We are not our own

Let's refresh our memory of our focus verses:

Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ to further the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness—  in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, and which now at his appointed season he has brought to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior, To Titus, my true son in our common faith:

Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. (Titus 1:1-4)

Paul does not speak about himself in lofty terms. I don't think he did, in any of his letters. He doesn't say, I'm the reverend Paul, or the right-reverend Paul of Tarsus. I'm the honorable apostle. I'm a prolific author, have penned many books and letters, and I'm a much-sought after conference speaker. (Grin)

Instead, he says that he is "Paul, a slave of God." That is what the term "bond servant" meant. The Greek word is "doulos," and it means a person who is subservient to, and entirely at the disposal of his master, a slave. Many men of the Old Testament were referred to as God's servants. 

That night the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.” (Genesis 26:24)

After these things, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten. (Joshua 24:29)

 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in? (II Samuel 7:5)

In the New Testament, the term bond servant is applied to someone who is absolutely devoted to Jesus. We can find verses where Paul, Timothy, James, Peter, and Jude are all described as "bondservants of Christ."

As believers, we are children of God through the new birth. We are not our own, and have been bought with a price - an incredible price. As children of God, we are under orders to obey and serve Him.

 You are not your own; you were bought at a price. (I Corinthians 6:19b-20a)

He is our Lord and our allegiance is to Him alone. But being a bondservant of Christ is not drudgery. As we see in Matthew 11, His "burden is light." And we have this precious promise:

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. (Romans 6:22)