BONDSERVANTS

Ephesians 6:5-12

English Standard Version (ESV)

Bondservants and Masters

Just the word “Bondservant” brings different meanings to everyone. In the culture of the Greeks and the Romans it was an unpaid servant in the household. If a country was conquered in warfare, the best educated, and the leaders of the land were taken and they became the teachers in the homes of the conquerors. Several Biblical examples come to mind. Immediately we think of Daniel, and Joseph, but there were others. It is really almost limited to our own generation that the conquerors restore the devastated lands, then buy the products they then produce in competition with their own economy.

5 Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ,

In the Biblical sense of a bondservant or slave, let us see to it that the Lord is given our full- hearted service. Scripture tells us that we can not serve two masters. When we try, we will find that one of them is given the “short end of the stick.” Our Lord deserves our best.  

(Colossians 3:22, 1 Timothy 6:1, Titus 2:9, 1 Corinthians 2:3, Ephesians 5:22)

6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,

There is no such thing as hiding anything from God. There is no such thing as “His time,” and “Our time.” His time is all the time, and he wants us to remember that. In Roman ages, there was no such thing as ‘the games” as we think of them. In the arena, Christians were the mice in the game, of the cat and the mouse. The cat is just toying with its snack. The cat often does not want the mouse, it just chews off the head and brings the rest as a gift to its master.

  

( Colossians 3:22, Galatians 1:10, 1 Corinthians 7:22, Mark 3:35)  

7 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man,

We serve the Lord and not men, and there are no exceptions. What we do with our lives is important, and our entire lives are an open book to him.  

(Colossians 3:23)

8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free.

Our Lord knows the extent of our giving of ourselves and our income to Him. Realizing this, let us give freely beyond that which is reserved by him as His own. He will see to it that we receive back in some form from him, not necessarily in cash.  

(Colossians 3:24, Mark 16:27, 2 Corinthians 5:10, Colossians 3:241 Corinthians 12:13, Colossians 3:11)

9 Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.

Paul is not hesitant in writing to slave owners that we have all be bought by the blood of the Lamb, and we are, therefore, the property of Christ.

(Leviticus 25:43, Job 31:13, John 13:13, Colossians 4:1, Deuteronomy 10:17, Acts 10:34, Colossians 3:25)

As the property of the Lord, we can depend upon Him to see that we have all that we need to do whatever he sends us to do. In Malachi 3:8-9 If we, shall we say, buy a season ticket to something we just enjoy doing, you bet, we are probably stealing it from Him. We are the servant, not the master.

At this point, Paul changes the whole scene from giving to receiving; receiving the protection of God.

  

The Whole Armor of God

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

All our strength comes of Him.

1 Corinthians 16:13, 2 Timothy 2:1, Ephesians 1:19)

11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

Armor is protective in purpose. Even the best suit of armor has weak sides or you would not be able to move. In the days of the covered wagons, for protection, they formed them into a circle and used them as a shelter. The Armadillo rolls itself into a ball with it’s plated side out, the turtle or the snail close themselves into a shell.

But armor has weak spots. Men’s armor was on the front side, and the back was weaker, or it would be impossible to move. We must be strong in the Word, but the word is no protection to the fearful in full flight. Stand fast in the word.

(Romans 13:12, Ephesians 6:13, Ephesians 4:14)

12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

The enemy comes from every direction, rulers, authorities, spiritual forces of evil.  Since the enemy is evil spirit guided, Christians must be armed with the Word of the Lord and train to become masters in it’s use. Christians are God’s army.

(1 Corinthians 9:25, Matthew 16:17, Ephesians 1:21, Ephesians 2:2, Ephesians 3:10, John 12:31, Acts 26:18, Colossians 1:13, Ephesians 3:10, Ephesians 1:3)

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READ THE BIBLE THROUGH THIS YEAR

SEPTEMBER

29th  Sunday  -  Micah 6, 7,     Ephesians 5:17-33,    Proverbs 23:28-35

30th  Monday  -  Nahum 1, 2, 3,    Ephesians 6,    Psalm 115:1-9

OCTOBER

1st  Tuesday  -  Jeremiah 1, 2,    Philippians 1:1-14,    Psalm 115;10-19

2nd  Wednesday  -  Jeremiah 3, 4,    Philippians 1:15-30,    Psalm 116:1-11

3rd  Thursday  -  Jeremiah 5, 6,    Philippians 2:1-13,    Proverbs 24:1-12

4th  Friday  -  Jeremiah 7, 8,    Philippians 2:14-30,    Psalm 116:12-19

5th  Saturday  -  Jeremiah 9, 10,    Philippians 3,    Psalm 117

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MEMORY VERSE

“At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  -  Philippians 2:10-11

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OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES

A third grade religion class was reviewing the Ten Commandments. The teacher asked one youngster, “If mother told Johnny not to tease the dog and pull his tail and he did anyway, what commandment would he be breaking?

The child replied, “I don’t know the number of the commandment, but it says, ‘What God has joined together let no man pull apart.’”

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