A bond servant or a free man?

Another thought for us: A bond Servant of a free man?

In what way must we give to our Lord what He desires? In the "religious church system life" many feel we are free to choose what we can give God of our lives and properties, money, or whatever we desire to give. Many give only what "they think they can afford." When you understand that your life was purchased by Jesus blood, you have no desire to be free to choose what you give, when you give, and how much you give.

A blood bought child of God who knows his life was purchased by God himself, willingly and lovingly become a "bond servant" of Jesus. A bond servant says, "all that I am, all that I have, all that I ever will be is yours." A bond servant never seeks to be free from giving, or decides what they feel led to give. A bond servant listens to God and gives all God requires and ask of them all the time.

A bond servant does not see what they have or own as their own to hold unto or keep, they realize they are just stewards of what the Lord has entrusted to them. A bond servant will not put his family above God or His will. A bond servant will not put his job or money before God and His will. A bond servant will not put his possessions before God and His will. Why? They understand the true cost and nature of their salvation. They were purchased with a price, they are not their own.

We often are led by God to present our needs before God's people and we face great ridicule for doing so. Why don't you just trust God to provide? Good question? If God is sending you, why won't he give it to you? That is true, but He often does it through people. I have found often the ones God touches to give to the works of missions are "bond servants of the Lord."

They are in an abiding relationship of the Lord and understand they were purchased with a price. The ones who get offended by asking to support mission works may be saved by their trust in Christ, but they often lack understanding of the true work of the kingdom of God. No greater love than this that a man lay down his life for his friends.

God sends us out to fulfill the great commission, and he tells us not take a collection bag with us or anything because the "workman are worthy of their wages." The sent ones of the Lord to the nations, don't work regular jobs, or trades, because they are sent forth from the Lord and can not It is God's plan to support them to do that work through His body of believers.

When you have the revelation of being purchased by God and your life is truly his, you can see the kingdom. You can see the work that needs to be done. You can see the condition of the church and of the loss in this broken world God is going to restore His kingdom in? You are not considering what you have as your own, so you are ready to give, whatever the lord would ask of you, no matter what it cost, even up to your very life.

This what true missions work is: Go into all the nations and make disciples of the nations. A disciple is to be like his master. We can never be fully like him if we don't realize we have been bought with a price and we are not our own.

A disciple is one that has given himself wholly and completely love God and to live a life of complete obedience to God’s will in everything. It is not church life, It is Christ life lived through us, the gospel of the kingdom to every creature.

If we can withhold our money, we most likely will withhold our life fully from God as well. If we have taken our salvation and liberty in Christ as only rejoicing in our freedom, we will give only to the measure we feel like giving because we believe we are free to choose. That is when we may believe we can only give what we can afford.

In Luke chapter 14. The Master of the house prepared a great feast and told his servant to go to the invited ones and tell them all things are now read. So the servant goes out to the invited ones who the feast was prepared for, but one by one they began to make excuses.

"Lord, I have a house, I can't come now, please excuse me from coming when you call. Lord, I have a wife and family, I can't come now, please excuse when you call, I will come later. Lord I have a house, it needs my work and attention, I can't come now please excuse me when I call." What excuses do we make when the Lord asks us to do something for Him when it is not convenient?

Today, Believers in the church would say things like, Lord I already have a ministry, I already give tithes, I already do all these things, so please don't call me know and ask for more, please excuse me now I have given you what I can afford. Lord, don't ask me to another thing, my plate is full already?

Do you think God would intrust His Kingdom to those who give only what they can afford? Would he give it to the heart that makes excuses, or gets angry when asked to give "more then they think they can afford or should?"

Would he give to hearts that are quick to judge missionaries or ministries incorrectly in giving to the needs of ones sent by God to a local community, or to missionaries to go to nations, or their families, to do the work of God that God has asked them to do?

Would he give to hearts that make excuses and have other more important things to do like their family, job, or house needs before saying yes to God when He calls them to come? I DON'T THINK SO!

A Parable: The master and the slave:

There was a slave bought by a master in which the master took great care and love for the slave. The master let him keep some of the earning he made to take care of himself and his family, yet all the money he earned was entirely the masters. The master treated the slave with love and great respect and the slave was grateful. In time the slave was able to purchase his own freedom.

Many years later the master hit misfortune and became impoverished and in great need, and he came to his former slave for help. He was not only able to help his former master, but was most willing to give it, and gave it liberally and generously.

I am sure when you read this story, you would say what a good man that slave was to help that master out like that, but we need to look deeper into the story to see the true heart given fully to the Lord.

Beloved, when the slave was under the care of the Master before he bought his freedom. He owned nothing but what the master gave him. Everything he did was for the masters benefit. In this former life he was "required" to give all to the Master because the master had legal right to it.

Yet, you can now understand the difference of what it means to be a bond slave and a free man. When we was still a slave to his master, the former slave had to GIVE ALL, because it BELONGED TO HIS MASTER!

Yet now that he HAS BEEN FREED, He now felt FREE TO GIVE WHAT HE COULD AFFORD! Though to him it was generous and kind, and many religious people would agree with that, but in truth He held back what he felt was his and gave by his own choice and did not feel the need to love and care for the master as he had done for him. 

That is the difference between a love slave, or bond servant of Christ, and someone who is religious perhaps and goes to church. They say, I gave enough time already, I gave enough money already, it is someone else turn to give. I am always the one that helps and give more than anyone else.

A bond slave knows his freedom was not free. It was purchased with a price, the blood of Jesus, so they would not withhold anything from the Lord. They continue to live like a slave giving every waking moment, all that they have, all that they are and ever will be to the Master that freed them.

When the master has a need, they would not just give him some, but they would give him everything, everywhere, all the time. Which servant would you trust your kingdom too?

Would you give it to the one that didn't understand the cost of their freedom and choose to give as they "can afford," or the bond servant who loving stay with you even after they are freed to serve you out of love and gratitude for their freedom with everything they have?"

I guess that is an easy decision to make. You would entrust your kingdom to the one that willingly gives their freedom back to God and serves him and loves him with their entire life. 

In which way should we give to Jesus? I am afraid, many give as if "they were free to give what they choose,"what the think they can afford. The bond servants of Jesus Christ undertands who purchased them and the cost of that purchase. 

It has been revealed to them by the Holy Spirit the power of that purchase, and within them is a "delight to know" that He or She is a "bond-slave' of His redeeming love, and "to lay everything He has" back at His Master's feet. Is this what our love looks likes for Jesus?

 Are we a bond slave or a free man? I am writing this today to help us all see the cost of love, and what it means to be a disciple, a bond-slave of the Lord Jesus Christ. All that I am, all that I have, all that I ever will be is yours forever.

Our prayer to the Lord:

Lord I repent of the selfish religious life I have lived that put my own will and my own comfort first and give you Jesus what I saw fit. 

Forgive me of this selfish self-seeking heart Lord, I repent and turn you with my whole heart. Holy Spirit I ask you now to work your mighty power to will "Nothing but your will. Nothing but to live fully for you, I hold nothing back anymore." Please be at work to will this in me now!

Holy Spirit I trust you as you will this in me your power will work in me "to do it, to live it." I trust you with my life Jesus. I surrender to your will Father, and I ask you Holy Spirit to manifest Jesus live in me on Earth as it in heaven. I ask this in Jesus name. Amen!