Are You a DOULOS?

Are You a DOULOS?

Philippians 2,7 tells us that Jesus took the form of a bondservant. This is not symbolic language or a poetic exaggeration. It is a declaration of what Christ truly became and what true allegiance to Him requires.

The word translated bondservant comes from the Greek word doulos. A doulos is not a hired worker and not a volunteer. A doulos is a slave. A slave has no rights of his own. He does not belong to himself. His will is non existant. His desires do not rule. His life is owned by another.

When Scripture says that Jesus became a bondservant, it means that He willingly surrendered every claim to self rule. He did not defend His rights. He did not cling to His status. He did not assert His own will. He emptied Himself of Himself and submitted completely to the will of the Father.

This truth exposes a serious problem among many who claim belief in Christ.

Many people believe facts about Jesus. They believe He lived. They believe He died. They believe He rose. They may even say that He is Lord. But belief in facts is not the same as becoming a bondservant. They have not given up their rights. They have not surrendered control of their lives. They still decide what they will obey and what they will refuse.

A bondservant does not negotiate obedience. A bondservant does not place limits on submission. A bondservant does not say Lord while retaining ownership of himself. A bondservant belongs entirely to his master.

Jesus said that no one can serve two masters. This is not a metaphor and not a suggestion. It is a spiritual reality. If a person has not surrendered self rule, then Christ is not their master. If Christ is not their master, then they are their own master.

Scripture is clear that there is no neutral ground. If Christ is not ruling a person, then something else is. When self rules, sin rules. When sin rules, Satan rules. Many who claim Christ are still governed by self, comfort, desire, and personal authority. They believe, but they have not died.

Christ did not call people merely to believe. He called them to deny themselves. He called them to take up the cross. He called them to follow Him as He followed the Father. Until a person becomes a bondservant, Christ is not truly their Lord.