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Title: Slaves and Masters, Part Three: Attitude, Motivation and Endgame
Intro:
I realize it’s been a month since we’ve been in our main book of study, Ephesians, so this morning I’d like to begin by reading the entire portion of the text we’re dealing with. A month ago we looked at part one and two, and we will handle part three today, and part four next Sunday.
Let’s begin today by looking at the passage in it’s entirety: (slide)
5 Slaves, be obedient to those who are your [a]masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ; 6 not [b]by way of [c]eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the [d]heart. 7 With goodwill [e]render service, as to the Lord, and not to people, 8 knowing that whatever good thing each one does, he will receive this back from the Lord, whether slave or free.
9 And masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.
A Quick Look Back at the Highlights in verses 5 and 6:
The word for “Slave” (doulos) can be used literally (slave; involuntary) or figuratively (servant; voluntary) which brings up the question of agency.
Packer:
- “Slaves follow the example of Christ through obedience submission. All believers are called to share Christ’s humiliation and sufferings in this age, in order to be exalted and glorified with Him in the next.” (Rom. 8:17)
- “Paul is not interested in making anyone’s share of suffering greater than it has to be. He also does not pretend there is an easy route around it. As slaves serve the exalted Christ, and not merely an earthly master, they do so in the new reality inaugurated by Christ.” (2 Cor. 5:17)
“With goodwill render service, as to the Lord, and not to people…”
This should remind us of another famous verse of Paul’s
Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
-Colossians 3:17
What does it actually look like to work for the Lord when working for people?
- It is impossible without humility. Why?
- It reminds us of the big picture and the long game. Consider Paul in Romans 818: “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.”
- It forces our agency to be surrendered. We are JOYFUL slaves to Christ, before we are anything.
Question: “Ben, what are you?”
My Best Answer:
“Before I am anything, I am a slave to Christ. Because of that, I identify as a Christian. But not just a Christian, a Biblicist. I happen to be Protestant. I happen to be Orthodox. I happen to also be Baptist. I happen also to be Calvinistic. I happen to be a conservative evangelical. But, before I am any of these things, I am a slave to Christ.”
Okay, but Ben, WHY are you all these things?
The answer is in verse 8:
“…knowing that whatever good thing each one does, he will receive this back from the Lord, whether slave or free.”
Observations:
- Our station here in this life (slave or free) has ZERO bearing on our eternal reward.
- We are all born into different circumstances throughout human history. Male. Female. Slave. Free. Jew. Gentile. Rich. Poor. This is WHERE WE ARE. But we are reminded that this is not the case WHERE WE ARE GOING. Galatians 8:28 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
- The command is clear: WHATEVER our plot in life: do good.
Close:
Attitude: I am not my own. Before I am anything I am a Joyful Slave to Christ, his Kingdom, and His agenda, both universally and for me personally.
Motivation: Therefore, everything I do MUST be motivated by the truth that the most “real” version of me is the one my master created me for.
Endgame: There is a reward. And it is NOT sin to be motivated by this reward. Because this reward is what the Father wants for us, he reminds us of this reward so that we are not toiling in vain, but toiling toward glory.