Daily Devotions
Galatians
"Do I seek to please men?"
Text: Galatians 1:10b
A BONDSERVANT OF CHRIST
The apostle Paul was most conscious of the fact that he served the Lord Jesus Christ. He determined that he would always be faithful and true to the Lord as His bondservant.
For do I now persuade men, or God?
Or do I seek to please men?
For if I still pleased men, I would not be
a bondservant of Christ.Galatians 1:10
1. What is a “bondservant?”
a) This word simply means “a slave”.
b) Paul lived in the days of the Roman Empire where slaves were bought and sold.
c) Slaves were just about the lowest rung in the social ladder.
2. “A bondservant of Christ”
a) This was one of the terms Paul employed to describe himself in his relationship with the Lord Jesus.
b) He saw himself as Christ’s bondservant (“slave”).
i) This position was his by choice.
ii) It was also his in real-life practice.
iii) It reflected a deep sense of humility.
iv) It also displayed a heart that was deeply loyal to the Master he loved (Deuteronomy 15:12-18).
3. The challenge of service
a) Paul raised this question of service for discussion.
b) He knew what the false teachers were like.
c) He also knew that he was not like the false teachers when it comes to the matter of service.
4. The heart of the false teachers
a) They sought to persuade men.
b) They sought to please men.
5. Paul’s heart laid bare
a) He was not trying to persuade anyone, God or men.
b) He was certainly not seeking to please men.
c) His focus was serving God faithfully.
Anything less would not be worthy of a true bondservant of the Lord Jesus Christ.