"Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God" (1 Peter 2:16, NASB).
NOTE: WE ARE SIMULTANEOUSLY SERVANTS AND FRIENDS, WITH AN EASY YOKE AND LIGHT BURDEN, BUT THE MORE ENSLAVED WE ARE TO CHRIST, THE FREER WE ARE IN THE SPIRIT.
Abraham was called the friend of God, according to Scripture (cf. James 2:23), and Jesus said in the Upper Room that He did not call the disciples servants anymore, but friends (cf. John 15:15). We are a very privileged group. However, we are not called to be sidekicks or buddies of the Lord in the same vein as our fellow equals and peers in this world. As believers, in reality, we are still servants of the Lord and at the Bema of Christ He will say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." However, what fulfillment to finally enter into the joy of the Lord. We are merely the stewards of God's blessings: time, resources, money, gifts, talents, opportunities, relationships, skills, and any other blessings He bestows. But Jesus invites us to be His friends and if we do what He commands: loving the brethren, (the yoke and cross of following His will for our lives), then we will receive a full reward (per 2 John 8) and not lose out on His divine favor. God is partial to no one and doesn't play favorites (cf. Acts 10:34, Rom. 2:11), and some believers will be saved by the skin of their teeth and lose reward, due to be disqualified (cf. 1 Cor. 9:27), or their works being burned up in the fire that tests their purity (cf. 1 Cor. 3:10ff).
The Koine (biblical or common Greek) word doulos (bondservant) should be "slave." But it shouldn't have the connotations it does today with cruelty. Slaves were owned by their master, not just in their service. Christ has bought us (cf. 1 Cor. 6:20). Jesus made it clear that we are only His friends if we obey Him (cf. John 15:14). Obedience and faith are correlated and can be distinguished, but not separated. We show our faith by our obedience; likewise, we obey by walking in faith (cf. 2 Cor. 5:7). Jesus said no one can be owned by two masters, we must decide whom we will dedicate our life's service to --mammon or Christ.
Slaves are Christ's freemen, while freemen are Christ's slaves: "He who was called while free, is Christ's slave. You were bought with a price" (1 Cor. 7:22-23, NASB). We can be each other's servants, but they don't own us--Christ owns us and deserves the title Kurios or Lord, as we defer in obedience, allegiance, and loyalty. Becoming a Christian entails giving up the ownership of our lives, being willing to do His will in our calling.
Paul and other disciples referred to themselves commonly as bondservants in their epistles, and those are they who could be set free and decide to stay in slavery or service voluntarily, out of love for their master or the job itself. The whole beauty of it is that it is a voluntary initiative like Paul not getting married when he had the right to money for preaching; we don't have to give up our so-called rights or privileges to serve a lowly or humble role.
But in the end, after the rewards are given out at the Judgment Seat of Christ, it will be worth the effort and sacrifice to have served the Lord and done only what was required, no matter how much effort we made, it was only what ought to have done and we will not even deserve a reward, but one will be given by grace anyway. For that is what grace is: you don't earn it, cannot pay it back, and you didn't deserve it in the first place; on the other hand, mercy is not getting what we do deserve!
When the apostles called themselves bondservants of Christ, they were taking a special calling to serve Him in exchange for the privilege of the greater reward; they didn't have to make themselves bondservants, (by definition, this is voluntary), and they enjoyed the service of the Lord's work in the kingdom of God. Paul, Peter, James, and John the Elder all referred to themselves this way and they knew what they were getting into, and followed the calling despite the downside and pitfalls. Paul even said that while he was poor the church could be made rich.
In God's economy, greatness is correlated with how many you serve, not how many servants you have, for even Jesus came serving (cf. Mark 10:45), and much more are we called to serve, walking in His steps. It is indeed a promotion to be called into the ministry, despite the fact that it means a life of service, not glory or riches in this world, because the reward is in the next life to be handed out according to what we have done in the flesh (cf. Rom. 2:6) in service to God by the power of the Spirit, who is our divine enabler!
The whole concept of service is that Christians live an exchanged life of Christ living through them as His hands to serve, feet to go, voice to preach, and heart to love (for Jesus has no hands, etc., to change the world other than ours) for Him in missions and ministry. As Paul said in Galatians 2:20 that he no longer lives, but Christ lives through him. Christianity isn't so much about copying or mimicking Christ as having Him live through us and in us as He takes ownership and control of our lives.
As far as our service goes, we are still servants and stewards who will be rewarded accordingly, but as far as our relationship goes, we are the friends of God too, for God is no respecter of persons and shows no partiality--what He's done for others He can and will do for you! Don't forget that Jesus is not ashamed to call us brethren and we are now family with God as our Father, to whom we address prayer in Jesus name. In fact, anyone who does the will of God is His brother, sister, or even mother (cf. Matt. 12:50)!
In God's economy and in the service of the Lord, the more you humble yourself, and the more sacrifices you make, the more reward in heaven--humility comes before exaltation and promotion--unlike the apostles who wanted to be first in the kingdom, but didn't know what they were getting into, and would have to drink of the same cup as the Lord to prove their worthiness to sit with Him in the kingdom of God. Case in point: Take the example of John the Baptist, who said in John 3:30 that Jesus must increase and he must decrease!
Therefore, the way up is down, apparently, because John was the greatest mortal ever born and he lived the life in the wilderness deprived of any luxury and gave his life as his final witness, while he lived such a life of deprivation and asceticism. Indeed, it is a promotion to become a martyr and die for the Lord, not a disgrace, but an honor to be considered worthy of suffering for Christ's sake in kingdom work. Soli Deo Gloria!
NOTE: WE ARE SIMULTANEOUSLY SERVANTS AND FRIENDS, WITH AN EASY YOKE AND LIGHT BURDEN, BUT THE MORE ENSLAVED WE ARE TO CHRIST, THE FREER WE ARE IN THE SPIRIT.
Abraham was called the friend of God, according to Scripture (cf. James 2:23), and Jesus said in the Upper Room that He did not call the disciples servants anymore, but friends (cf. John 15:15). We are a very privileged group. However, we are not called to be sidekicks or buddies of the Lord in the same vein as our fellow equals and peers in this world. As believers, in reality, we are still servants of the Lord and at the Bema of Christ He will say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." However, what fulfillment to finally enter into the joy of the Lord. We are merely the stewards of God's blessings: time, resources, money, gifts, talents, opportunities, relationships, skills, and any other blessings He bestows. But Jesus invites us to be His friends and if we do what He commands: loving the brethren, (the yoke and cross of following His will for our lives), then we will receive a full reward (per 2 John 8) and not lose out on His divine favor. God is partial to no one and doesn't play favorites (cf. Acts 10:34, Rom. 2:11), and some believers will be saved by the skin of their teeth and lose reward, due to be disqualified (cf. 1 Cor. 9:27), or their works being burned up in the fire that tests their purity (cf. 1 Cor. 3:10ff).
The Koine (biblical or common Greek) word doulos (bondservant) should be "slave." But it shouldn't have the connotations it does today with cruelty. Slaves were owned by their master, not just in their service. Christ has bought us (cf. 1 Cor. 6:20). Jesus made it clear that we are only His friends if we obey Him (cf. John 15:14). Obedience and faith are correlated and can be distinguished, but not separated. We show our faith by our obedience; likewise, we obey by walking in faith (cf. 2 Cor. 5:7). Jesus said no one can be owned by two masters, we must decide whom we will dedicate our life's service to --mammon or Christ.
Slaves are Christ's freemen, while freemen are Christ's slaves: "He who was called while free, is Christ's slave. You were bought with a price" (1 Cor. 7:22-23, NASB). We can be each other's servants, but they don't own us--Christ owns us and deserves the title Kurios or Lord, as we defer in obedience, allegiance, and loyalty. Becoming a Christian entails giving up the ownership of our lives, being willing to do His will in our calling.
Paul and other disciples referred to themselves commonly as bondservants in their epistles, and those are they who could be set free and decide to stay in slavery or service voluntarily, out of love for their master or the job itself. The whole beauty of it is that it is a voluntary initiative like Paul not getting married when he had the right to money for preaching; we don't have to give up our so-called rights or privileges to serve a lowly or humble role.
But in the end, after the rewards are given out at the Judgment Seat of Christ, it will be worth the effort and sacrifice to have served the Lord and done only what was required, no matter how much effort we made, it was only what ought to have done and we will not even deserve a reward, but one will be given by grace anyway. For that is what grace is: you don't earn it, cannot pay it back, and you didn't deserve it in the first place; on the other hand, mercy is not getting what we do deserve!
When the apostles called themselves bondservants of Christ, they were taking a special calling to serve Him in exchange for the privilege of the greater reward; they didn't have to make themselves bondservants, (by definition, this is voluntary), and they enjoyed the service of the Lord's work in the kingdom of God. Paul, Peter, James, and John the Elder all referred to themselves this way and they knew what they were getting into, and followed the calling despite the downside and pitfalls. Paul even said that while he was poor the church could be made rich.
In God's economy, greatness is correlated with how many you serve, not how many servants you have, for even Jesus came serving (cf. Mark 10:45), and much more are we called to serve, walking in His steps. It is indeed a promotion to be called into the ministry, despite the fact that it means a life of service, not glory or riches in this world, because the reward is in the next life to be handed out according to what we have done in the flesh (cf. Rom. 2:6) in service to God by the power of the Spirit, who is our divine enabler!
The whole concept of service is that Christians live an exchanged life of Christ living through them as His hands to serve, feet to go, voice to preach, and heart to love (for Jesus has no hands, etc., to change the world other than ours) for Him in missions and ministry. As Paul said in Galatians 2:20 that he no longer lives, but Christ lives through him. Christianity isn't so much about copying or mimicking Christ as having Him live through us and in us as He takes ownership and control of our lives.
As far as our service goes, we are still servants and stewards who will be rewarded accordingly, but as far as our relationship goes, we are the friends of God too, for God is no respecter of persons and shows no partiality--what He's done for others He can and will do for you! Don't forget that Jesus is not ashamed to call us brethren and we are now family with God as our Father, to whom we address prayer in Jesus name. In fact, anyone who does the will of God is His brother, sister, or even mother (cf. Matt. 12:50)!
In God's economy and in the service of the Lord, the more you humble yourself, and the more sacrifices you make, the more reward in heaven--humility comes before exaltation and promotion--unlike the apostles who wanted to be first in the kingdom, but didn't know what they were getting into, and would have to drink of the same cup as the Lord to prove their worthiness to sit with Him in the kingdom of God. Case in point: Take the example of John the Baptist, who said in John 3:30 that Jesus must increase and he must decrease!
Therefore, the way up is down, apparently, because John was the greatest mortal ever born and he lived the life in the wilderness deprived of any luxury and gave his life as his final witness, while he lived such a life of deprivation and asceticism. Indeed, it is a promotion to become a martyr and die for the Lord, not a disgrace, but an honor to be considered worthy of suffering for Christ's sake in kingdom work. Soli Deo Gloria!