What is a Bondservant?
There seems to be a lot of interest in the term Bondservant. And there is more then one answer to what a Bondservant is. Many of the Net Testament’s authors counted themselves Bondservant (depending on the Bible Version you read, it may say servants.)
James starts off in James 1:1 saying:
“James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ…”
The Term Bondservant here comes from the word dulos. And is defined as:
- a slave, bondman, man of servile condition
- a slave
- metaph., one who gives himself up to another’s will those whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing his cause among men
- devoted to another to the disregard of one’s own interests
a servant, attendant
The best definition here is “devoted to another to the disregard of one’s own interests.” On its basic level a bondservant is simply following your master to complete disregard of your own will, emotions, desires.
To put it into contrast of being a Bondservant of Christ, it means a complete and utter devotion to God, His word, and His will. It is disregarding your own desires and will in all things to lay your life at the Cross and follow Christ. It is not being perfect, yet it is a dedication to following God in all things.
A Bondservant is to love as Christ loved; to walk as Christ walked. It means standing strong when you are weak and have nothing left. It means not letting up, giving up, or putting up with anything less then a true and full releationship with God as a friendship and partnership through this world, doing His will. Being a Bondservant is Standing strong on the Word of God while seeking God first, above all else. Everything is secondary to your relationship with Him.
Being a bondservant means taking responsibility of your own walk with God through personal study of his word, and personal and corporate prayer. It means the Word of God is your foundation with Christ Himself as the Cornerstone of your life. Its having faith in the best and worst of times knowing that in the end you belong to God. Being a bondservant means knowing only you can stand in the way of a deep and meaningful walk with God. It means you accept responsibility for your walk and bring everything you learn to God’s word and prayer to determine it’s truth against God’s word.
Being a bondservant means not letting sin get you down. It means if you fall, you get up, seek forgiveness, and move on learning what you can do not to let it happen in the future. It is a dedication to purity and seeking that purity through a walk that spans your life.
Here are some scriptures I think encompass some of the essence of being a bondservant.
2 Peter 1:1 through 2 Peter 1:12 (NKJV)
1 Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ,To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:
2Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
5But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 12 For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth.
Galatians 2:20 through Galatians 2:21 (NKJV)
20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”
1 John 2:3 through 1 John 2:7 (NKJV)
3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
7 Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning.
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10 Responses to “What is a Bondservant?”
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Praise God, I am doing a teaching (women group) on what a bond servant look like in everyday life
I hope this helped.
Ephesians 6:16-17 — Bondservents, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers, but as bondservants of christ, doing the will of God from the heart.
Does this mean that those who are legal slaves should treat their servitude as if they were in servitude to christ? In other words, slaves should not seek freedom from their masters?
i am one. how would any know unless they were. iam
Thank you for your detailed definition of a bond servant.
Mike slaves in that time were not quite the same as our understanding of slave. Think more indentured servant. The way I relate that verse to modern life is to work for my employer as I would if Christ himself were my employer. And I don’t see anywhere that it says they couldn’t seek their freedom.
You presented it very well. Superb!
Let me add from other source – Bondservant means to labor without wages.
That’s how we serve God, His Church and the world for free.
Keep encouraged as you work in the Kingdom of God
As I study, and apply God’s word…even now it brings me to tears because I know I don’t always die daily, but I know its my hearts desire!
Its weird,but that’s how my life is! So this helped a lot THANKS