9 NKJV
5 Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; 6 not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.
9 And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.
At first glance, it’s easy to move past these five verses and jump to the armor of God passage found in verses 6-18. The armor of God is certainly worth some extra time and meditation. The Scriptures regarding the armor declare that with God’s armor, we can stand against the strategies of Satan and all he brings our way.
However, we don’t want to put on the armor without first establishing ourselves as servants of the Lord. Paul is writing to a culture where slavery was the norm. And instead of lamenting their situation, Paul, writing by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, shows these servants in the flesh how to find purpose even as slaves.
Paul refers to their masters according to the flesh and to serving them with fear and trembling in sincerity of heart. The only way they could do this in good faith was to serve as to the Lord. These servants were to serve their earthly masters, but in essence, they were serving as to the Lord and not to man.
This is big. This serving the Lord is more than a philosophical thing. This is more than theory. As these servants in the flesh do their work as to the Lord, the Lord receives their work and rewards them. When they serve with goodwill to the Lord, then the Lord will bless their good works even though they are not free. So this meant that even the lowest slave on the social hierarchy could live a life of service to the Lord and be rewarded by the Lord. Even a slave could find purpose and blessing, showing that the Lord was able to bless His servants regardless of their natural condition. They may have been servants in the flesh to a man, but in spiritual reality, they were serving the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
But the service did not stop there. Those who were masters in the flesh were to treat their servants well in sincerity of heart as to Christ. These masters were to serve themselves as servants of the Lord, knowing they also had a Master in heaven, and He does not regard social status. The Lord Jesus will also reward their good works done for Him.
APPLICATION
These verses can provide a strong sense of purpose and confidence for all of us. Regardless of what job we do, whether we are the boss or the lowest employee on the company organizational chart, we can serve the Lord on the job. This makes full-time service available for everyone, not just the church staff or ministers. We all have a master in heaven and we can do whatever we do in sincerity of heart as unto the Lord.
The promise is still in effect. Whatever good we are doing for the Lord He will return to us regardless of our position, education, or biblical knowledge. This is service from the heart and available to all.
PRAYER
What a privilege to serve You, Lord. Show me how I can serve You regardless of my job title or lack of a job. I acknowledge You as my Master in heaven.