FRIEND OR SERVANT OF GOD?

 

Gary Giddings – Broken Arrow, OK

Jesus called those who followed Him friends, but the Apostle Paul called himself a servant of God. If Paul, our “pattern racer, didn’t call himself a friend of God, should we call ourselves friends or servants of God? Let’s look at what Jesus said: John 15:12-15, “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.” Think of the difference between a servant and a friend: a servant’s business is to obey the master’s commands, nothing more, nothing less, but a friend is a companion, one that shares close or intimate details of life. Friends are open and available to each other.

With the exception of Judas Iscariot, Jesus’ disciples believed in Him as the Promised One, the Christ (John 6:67-71). They followed Him and sat at His feet as servants. Jesus did the unexpected when He washed His disciples’ feet as an example of good, godly leadership: He said, “Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet” (John 13:13-14). Before Jesus’ arrest  in the Garden of Gethsemane, He welcomed His disciples into a higher level of relationship: He called them friends. Jesus didn’t take away the idea of serving; but as friends, the disciples would begin to know the plan of God as they served Him.

What did Paul call himself? In seven of his epistles, he called himself an apostle or “sent one.” He was called and sent by God to preach the Gospel of Jesus to the Jews and to the Gentles (Acts 26:16-18). But in three of Paul’s epistles, he called himself a servant. For example  Romans 1:1, “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called an apostle, separated unto the Gospel of God” The Greek word for servant is doulos  and it can be translated as servant or slave. A WILLING doulos is a servant, while a FORCED doulos is a slave. Many times in history, all over the world, people have been FORCED to work as slaves. This is wrong, evil, and demeaning because all people are made in the image of God! On the other hand, willing servants are those who CHOOSE to work  for love, money, prestige, etc. Paul was a willing servant because Jesus set him free from his sins and his old selfish lifestyle. Paul gave himself fully and completely to Jesus because that is where he found life, love, and meaning.

Whether Paul used the term friend or not, he knew Jesus. What did Paul do right after his conversion? He preached the truth about Jesus in Damascus many days (Acts 9:20-23) and then he went to Arabia (Gal. 1:15-18). It was in Arabia, that Paul received a direct revelation of the FULL GOSPEL of God (Gal. 1:11-12; Eph. 3:1-7). Think of the knowledge that Paul received and that the Lord chose him to be the apostle to this Church Age. He was a faithful servant, and he still ministers to everyone in this Grace Age through his letters (writing half of the New Testament).

Paul also called himself a prisoner of Jesus Christ (Eph. 3:1; Phil. 1:1). It may have looked like he was held captive by the Romans, but Paul was willing to suffer for the sake of the Lord, even if it meant persecution and hardship. Like others in the early Church, Paul rejoiced that he was counted worthy to suffer shame for Jesus’ name (Acts 5:41). 2 Timothy 2:3-4, “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.” Webster Dictionary - a soldier is a man engaged in military service … a brave warrior. Paul instructed his “son in the faith” Timothy (and all who will follow Paul as he followed Jesus, 1 Cor. 11:1) to be a good soldier in the spiritual war going on for the hearts and minds of people everywhere. Our battle isn’t against other people but against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. We need to put on the armor of God so that we can withstand evil (Eph. 6:10-13). Jesus has already conquered evil, so with Jesus, we are on the winning side! We are more than conquerors! (Rom. 8:31-39).

Romans 6:16, “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” The Apostle Paul was glad to call himself a servant of Jesus because he knew what it was like to be a servant of sin and under its dominion. Paul admitted that he had a problem with coveting (Rom. 7:7). The Law couldn’t help him; it only condemned him. But after Paul came to Jesus, he learned he could yield all of himself as “instruments of righteousness unto God” (Rom. 6:13). Because we put our trust in Jesus, we have been “delivered from the power of darkness” and “translated into the kingdom of God’s dear Son” (Col. 1:13). We are now free to serve God! Perhaps Paul had in mind the servant who loved his master so much that he had himself marked as a servant for the rest of his life (Ex. 21:2-6). Paul was willing to be a servant all his earthly life. Are we?

Galatians 4:6-7, “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. The Apostle Paul didn’t deny the friendship we have with Jesus. He emphasized the fact that we are sons of God. As sons of God, we more than a servant; we are part of The Family of God! We rejoice in God’s care and concern for us because we “are accepted in the Beloved” (Eph. 1:6). But even further, Paul says that we are heirs of God through Jesus. Being an heir means being “a sharer”, “a possessor” with Jesus, the Head of the Church. Paul preached “the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Eph. 3:8). These are spiritual riches that far outweigh all the material riches of this world. Don’t miss God’s best for the world!

Philippians 3:8, “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.” Paul was willing to give up everything else for “the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Salvation is a gift to those who humbly receive Jesus into their heart and confess Him (Rom. 10:9-10). This is the beginning of knowing Jesus; then we continue to learn of Him as we follow Him all our days. Once we are born again in God’s family, we have the opportunity to win Christ, that is, to gain the most intimate place of fellowship with Him.

Paul lived to gain Christ as His Bride. This is “the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14). But we must run to win this prize and run according to God’s rules (1 Cor. 9:24-27). As we look to Jesus for our wisdom, strength, and encouragement, we can “lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us” and “run with patience the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1-2). 2 Corinthians 11:2, “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” 

Paul was a willing servant who answered the call to be a most trusted, intimate friend of Jesus. Paul looked forward to receiving a “crown of righteousness” because he finished the course God gave him to run (2 Tim. 4:7-8). The whole church has been engaged to be married to Jesus. Will we be faithful in our engagement? Will we continue to set our affection on Him in the final days of our time on earth? How close do you want to be with Jesus? Every day we live our answer. We are servants, yes, but we also LOVE Him who first LOVED us and called us friends. There is no higher place to be than to be with Jesus as He rules and reigns over the earth for 1,000 years. As we learn to let Jesus rule and reign in our heart, we will rule and reign with Him as His Bride!