Slave of Christ: Why Paul and James Chose That Title Over Sonship

Editor’s note – Ogo raises a question many believers avoid: why did Paul and James, both secure in their adoption as sons of God, still call themselves slaves of Christ? She traces the tension back to Scripture itself and argues it isn’t a contradiction but a posture – a surrendered will beneath the privilege of sonship. We’re running her reflection because the line she draws between entitlement and gratitude speaks directly to how we live out our faith.

Are you a slave, a son, or a daughter of God?

On the surface, this question seems contradictory.

How can one be a slave when they are a child of God?

And to make matters worse, it is clearly written in the Bible: first by Jesus calling us brothers and sisters,

Go find my brothers and tell them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' [John 20:17]

and then by Apostle Paul, stating that we are joint heirs with Christ.

And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God's glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. [Romans 8:17]

Yet I cannot help but notice that Paul frequently addressed himself as a slave of Christ.

Even to double down on this concept, James, the brother of Jesus in the flesh, addresses himself as a slave of Christ.

Why?

Did they miss the revelation, or do they know something we do not know and perhaps, if we take the time to learn, will greatly improve how we walk as Christians?

As usual, I was baffled by this obvious difference and wanted to know more about why they chose to address themselves in this manner, especially since their walk with God happens to be one that I admire and am seeking to emulate.

Who is a slave?

A dictionary definition states that a slave is a person who is wholly subject to the will of another; one who has no will of his own, but whose person and services are wholly under the control of another.

But it is different when we use the lens of the Bible to examine this concept.

A right understanding is needed to rise above the negative connotation slavery bears.

The root word for slave is eved in Hebrew and doulos in Greek, which describes a worker, bondservant, or a person legally bound or voluntarily committed to another’s household, which holds a very different context from modern racial chattel slavery.

The type of slavery being presented here is one that can be willful, not coerced.

Although willful, it is part of the process of attaining the mind of Christ; in my opinion.

However, because the concept is heavily politically charged, the subject is intentionally avoided. So, what do we find? A generation of believers who absolutely abhors the idea of becoming a slave to Christ, because the word to them is too hard.

So they wholeheartedly accept sonship without understanding the posture required.

Such limited understanding breeds an entitlement mentality that absolves the Christian from any responsibility.

For instance, a Christian receives salvation without knowing that there is a responsibility on their part to allow the cross to work the work of death within them—in this case, the death of the old man.

Editor’s note – The Hebrew eved and Greek doulos matter here. Neither word describes a person stripped of dignity by force; both describe someone who has given their will to a master by choice. That distinction is why Jesus could take the form of a slave and lose nothing of who He was.

Who is the old man?

The old man is the nature we received after sin came into the world by man’s rebellion against God. The old man is rebellious against God and is in perpetual enmity with God. (Galatians 5:17, Romans 8:8).

The nature of the old man is self-centered, full of pride, and self-willed.

The old man never wants to give up control.

When this orientation is joined with the knowledge of sonship, it is bound to be abused.

So, when Paul and James call themselves slaves, they are not referring to a position; they are referring to an attitude.

Jesus understood this concept all too well because, even though He Himself was God, He emptied Himself of the privileges attached to His divinity and took the place of a slave and chose to die a criminal’s death (a painful and embarrassing way for anyone to die).

Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross. [Philippians 2:6-8]

If Jesus did not agree to take on the role of a slave, He wouldn’t have been able to accomplish His purpose. I say this because the very idea of slavery is that you have no will of your own.

It’s important to note that the term used isn’t servants but slaves because servants still have a will of their own.

A slave, on the other hand, has turned his or her will over to their Master by choice.

Because God will never force anyone to do anything for Him.

And yes, it is possible to be a willful slave (Deuteronomy 15:12-16).

Editor’s note – Paul’s language in Romans 6 backs this up: we were buried with Christ so the old self would no longer control us. Ogo’s point stands – sonship without that death produces entitlement, not gratitude.

The understanding that differentiates

The Apostles never chose between sonship and slavery; neither are they suggesting we do. Instead, the call is to become sons and daughters with a fully surrendered will.

That our position should never be one of entitlement but of humility and gratitude.

Imagine if all of us who profess to be sons and daughters of God walked in humility and gratitude. How much more blessed would our Christian experience be? Not to mention the impact it will have on people who are yet to believe.

To this I say:

I, Ogo, a slave of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Until our paths cross again,

Remain in Him.

Jesus says; Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with Me. Revelation 3:20

If you are reading this message, please do not harden your heart. You do not know the time or hour when Jesus Christ shall return or demand your human spirit.

A Word from the Editor
Jesus emptied Himself and took the form of a slave, and He did it willingly, out of love, not compulsion. That is the model Ogo points us to. Sonship in Christ was never meant to make us comfortable; it was meant to make us like Him. Ask God today where your will still resists His, and surrender that ground – not because you have to, but because you are His.

Editor Comment: Paul and James called themselves slaves of Christ to describe a surrendered will, not to deny their sonship, and that distinction keeps grace from turning into entitlement.

This article appeared on Medium and is reprinted with modifications and by permission.