jwards got it right

a while ago i posted this. It's a quote from Jonathan Edwards (affectionately known as "jwards"). He understood the idea of being a slave to Christ.

bond-servants?

20 years ago a controversial book was written by John MacArthur called "The Gospel According to Jesus". In this book MacArthur argued his case for "lordship salvation". This year (next month, actually) Zondervan is coming out with a 20 year anniversary edition, MacArthur approved but wanted to update the book with a new first chapter.

Earlier this month I attended the Shepherd's Conference which is put on by Grace Community Church of Sun Valley, which is where MacArthur is the senior pastor (not the pastor of the retired folks, but the head/lead pastor). MacArthur spoke three times over the course of the conference (plus a Q&A session!). His third sermon, he told us, will be the material that will go in to that new first chapter of the book that will come out next month. His message hit me (figuratively) and has caused me to think about the implications of what he said (ever had a sermon that made you think differently for the rest of your life? that's how i hope this sermon will impact me). I'd like to attempt to condense the main point and power of his sermon in a blog...here goes nothing:

What has been the defining cry for Christians down through the ages? "Jesus is Lord!" We say it often. We sing numerous variations of it in songs. We make it into bumper stickers! And it is very true, Jesus, in fact, is Lord...of believers. He is even Lord ultimately of Heaven and Earth. But He is only Lord of the lives of true believers. Those who are not true believers have a different Lord: sin. Scripture tells us this plainly many times...John 8:34 "Jesus answered them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.'", Romans 6:16, "Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?" Romans 6:17 and 20 both say "...you were slaves of sin...". We all, to begin with, are SLAVES to sin. (cf. Rom. 6:22; Gal. 4:9; Titus 3:3; 2 Peter 2:19)

The word used in these passages to talk of slavery to sin is "doulos" which means, simply, SLAVE. A slave is owned 100% by his master. A slave has no rights, no personal freedom, no 'say-so' in decision making. A slave must obey its master. When he disobeys, he is punished by his master. And rightfully so--again, he has no rights of his own. This makes complete sense when we think about sin and being slaves to it, does it not? Sin is master over those who do not have the freedom Christ brings. Sin is a harsh master, for it pays death (Rom. 6:23). It is a cruel master, for it leads only to destruction (Phil 3:18-19).

But, Christian, may I ask you...if Jesus is your Lord...what does that make YOU?? The word "Lord" in the original Greek language of Scripture is "kurios", which means "lord" or "master". Thayer's Lexicon makes it quite clear what this means. Check it out on Blue Letter Bible (here). It says, "he to whom a person or thing *belongs*, about which he has power of deciding".

Whoa. You know what that makes us, Christians? It makes us SLAVES of Jesus. Slaves. Sadly, when translators bring the Greek text over into English, quite consistently when Scripture uses the word "doulos" (slave) in connection to our relationship with Jesus (our Lord, "kurios") they, seemingly out of fear, do not translate it well. It seems they are not afraid to translate "doulos" as "slave" when it talks of being "doulos" to sin. Yet when Scripture talks about being "doulos" of Christ they make up a word: "bond-servants". They lighten the word. Look it up in the Greek, it's easy to do at blueletterbible.com. Just look up a verse and then click the little "c" icon next to the verse. The original language doesn't call us servants of Christ. Servants have a choice. Servants are given orders that are more like suggestions. Servants can quit and choose to serve someone else. Servants can have two jobs and serve two bosses.

MacArthur explained a slave as a person with no rights, no standing in society, a person who couldn't own property, had no autonomy, no freedom. Slaves are subject totally and completely to an alien will (a will not their own). And this, Christians, is what we are: slaves. We have no rights of our own, have have no standing in this world, we own nothing, we have no autonomy, we have no freedom of our own. True believers are subject totally and completely to an alien will: God's will.

Look at Matthew 6:24, "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other You cannot serve God and wealth." The word "serve" (twice in this verse) is based off of the word "doulos". Basically, this verse is NOT saying that you cannot serve two masters. We all know that statement to be false. How many of us have two jobs? Do we not serve both of our bosses? What about a waiter? Do they not serve many people a day? What about a job situation where you are under two different managers? We serve more than one master all the time! What this verse is saying is that you cannot be a slave to more than one person. A slave is someone who is owned 100% by his Lord, his master.

The point MacArthur is making (and I believe it is quite a valid point, because, really, he isn't making the point, he is simply pointing out what Scripture says) is clearly stated in Luke 6:46, "Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?" Jesus is saying that it's incongruous (a word MacArthur used) if you call Him "Lord" but don't obey Him. In other words, He's not really your Lord if you don't obey Him. If He was your master, if you were His slave, then you would be subject completely to His will. And you would obey Him. We prove that we are His when we bear fruit. If we don't bear fruit, we aren't His. This is Lordship salvation.

If Jesus is your Lord, that makes you His slave.

resist

as most of you know, i successfully lacerated my spleen while snowboarding a week and a half ago. i haven't been able to do much, not even read or journal 'cause the pain meds i was on made me a bit loopy and when i tried to write i would see double.

thankfully the pain has gone down and i haven't had to take as many pills (it's also a good thing that i haven't had to use so many 'cause i only have one left!), and now my brain is functioning more normally and my eyes can see straight!

so, i was able to get some reading done yesterday. i'm still reading "pleasures evermore" which i've been on for about the past year and a half (haven't had much time for personal reading)...but i only have like 60 pages left! w00t! here're some notable quotes i read yesterday:

"If [God] didn't love you, if His heart wasn't for you, why would He care what you do?" (p.228)

"What are all these rationalizations [of why it's okay to sin] based on? One lie. The most pernicious, heinous, satanic lie of all. They are based on the lie that God really isn't good after all; that God is neither able nor willing to do for our souls or bodies what they so desperately need done; that therefore God can't be trusted with our fears and doubts and hopes and hurts. Because God doesn't care and can't be trusted, we'll find satisfaction somewhere else. And so often, we do." (p.233)

"The reason we resist God's laws and pursue our own sinful strategies is because we believe that we can do better at securing our happiness than God can." (p.237)