Bondservant = δουλος Slave in Greek (Part 1)

Bondservant =   δουλος   Slave in Greek

I love living in America – the land of the free and home of the brave.  G-d planned for me to live during this time and in this country and it has been a blessing.  I’m already rich with earthly blessings.  I have so much- too much- food options, cable, satellite, and Web TV choices.  Debt options with credit cards, payday loans, and “no payments till next year” options to satisfy every craving for more.

Our liberties and the freedom that we especially in Western culture have keep us ignorant to the Bondservant concept that I will bring out in part 2 of my blog.  We are called to be slaves of righteousness.  In later blog entries I will also share the Apostles thought process in their servant hood to G-d.  In part 1 of this entry I want to address what the Grace of G-d has the power to do.

We are in Hyper-Grace mode in the Body of Christ:  I’m free! I’m free!  But what am I free from and now free to do?  This is the question we need to be asking.  Let’s look at what Paul states pretty clearly how we should identify with the Grace that G-d has given us.  Over the next few blog entries I will breakdown the words of scripture in bold starting with renouncing ungodliness.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,

training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

 

According to the scripture I’m free to renounce ungodliness.  Have I done that?  The world we live in is full of ungodliness and the battle is an ongoing one.  I have missed many cues from G-d to change.  I have free will and use it mostly to feed my flesh. I’m not going to change the world, my community, or my family until I change myself.  Certainly, there are areas in my life where ungodliness needs to be purged.  If I work on me with the grace of G-d the world around me can change.  So how can I do this?  How can I renounce ungodliness in my life?

 

I can do this by implementing “Spiritual Disciplines” (bible study, prayer, fasting, and meditation) that lead me on a path to be a slave of righteousness.  My mediation all the day, I have set the LORD always before me (Psa 16:8) compels me to take every thought, word, and deed into captivity to make sure it lines up with the integrity of G-d’s Word.  Is this easy? Of course not that’s why it’s called a discipline.  The scripture says that grace should be training us.

 

In life we plan out a strategy for worldly education, career paths, and finances.  How much planning are we doing to change our character flaws?  This is an area the Holy One has given each and every one of us the power to perfect His creation.  It is by His grace we can do it!  

 

I will share my walk in these areas and pray it helps the readers to become slaves of righteousness and not a slave to sin.  Because whether you realize it or not you are a slave to one or the other.

 

Shalom!