From: kmm@cs.purdue.edu (Kevin Megill)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian
Subject: Re: God's Slaves? (Was Re: Question on the Bible)
Date: 5 Oct 92 01:35:43 GMT
Organization: Department of Computer Science, Purdue University

Are Christians slaves of God?   I think it all depends on what you
mean.  

In some ways we are like slaves, and in some ways we are not.

1. We are like slaves in that we need to obey God whether or not
it is convenient; and we need to be humble, relinquishing our rights
to Him.

Example: Luke 17:7-10

	But which of you, having a slave plowing or tending sheep,
	will say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come
	immediately and sit down to eat'?

	But will he not say to him, 'Prepare something for me to
	eat, and properly clothe yourself and serve me until I have
	eaten and drunk; and afterward you will eat and drink'?

	He does not thank the slave because he did the things which
	were commanded, does he?

	So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded
	you, say, 'We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that
	which we ought to have done.'

The point here is not how God views us or acts toward us,
but our commitment and humility.  WE say "We are unworthy slaves" --
God does not say it to us.

2. Our relationship to God is NOT that of slaves to a master in terms
of the way He views us, and acts toward us, and in terms of our
worth to Him.   On the contrary we are His beloved children; 
we are His friends and co-workers for the same goal  (John 15:15); 
we are free.

Example: John 15:15, which has been mentioned above and in previous posts.
Another example: Romans 8:15

	For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to
	fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as
	sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"

My relationship to God should be characterized by great freedom and
joy, not browbeating or fear or legalism or frustrated perfectionism.

This is important for those of us (like myself) who are inclined to
be perfectionistic.  Sometimes I find myself trying to browbeat myself
into submission -- as if I would obey more if I could just focus more
on my unworthiness.  But the purpose of recognizing our unworthiness
is to lead us to gratefulness.  God wants to motivate us through joy
and contentment, not through frustration.  Through a spirit of adoption
as sons, through freedom, not through legalism or fear or guilt.

3. I think Romans 6:18,19 blends these two ideas:

	"... and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of
	righteousness.  I am speaking in human terms because of the
			^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
	weakness of your flesh."
	^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I speculate that the underlined passage means the following:

	"Realize that we are not really SLAVES to righteousness --
	on the contrary we have been set free.  But the practical
	reality is that in our day-to-day struggle against fleshly
	desires, we sometimes have to choose things that seem very
	hard.  We sometimes have to be really hard on ourselves.  
	Although we are not slaves, it is as if we were -- and it helps
	to think of ourselves as if we were -- all because our flesh
	is so weak.  So when I use the concept of being slaves to 
	righteousness, I am not describing things as they are eternally
	from God's point of view -- I am just describing things FROM
	A HUMAN POINT OF VIEW."


Kevin

kmm@ector.cs.purdue.edu    or     KEVIN_MEGILL@dsu1.dsu.NoDak.edu