Serving with Dignity: The True Meaning of Being God's Slave
Addressing a believer as "God’s slave" does not imply humiliation or complete submission devoid of dignity; rather, it signifies active service and devotion to the will of Christ. In other words, a Christian referred to as "Christ’s slave" is called to fulfill the will of the Lord and work for His benefit—not to live as a faceless piece of property owned by a "master," as if one’s entire life were entirely someone else’s, as depicted in the narrower, negative definition of slavery.Thus, one source explains:"A slave is called by the name of his master. In the same way, a Christian is called a slave of Christ. A slave is termed so because he works for some master, fulfills his will, and pleases him. Similarly, a Christian is called a slave of Christ because he works for Him, fulfills His will, and pleases Him. The master does not consider his slave faithful if he does not obey his will." (source: link txt)At the same time, another source emphasizes that this term in ancient culture and language carried a far broader and more neutral meaning:"Why, in the church hymn, is a person urged to bless the Lord using the title of slave: 'Behold, now bless the Lord, all you slaves of the Lord'? I believe the disagreement lies only in the words. In the Slavic language, the word 'slave' does not mean what it came to mean after serfdom in Russia. In the Greek language and throughout ancient culture, 'slave' is a collective term that means a servant in all its forms and degrees—from the most humiliated slave to the household manager, who arguably wields even more authority than the master, because he governs everything and exercises overarching control." (source: link txt)From these explanations, it is evident that calling a believer "God's slave" highlights his relationship to God as one who serves and carries out His will, rather than as an entity subjected to total domination without the possibility of self-assertion. This understanding promotes the view of service as a pathway to spiritual growth, where the individual retains their significance and, on the contrary, gains strength through devoted, voluntary service to the higher principle.