with the ability of and disposition of that owner. Appreciation will be shown by a kick or a curse, a smile or a treasure. And if our Lord is the Christ, then eye has not seen nor ear heard the things laid up for us. Neither has the air ever vibrated with more blessed sound than His voice of gratitude say ing, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” Dust has settled on the landscape where Colossae’s glory rose. And the slave and freeman merchants with their bishop long have been asleep in Jesus. But their counterpart is here! The very letter they received is in our hands. We must occupy their seats. We must hear, as though for the first time and as though the letter were addressed to us, the words, “Ye serve the Lord Christ!” —too exalted to post upon our walls as a boast. But rather this: to write it in our hearts, a reminder of a glorious, life-consuming challenge!
Some are slaves to money: “No slave can serve two masters, for either he will hate one and love the other, or he will pay heed to the one and despise the other. You cannot be the slaves both of God and of gold” (Matt. 6:24 Montgom ery). Many are victims of the particular lust of gluttony: “ Turn away from them. For men of that stamp are not slaves of Christ, but are slaves to their own appetites” (Rom. 16:18 Montgomery). Others serve diverse lusts and pleas ures: “ For we ourselves were once fool ish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by men and hating one another” (Titus 3:3 Revised Standard Version). While many with good intent are slaves to the law: “ But formerly, in your ignorance of God, you were slaves to gods that really did not exist, but now that you know God, or rather have come to be known by him, how can you turn back to the old, crude notions, so poor and weak, and wish to become slaves to them again? You are observ ing days, months, seasons, and years! I begin to be afraid that perhaps the labor I spent on you is wasted . . . This is an allegorical utterance. For the women are two agreements, one coming from Mount Sinai, bearing children that are to be slaves; that is, Hagar (and Hagar means Mount Sinai, in Arabia), and corresponds to the present Jerusa lem, for Jerusalem is in slavery with her children” (Gal. 4:8-11 and 24, 25 Goodspeed). And certainly the hosts of mankind are enslaved to idols: “ For others, of their own accord, tell about +he welcome I had from you, and how you turned to God from your idols to be slaves of a true and living God” (1 Thess. 1:9 Montgomery). Although we cannot help being slaves, we can at least take comfort in the fact that we are at liberty to choose what lord we would have. A century ago in England—more so than now—there was a hierarchy of servants as well as there was of the served. Thieves even could have servants. The servant of the gentle man wouldn’t condescend to associate with the servant of someone of low birth, and would be flattered in turn if he were noticed by a servant of the nobil ity, who likewise didn’t expect to be in a class with the servants of royalty. We cannot help being slaves but we can choose to serve thieves and robbers, or someone of low birth, or the gentry, or a nobleman, or the king, or the King of kings. “ A bondslave of Jesus Christ.” “Whose slave are you?” We are bondslaves, each one of us, in his own section of the vineyard, doing the task appointed by his master. We are preaching the gospel, murder ing, praying, reading pornographic lit erature, wearing ourselves out to pile up gold, witnessing, keeping ahead of the Joneses—all in obedience to our lord. And our reward is commensurate
HO. 9-5883
HO. 9-5883
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Attention Christians There is an urgent need for prayerful and financial help to build Evangelical Methodist Churches in the Columbia Basin, Washington State. Write COLUMBIA BASIN MISSIONS BOX 1143 MOSES LAKE, WASHINGTON
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