doulos

I might get the word "Doulos" as a tattoo. I love that idea.

Romans 1:1 says: Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ...
that word, bondservant, in the greek is actually Doulos, which means "slave". Regardless of Paul's apostleship and ranking in office, he always viewed himself primarily and chiefly as just that, a slave to Christ.  And that's a curious thought: Once a slave to sin, now a slave to Christ. But what an honoring position at that. It's wonderful to think about in terms of redemption and grace. God's wrath being satisfied in Jesus, having died on the cross for the sins of those whom God has appointed for salvation. A sufficient atonement. The propitiation of all my unrighteousness, bringing me before God blameless, without spot or blemish. As forgotten as the east is from the west. That regardless all of those things which enslaved me, he translated me to being covered by the blood of the Lamb who was slain.

This is the case with all who comprise the Church as a whole. R.C. Sproul said, "The church is the ekklesia, the Greek word that comes from the verb kaleo, meaning 'to call,' and the prefix ek- meaning 'out of.' Every Christian is called out of the world, out of bondage, out of death, and out of sin, and into Christ and into his body...all who are truly part of the Church have been called out, separated by the Holy Spirit."

That's pretty incredible to think about. Those whom are Christian, that is to say, who are saved and called, are brought from one end of the spectrum, death and sin, to the other end of life, redemption, salvation and glory, being reconciled to God. It's a transition of bondage, to bondservant. Enslaved to sin, to being a slave for Jesus. Mankind is made to worship, and its all just a matter of the objective direction that the person's devotion is willed to go.

So that at the end of my life, I will be able to say, "Hayden, a slave of Jesus Christ..."
That being the goal of my life, so willingly to submit myself and all I do to the glory of God, proclaiming the name of Jesus, making disciples of ALL nations, being a student of scripture and loving his people; to hear "well done, good and faithful servant."

And the thing of it is, it's not something I can just up and leave. God promises as the author of faith, to also be the finisher of my faith, seeing it to it's full completion. Slave for life, to the Creator of everything. That sounds wonderful. To be doulos coram Deo, a slave before the face of God. What an honor to be set out with that sort of task. Amen, too many thoughts to even concentrate on one topic! Wonderful. Praise be to God.