Just thinking out loud about Romans 1 verse 1. Depending on the translation Paul refers to himself as a slave, servant or bondservant. Have you ever really taken those words and thought about the seriousness of using them in their true context? Can you honestly say you’re a slave of Christ’s?

1:1 This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News. NLT

1:1 Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God. NASB

Lets look at these words and how they where applied in Paul’s life. This may help us understand how we are to think and live as Christians or better yet Christ-followers.

So what is a slave? A slave is a person who is the (are you sitting for this) property of and wholly subject to another. Do you see what I see? Paul is publicly stating that he was a slave of Christ. So what does that mean literally, not just lip service? Paul lived out his life as a Christ-follower. Sharing with anyone that would listen the news of Christ and how Christ changed his life. Paul as with thousands of Christ-followers over the years never ran and hid the truth, always knowing that it could mean prison or death.

As a free slave Paul and true Christ-followers volunteer to serve Christ. So if Christ is the master, the (free willed) slaves must and I under line must do what the master asks of them. That is if they are going to be a servant (Christ-follower). Christ paid the price for you and I and all that is asked is that we live for Him.

Christ wants all of His followers to live for eternity in heaven with Him. While we wait for our room to be made up, we live on this earth as a person with compassion, love and understanding. Knowing that on the days that we trip, slip and fall down, the grace of Christ will carry us the rest of the way. So what is so wrong with this Christ-slave thing?

Take our armed forces for example. The men and women that choose to serve there do as volunteers, thus becoming servant to this country. As a servant you have put all your trust in your master. Military personnel know that all their needs will be met and that they may even need to die for the master. This is also true for the Christ-follower. The Christ-follower knows that the Master will provide all that is needed for them to live. Now knowing this puts us in a position of choice.

Before you choose think about this, in the book of John 8:34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. So consider this carefully, we all will either be a slave to the world (sin) or Christ Jesus. It is your free will to choose.

To add salt to the wound and to deepening our understanding of this slave thing, Mark 10:44 says, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else.

As so many of us have missed this slave fact while reading God’s word, those that profess to be Christian are to live as Christ did and would today. That means that we are to become just as Christ’s original followers, SLAVES! Not as a person held under bondage with no choice or free will but as a person that has chosen this path. A person that has chosen this path out of desire to live, to live life more abundantly through the strength of the Master.

So, can you honestly say you’re a slave of Christ’s? Talk about living upside down.