Slave to Christ? Why Those Words Once Made Me Uncomfortable
Slave to Christ? Why Those Words Once Made Me Uncomfortable
“This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News.”
—Romans 1:1 (NLT)
For a long time, the phrase “slave of Christ” made me uncomfortable.
I understood following Jesus. I understood loving God, obeying His Word, and trying to live according to His will. But calling myself a slave of Christ felt different. The word carried images of captivity, cruelty, and the loss of freedom.
Why would Jesus set us free only for us to call ourselves slaves?
Then I heard Pastor Gary Hamrick explain the biblical and historical context behind the phrase, and suddenly I understood it in an entirely different way.
In Romans 1:1, Paul uses the Greek word doulos to describe himself. Depending on the Bible translation, it may appear as servant, bondservant, or slave. But Paul was expressing more than simple service. He was declaring that his life belonged completely to Jesus Christ.
To understand the deeper meaning, we can look back to a practice described in Exodus.
Under Hebrew law, a servant was to be released after completing a designated period of service. He was entitled to leave. But if that servant loved his master and wanted to remain in his household, he could voluntarily choose not to go free.
Exodus 21:5–6 says:
“But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master… and do not want to go free,’ then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life.”
The servant’s pierced ear became a permanent sign of his decision. He was free to leave, but he chose to stay. He was no longer serving merely because he was obligated to do so. He remained because he loved his master and wanted to belong to his household.
That historical context completely changed the meaning for me.
When Paul called himself a slave of Christ, he was not describing a relationship based on cruelty or forced captivity. He was declaring his complete and willing devotion to the One who had saved him.
Jesus had set Paul free, and Paul freely chose to belong to Jesus.
That is also our story as believers.
Before Christ, we are often not as free as we imagine. We can become enslaved to sin, pride, addiction, anger, approval, ambition, or our own desires. These things promise freedom, but eventually they begin controlling us.
Christ does not rescue us so that we can return to the same chains. He sets us free from what once ruled us and gives us a new way to live.
Romans 6 explains that we have been set free from sin and have become servants of righteousness. That once sounded contradictory to me. Now it makes sense. Everyone ultimately gives themselves to something. The real question is not whether we will serve, but whom or what we will serve.
Being a servant of Christ means I no longer want my old life to be my master. I do not want my impulses, appetites, fears, or pride directing my steps. I want to belong to the One who rescued me.
The image of that servant standing at the doorpost now moves me deeply. He could walk away, but instead he declares, “I love my master. I choose to remain.”
That is surrender, but it is surrender born from freedom and love.
Christ does not force us to follow Him. He invites us. He breaks our chains, opens the door, and gives us the freedom to choose. Our response is to say, “You set me free, and with that freedom, I choose You.”
I once resisted the idea of being called a slave or bondservant of Christ because I thought it meant losing my freedom. Now I understand that it means placing my freedom into the hands of the One I trust most.
I am free to leave, but I choose to stay.
I am free to live for myself, but I choose to live for Him.
I am free—and because I love my Master, I willingly belong to Christ.
Christ has opened the door and given you the freedom to choose. Will you walk away—or will you remain because you love Him?
