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Pastor Scott L. Harris
Grace Bible Church, NY
Revised August 30, 2026
* What is Your Title?
Our Identification as Jesus’ Slaves
Selected Scriptures
*Worldly Titles
American society has never been enamored with titles in the same way as societies where there are royal families. We do not have kings, queens, princes, princesses, dukes, duchesses, and lords and such, yet we do have systems of title to designate social rank. In academic circles, gaining a doctorate degree gives you the title of “Dr.” and getting a teaching position in a university gives you the title of “professor.” The titles are meant to set you apart from other people. In government, those who hold an office are given the title of that office and are usually addresses as “the honorable,” whether they are actually honorable or not. Foreign heads of state and ambassadors are addressed as “his/her excellency” regardless of whether they are excellent or not. Military personnel are addressed with their rank whatever that may be from Private to General. There is nothing evil about any of this in itself. In fact, Paul tells us in Romans 13:7 that we are to “Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax [is due;] custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.”
* However, I have always found the various ecclesiastical titles that are given and often expected to be used to be a bit strange and often contrary to Scriptural teaching. In circles of high society, because I am ordained, my title is “The Reverend Scott L. Harris.” It is a title I don’t care to use except in formal and business settings where it affords me a bit more respect than I might otherwise receive from people I do not know. In denominational churches there are additional titles such as “The Most Reverend,” “The Right Reverend,” “Very Reverend,” “The Venerable,” “His Eminence,” “Your Excellency,” and “His Holiness.” The patriarch of an Eastern Orthodox church is, “His Beatitude the Patriarch,” and the Roman Catholic Pope has many titles including these official ones: “Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Jesus Christ, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Primate of Italy, Archbishop & Metropolitan of the Roman Province, Sovereign of the State of Vatican City, Servant of the Servants of God, “ and these common ones, “Pope,” “His Holiness,” and variations of “Holy Father,”
The only title among all of these that is Biblical is “Bishop,” but making that singular and extending it over the entire city of Rome pushes it beyond its proper Biblical usage. *All of these various titles are designed to put the person who has the title in a superior position to the one that does not. They feed the ego. That is why my preference is for simple Biblical terminology such as “pastor” or “brother.” The later removes the idea of superiority and emphasizes relationship while the former emphasizes responsibility, which should humble anyone that takes seriously the responsibility of shepherding the flock of God entrusted to him.
*Wordly Pride
The world system functions on pride and position. In the structure of most companies titles define who has what authority and therefore who is important and who is not within the company. Even where there are not formal titles, people want to be compared and ranked higher than others, and so we find that some colleges and High Schools will rank their students. Those things are not evil, but they more often than not do lead to puffed up human pride. Who of us has not had to endure someone who thought himself to be important? I am not sure there is anything quite as obnoxious as someone who thinks himself to be more important than he is – the corporal that acts like a general, the small town mayor that acts like a king, the middle management supervisor that acts like the company owner, and the church deacon or pastor who thinks he sits on the left hand of God.
Pride and ranking are important in the world system, but that is not how the church is to function. *Even the titles that do exist in the church are not about prestige or rank. The term, “pastor,” is from the Latin word for the Biblical term for “shepherd.” The terms “elder” and “overseer” are also used for the man that serves as a pastor. Elder refers to the maturity needed to serve in that position, and overseer points to the responsibility of the office. Even in this, a shepherd is to lead, feed and care for his flock. He is not to beat the flock and demand that they serve him. The meaning of Deacon or Deaconess is “servant” as in “table waiter,” and Paul used that term for himself and other church leaders (1 Cor. 3:5) with it often being translated as “minister” (Eph. 3:7). *And as Jesus instructed the disciples in Mark 10:42-45, those who want to be great in His kingdom need to be the slave of all “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” There is no room in the church for worldly pride and arrogance.
Now before anyone takes me the wrong way and starts thinking I am against titles, let me clarify that I am not. *They are very helpful in indicating the abilities, responsibilities and position a person may have, and some titles will identify character qualities and / or goals of the individual. “Doctor of Cardiology” tells you something of that person’s specialized abilities. “Store Manager” tells you something of that person’s responsibilities. “President” tells you of that person’s position. “Convict” tells you something of the character of that individual. “Olympic athlete” tells you something of the goals of the individual with that title.
*The Titles You Have
Before salvation every person has certain titles or descriptive terms applied to them because they do not have Jesus Christ as their Savior. *The term “unbeliever” is used by Jesus and Paul in Luke 12:46: 1 Cor. 6:6; 7:12; 10:27; 1 Tim. 5:8; etc. to describe the mental state of the individual toward God and Jesus Christ. Regardless of whether it is ignorance or wilful rejection, unbelievers do not accept what God has proclaimed about Himself as true. * “Ungodly” is used in Romans 5:6; 2 Peter 3:7; Jude 1:15 to describe the nature of those apart from Christ. They may believe in a god or gods as did the pagans, but it is not the God of the Bible, or they may have claimed to know the God of the Bible, but they did not follow or obey Him.
*The most frequent term is “sinner” which was used by Jesus (Luke 15:10, etc.), Paul (1 Tim. 1:15, etc.), Peter (1 Peter 4:18) and Jude (1:15). This refers to the person’s failure to keep God commandments. The depth of this being part of the person’s nature is seen in Paul’s description of them as being “slaves of sin” in Romans 6:16. Sin is the master of the unbeliever.
*After salvation there other terms used to describe the person. “Believer” (Acts 16:1; 2 Cor. 6:15; 1 Thess. 1:7; 1 Tim. 5:16) is used to mark the person as someone who accepts as true and follows the revelation of God in Christ. *“Disciple” is often used of believers because the term means, a “pupil” or a “follower.” A disciple is someone who follows the teachings of another. This is by far the most often used term to refer to Jesus’ followers both in the gospels and in the book of Acts. *The term, “Christian,” was first used in Antioch to describe the disciples (Acts 11:26). It means “little Christ” and refers to the person’s practice of striving to be like Christ in how they lived. It became an accepted title of all who believed and followed the teachings of the Lord Jesus (Acts 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16). *In 2 Peter 2:9 Christians are referred to as “the godly,” and in Acts 24:15; Romans 1:17 and James 5:16 they are called “the Righteous” because their character and conduct is marked by obedience to God and walking in His righteousness.
There are some other terms used of Christians that we do not use that often anymore, but we would probably be much better off if we did because they are good reminders of who we really are and the purpose of our lives. They are all related titles that the apostles and even Christ Himself used for themselves. *They are the terms related to being a servant or a slave of Jesus Christ.
In Romans 6:1-11 Paul speaks of our identification with Christ through baptism and the result that should have in our lives. We are united with Him in the likeness of His death and resurrection that we might die to sin and walk in newness of life. *Paul goes on to say in verses 12-23, 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts, 13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin [as] instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members [as] instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law, but under grace. 15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! 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? 17 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members [as] slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in [further] lawlessness, so now present your members [as] slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification. 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. 22 But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
*The true Christian is no longer a slave to sin, but rather a slave to righteousness because sin and Satan are no longer his master, but he is instead enslaved to God. Paul expresses this same thought in Colossians 1:13 saying, “For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.” The true Christian has a new master because he is a member of a different kingdom. He is now a citizen of heaven (Phil 3:20) and an alien and stranger to this world who lives a different kind of life (1 Peter 2:11).
*This concept of being a servant or slave of God runs throughout the scriptures in describing those who truly follow God. Abraham was the friend of God (James 2:23; cf. Ex. 33:11; 2 Chr. 20:7), but he was also the servant of God (Gen. 26:24). *Moses was known as the servant of God (Deut. 34:5; 1 Chr. 6:49; Dan. 9:11; Rev. 15:3). Joshua was the servant of the Lord (Joshua 24:29) as was David (2 Sam. 3:18; Psalm 18:1; 36:1).
In the New Testament we find that followers of Christ often used this terminology for themselves. The concept of servanthood to Christ is so strong that one of the offices in the church is specifically given that name. *”Deacon,” (diavkonV /diakonos) means “servant” as in “table waiter,” as mentioned earlier. The word group is often translated as “minister” in the Scriptures. Paul used it of himself (Eph. 3:7) and his co-laborers such as Timothy (1 Thess 3:2), Epaphras (Col. 1:7), Tychicus (Col. 4:7) and Phoebe (Rom. 16:1)
*Paul and others also used another word to describe themselves, dou:loV / doulos, often translated as “bondservant” or “bondslave.” This is a stronger term than diavkonV /diakonos for it indicates ownership by a master. That is how Paul (Romans 1:1; Gal. 1:10; Titus 1:1), Peter (2 Peter 1:1), James (James1:1) and Jude (Jude 1:1) all referred to themselves. They saw themselves as being slaves of Christ. All Christians should see themselves the same way. As stated in Romans 6:18, 22, we are to be enslaved to God and righteousness.
*Philippians 2:7 explains that Jesus “emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave,” (dou:loV / doulos), “by being made in the likeness of men.” In Isaiah 42:1 & 53:11 it was prophesied that the Messiah would be God’s Servant. Jesus fulfilled that in Matthew 12:18.
The examples of Jesus and these Old and New Testament saints should be enough in themselves to convince us of the importance of being the Lord’s servants / salves ourselves, but let me add some additional arguments.
*The Importance of Your Titles
When someone asks you to tell them about yourself, what do you say? How do you describe yourself? Are the titles you use in describing yourself important? Since humans are generally complex, there may be several titles and descriptions you use to tell others about yourself. There are words to describe your relationship to others, your heritage, your positions, your responsibilities, your affiliations, your hobbies and interests, and your passions. *The terms and titles by which you describe yourself indicate your concept of yourself, which in turn reveals what you believe are your purposes in life which will come out in your goals, thoughts and priorities of actions.
For example, if you think of yourself in terms of position and authority such as president, supervisor, manager, coach, etc., then your purpose is to rule, manage and direct other people. If you think of yourself at the other extreme of being an assistant, helper, worker or slave, then your purpose is to serve. *However, most of us have multiple roles so this is something that can be very dynamic. You may have supervisory function or leadership position in your job or organization in which you direct other people, but at the same time you also have someone over you whom you serve. It is a mixture of responsibilities, and in order to carry out your purpose in serving your boss, you must rule other people.
*There is a similar dynamic when you think of yourself in terms of your relationships such as husband / wife, parent, son / daughter. Your God given role in each of those relationships should direct you in how to handle them. If you have the title, “mom,” and have children at home, your purpose is to care and nurture those children and that will include teaching and discipline. There is a mixture of responsibilities here for as you are exercising authority over your children you are also serving your husband, and even more important, the Lord. Dads have it the same way. The Bible is clear that he is responsible to manage his home and therefore exercise authority in it (Eph. 5:22-6:4; 1 Tim. 3:4,12; etc.), but he does so because he is responsible to and serves the Lord in doing so. And in the complex dynamics of human relationships, that of the husband and wife is different from those with other people and is to be a higher priority according to the scriptures.
Does it make any difference what order you put the various elements of your self description? Actually, Yes! *Because the order of your description will generally correlate with the order of your priorities. For example, it is commonly known that I sign all my correspondence, Simply a Slave of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that is my first priority of identification and life. But what comes next. Is it pastor or husband of Diane? The order reveals the priority. I put husband before pastor because that is in accordance to the Biblical commands to love my wife as Christ loves the church in Eph. 5, and it is in keeping with one of the qualifications of being an elder in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. I could not be pastor without a proper relationship with my wife, so she must to be a higher priority. Christians should apply similar reasoning to all areas of life because our purpose in life is to know God and glorify Him in all things (1 Cor. 10:31; Col. 3:17).
*Consider this: If you are married and have children are you a wife and mother or a mother and wife? Are you a husband and father or a father and husband? Does your priority match the Biblical priority? Too many couples get this wrong, and after 30 or so years of marriage end up divorcing because the children are grown and gone and their relationship degenerated into two adults co-existing in the same house. In a similar way Genesis 2:24 states “for this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife . . .” Tragically there are too many who continue who see themselves more in terms of being a son or daughter than a husband and wife and they allow parental interference to strain or even destroy their marriage. Yes, you are to honor your parents, but not as a priority over your husband or wife.
*Identity reveals your purpose and your purpose determines your goals and therefore also your actions. This makes having a clear and proper identity a crucial issue. Again, we all have different titles and roles in the daily course of life, but for the Christian there is a primary title for us and it is bound up in this idea of being enslaved to God as pointed out earlier. * A Christian’s priority is to be the Lord’s bondservant / slave. You do not belong to yourself for you have been bought with the price of Jesus’ precious blood (1 Peter 1:18). Your purpose is to be found in serving Jesus Christ otherwise when you get to the end of your life you will look back and only be able to repeat Ecclesiastes 1:2, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.” Your life will have been ultimately meaningless. It is the identity of being a slave of Christ that gives meaning and purpose to the life of a Christian for every other identity a Christian may have is to be subordinate to being a slave of Christ.
*The self identity of a non-Christian is going to be the slave of something or someone else even if it is self. Few will use the title, slave, but that is what they are and that is their actual self perception because *you are a slave to the one whom you obey regardless of the description used. There is a master whom they are seeking to please and gain favor even if they resent that master. In false religions it is a false god or goddess. In cults it is the false source of authority whether that be a person, a council or revered writings. In some political systems it is the state or ruler of the state. In some social systems it is the tribe. Narcissists and egotists are slaves to themselves. In all cases, as already pointed out in Romans 6, the unbeliever is a slave to sin and its consequential unrighteousness with fealty to Satan because he is the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4) and they exist in his domain of darkness ( Col. 1:13).
*Because the non-Christian is a slave to sin with their minds blinded by the devil, they may not recognize that enslavement and be under the delusion they can gain autonomy and be in control of their own lives – the captain of their own ship, the king or queen over the personal realm of their lives. Their purpose then is rule over their own lives in the quest to fulfill whatever they think will make them successful – the favor of their master, fame, fortune, position, power, pleasure, security or whatever mixture of these and anything else. If their life is going badly, that may reduce down to something as simple as survival. The actions they take in life will be according to the thoughts they have in the quest to fulfill their purpose and desires.
*The life of the non-Christian is tragic because even if they achieve all they believe makes them successful, their life will reach its end and they will die. Fame fades. Fortunes are redistributed. Position and power goes to someone else. Pleasure is purged. Survival succumbs and security is stripped as they face God to be judged and are condemned according to their very deeds (Revelation 20:12).
*The only hope is trading masters by becoming a slave of Christ by God’s grace through faith in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, and with that come all the privileges of that new identity which gives you a new purpose for life.
*The Privileges of the Title: Slave of Christ
The privileges of being a slave of Christ are both eternal and temporal. On the eternal side, those who hear and believe the gospel do not come into judgment, but are passed from death into life (John 5:24). *1 Peter 1:3–5 points out that because of God’s mercy the believer is caused “3 . . . to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” *You were spiritually dead in your sins and are made spiritually alive in Christ by the Holy Spirit as explained in Ephesians 2:1-10, and for those alive at Jesus’ return they will also escape physical death being directly caught up together with the resurrected saints to meet the Lord in the air and always be with Him thereafter as proclaimed in 1 Thess. 4:13-18. *Philippians 3:20-21 further explains that saints in Christ Jesus have their citizenship in heaven and so look forward to Jesus’ return when He will “transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by His working through which He is able to even subject all things to Himself.” We don’t know exactly what this future body will be like other than it will be incorruptible and immortal according to 1 Corinthians 15:53-54, and it as stated in 1 John 3:2 it will be like Jesus’ resurrection body for “we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.”
*The slave of Christ will continue to serve Him in His future kingdom as stated in Revelation 20:6 as “priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.” After the millennium, the present heavens and earth will be destroyed and replaced by a new heaven and earth. The redeemed will then dwell forever with God and the Lamb in the new Jerusalem so beautifully described in Rev. 21 & 22. *That this eternal heaven will be the Christian’s future home is guaranteed by the sealing of the Holy Spirit of promise (Eph. 1:13).
*Those promises of future glory give hope in the present for the slave of Christ. Paul said in Romans 8:18, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” That is a temporal benefit of being a slave of Christ, but there are a lot more. *Colossians 1:13 points out that God “rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.” A change of kingdom means we also have a change of masters. As already pointed out from Romans 6, we are no longer slaves of sin and subjects of Satan but are instead slaves of righteousness with Jesus as our master. *While God will gain glory from all things, He has a different purpose for vessels of mercy in how He will do that as He makes known to us the riches of His glory (Romans 9:23). The Holy Spirit is conforming us into the image of Christ and will continue that work in perfecting us until the day of Christ Jesus when we will be like Him (Phil. 1:6; Rom. 8:29).
*A life of righteousness is far superior to a life of sin in the present and not just with a view toward eternity as expressed in Psalm 73. Yes, there are plenty of evil people that seem like they are living the good life without trouble while the righteous suffer, but their end will be eternal torment while the righteous will have God as their refuge. Again, as Paul stated, the “sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” *But I will contend that even when the righteousness do undergo suffering it is better than the supposed good life of the evil. Moses understood that with Hebrews 11:25 stating that he chose “rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin.”
*What can the world offer that can compare to having peace with God because we are justified by faith and face no condemnation because we are in Christ Jesus (Romans 5:1; 8:1)? *Can worldly socialization compare with the fellowship of the saints in which we demonstrate we are disciples of Christ by our sacrificial love for one another in carrying out all of the one another commands within the body of Christ, the church? Remember, that includes people bearing your burdens, forbearing with your weaknesses and immaturity, and forgiving you when you sin against them. The world is self-centered while true Christians are to be humble and other centered and regard their brothers and sisters in Christ as more important and looking out for their interests (Phil. 2:3-4).
*The world claims Jesus is a crutch for Christians. The humble recognize their handicaps and need for a crutch and a light while the proud deny it to live in darkness limping or crawling or using a crutch which will fail them. Jesus never fails. But more importantly, Jesus said that though we are His slaves, we are also His friends and we walk with Him in His light (John 15:15; 1 John 1:7). Jesus also sends us the Holy Spirit who enlightens us, teaches us and empowers us.
Since I have been a Christian since I was a child, I may be simple in regards to what the world offers, but I either don’t understand its attraction or find it repulsive. *Why spend time in a night club where it is so loud you can’t talk? In regards to drugs and alcohol, it is for those that don’t want to remember their troubles (Prov. 31:6-7), but the problems are waiting for them when they sober up. Or as the country music lyric puts it, “you had some of the best times you’ll never remember with me, alcohol.” How many other worldly pursuits are there to try to hide, distract or avoid the pains of human life? *The Christian can face life full on and have joy even in the midst of much affliction (1 Thess. 1:6). The Lord invites us to cast all of our care upon Him for He cares for us, so there is no reason for us to fret or worry for more than a moment (Phil. 4:6-7, 1 Peter 5:7). It is better to be poor and have the fear of the Lord, be truthful, righteous, and walk in integrity than be rich without those qualities. And pragmatically, survey after survey over the decades consistently demonstrate the poor are happier than the rich who must care for all that they own and worry about losing it. The possessions of the wealthy often own them.
*For the man or woman that recognizes their identity as a slave of the Lord Jesus Christ, life becomes fairly simple, difficult at times, yes, but simple. Life is about pleasing Him. Decisions are made according to what is best for His kingdom and righteousness, in which case He promises to provide the necessities for life so that there is no need to be anxious about any of those things (Matthew 6:33). Every business and career decision is to be made with that in mind. Yes, the Christian businessman needs to make a profit to stay in business, but his bottom line is conducting his business to glorify God, instead of a ledger with large numbers in the black. The Christian keeps his word and refuses to lie or cheat on either end of a transaction. Conflict in relationships are handled by first considering and submitting to God’s commands concerning the issues, and then second, striving to be at peace with all men as far as it depends on you.
I could go on for a long time with practical illustrations of applying this truth in every area of life because it will affect every decision and action you take, but I think you get the point. Charles Sheldon in his book, In His Steps, published in 1896 succinctly stated this principle in a practical question, What would Jesus do? *The disciple wants to be like his teacher. What would Jesus do? The slave desires to obey his master. What does Jesus command? A friend desires to please his friend. What would Jesus like?
*The Price of The Title, Slave of Christ
I will close with two quick critical truths about the price of gaining the title, slave of Christ. The first is the high price paid in order to redeem you from your slavery to sin and free you from Satan’s domain of darkness. *1 Peter 1:18–19 states “that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.” *That is an infinite price, and yet God the Father and God the Son willingly paid it in demonstration of His own love toward us, and He did so while we were yet sinners (Romans 5:8). Christ did not suffer and die on the cross of Calvary because you were good and deserved it. He did so because you were unrighteous and enslaved to sin and in need of a savior. *Those who repent to believe in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ have that redemption price applied to them so that they are forgiven, justified and transferred into Christ’s kingdom. The practical ramification of that is that you have been bought with a price so that you are not your own, you are a slave of Christ (1 Cor. 6:19-20; Romans 6:18).
*The second critical truth is that as a slave of Christ you can expect to be treated as He was. Jesus said, “A slave is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20), and “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). *He also said, “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matt. 5:12 ). The slave of Christ has a better life in the present and is joyful even when persecuted because we have a hope for eternity.
*What is your title? Whose slave are you? Who is your master?
Sermon Notes – 8/30/2026
What is Your Title? Our Identification as Jesus’ Slaves – Selected Scriptures
Worldly Titles
While Americans don’t use titles of royalty, we do use titles to designate usually useful ________ _________
Ecclesiastical titles often go _______the Biblical ones – usually contrary to Biblical principles against ______
Wordly Pride
Titles define authority & importance which can be necessary, but often lead to obnoxious _______
Biblical titles are not about prestige or rank – they convey maturity, authority and responsibility of _________
Those who are great in God’s kingdom are __________ of all (Mark 10:42-45)
Titles can be _______in indicating the abilities, responsibilities, position & even character a person may have
The Titles You Have
_________to salvation: Unbeliever (Lk 12:46; 1 Tim. 5:8), Ungodly (Rom. 5:6), Sinner (Lk 15:10; Jude 15)
_________salvation: Believer (Acts 16:1; 1 Tim. 5:16); Disciple (Acts 6:1; 15:10), Christian (Acts 11:26)
The godly (2 Peter 2:9), The Righteous (Rom. 1:17; James 5:16)
Romans 6:12-23. A _________ to righteousness / enslaved to God –
______________from domain of darkness to kingdom of Christ (Col. 1:13), citizenship in heaven (Phi. 3:20)
Servants / slaves of ____include: Abraham (Gen. 26:24); Moses (Deut. 34:5); Joshua (24:29); David (Ps 18:1)
Deacon used for the office or person that ____________(1 Tim. 3:8-11; Eph. 3:7; Col. 1:7; 4:7; Rom 16:1)
Bondservant / Bondslave – one _______by a master. Used by Paul, Peter, James, Jude as titles for themselves
Jesus came in the form of a ________(Phil. 2:7) and prophesied to be God’s servant (Isa. 53:11; Matt. 12:18)
The Importance of Your Titles
The terms and titles by which you describe yourself indicate your __________of yourself and purposes in life
Most people have _______titles / positions so particular roles can be very dynamic – but which is the priority?
Your _____ ______role in relationships directs you how to handle them whether in authority or in submission
The order of the terms by which you describe yourself generally correlate with your order of ___________
A spouse & parent or a parent & spouse? Does your _________ match the Biblical priorities?
Identity reveals your purpose and your purpose determines your _______ and therefore also your _________
A Christian’s priority is to be the Lord’s bondservant / _________
The self identity of a non-Christian is going to be the _______ of something or someone else even if it is self
Whether acknowledged or not, you are a slave to the __________you obey even if you resent that master
Non-Christians are slaves to ______with minds blinded by the devil and may not recognize their enslavement
Even “successful” non-Christians are tragic because their life ends, they die & are justly ___________by God
The ______hope is trading masters by becoming a slave of Christ by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ
The Privileges of the Title: Slave of Christ
Gospel believers do not come into judgment, but are passed from death into ________(John 5:24)
By God’s mercy, believers are ______ ________to a living hope, the spiritually dead are made alive in Christ
Saints in Christ will receive transformed, incorruptible, immortal __________at Christ’s return (Phil. 3:20-21)
Slaves of Christ continue to serve Him in His _____________reign (Rev. 20:6)
The Christian’s future home in ________is guaranteed by the sealing of the Holy Spirit of promise (Eph. 1:13)
Promises of future glory give _______in the present for the slave of Christ (Rom. 8:18)
Transferred from the domain of darkness to the kingdom of Christ, the master is _____________instead of sin
As vessels of mercy, the Holy Spirit continues to _________us into the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29; Phil. 1:6)
A life of righteousness is far _________to a life of sin in the present as well as in the view of eternity (Ps. 73)
Heb. 11:25 – ______chose “to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin”
What can the world ________that can compare with being justified by Christ and having peace with God?
Can worldly socialization compare to the true ____________of the saints?
Jesus _____ ____for He is a friend that we walk with in His light & the Holy Spirit enlightens & empowers us
The crutches of the unbeliever are worldly pursuits trying to avoid, hide, distract or dull the ________of life
The Christian can face life full on and have ________even in the midst of much affliction (1 Thess. 1:6)
Decisions are made according to what is best for ____kingdom & righteousness so slaves of Christ live simply
Disciple: What would Jesus do? Slave: What does Jesus ___________? Friend: What would Jesus like?
The Price of The Title: Slave of Christ
1 Peter 1:18-19. The cost of your redemption from sin was the ______ blood of Christ
The price of redemption is applied to those that believe in Jesus – but that also purchases you as His ________
Slaves of Christ can be expected to be persecuted as was He – but we can ________ in the midst of it
KIDS KORNER
Parents, you are responsible to apply God’s Word to your children’s lives. Here is some help. Young Children – draw a picture about something you hear during the sermon. Explain your picture(s) to your parents at lunch. Older Children – Do one or more of the following: 1) Count how many times is the word “slave” said. 2) Discuss with your parents what it means to be a slave of Christ and why that is important for the Christian.
THINK ABOUT IT!
Questions to consider in discussing the sermon with others. What are common titles in American society? Which of these are helpful? Which seem to be more about pride? What are the only proper ecclesiastical titles according to Scripture? What does each of them mean? How are they used? What titles and terms would you use to describe yourself? What are the Biblical titles for non-Christians? What are the Biblical titles for Christians and what is the importance of each? Why are the titles of servant and slave critical in having a proper Christian identity? Why are titles important? What is the importance of the order in which a person uses terms and titles in describing himself? How do you describe yourself? What does the order of that description indicate about what you believe are your purposes in life? Do you consider yourself a slave of Christ? If not, why not? If so, how high in ranking is that identity to you? What are some of the specific things non-Christians get enslaved to? What are all non-Christians enslaved to? How can they be free of that slavery? What will the end be for those who remain slaves of sin instead of Christ? What privileges are gained by becoming a slave of Christ? List as many as you can? Which are future blessings? Which are current privileges? Compare the advantages of being a slave to Christ to being a slave to sin? Why are Christians attracted to worldly enticements? What is the foundation for rejecting those temptations? Christians can lean on Jesus, a friend, to help get through life – what are some of the things non-Christians used as crutches for the pain of life? What was the cost of redeeming you from slavery to sin to become a slave of Christ? How should you then live?
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