A Bondservant of Jesus - Spiritual Awakening - July 2025

(Scripture references are from The Amplified Bible unless noted. Bold, underscore, and highlights are for emphasis.) 

Galatians 2:20 – I have been crucified with Christ [in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me; and the life I now live in the body I live by faith in (by adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me. 

Below is Oswald Chambers’ commentary on the above scripture. 

“These words mean the breaking and collapse of my independence brought about by my own hands, and the surrendering of my life to the supremacy of the Lord Jesus. No one can do this for me; I must do it myself. God may bring me up to this point three hundred and sixty-five times a year, but He cannot push me through it. It means breaking the hard outer layer of my independence from God, and the liberating of myself and my nature into oneness with Him; not following my ideas, but choosing absolute loyalty to Jesus. Once I am at that point, there is no possibility of misunderstanding. Very few of us know anything about loyalty to Christ or understand what He meant when He said, “for My sake” (Matthew 5:11). That is what makes a strong saint. Has that breaking of my independence come? All the rest is religious fraud. The one point to decide is – will I give up? Will I surrender to Jesus Christ, placing no conditions whatsoever as to how the brokenness will come? I must be broken from my understanding of myself. When I reach that point, immediately, the reality of the supernatural identification with Jesus Christ takes place. And the witness of the Spirit of God is unmistakable – “I have been crucified with Christ.” The passion of Christianity comes from deliberately signing away my rights and becoming a bondservant of Jesus Christ. Until I do that, I will not begin to be a saint.” 

The above commentary deserves intentional consideration, a self-evaluation of “self.” I often say that it is easy to talk when we have who and what in our lives that we value. The absolute truth is revealed when we no longer have who and what! The term "bondservant" is used metaphorically to describe a person who is devoted to Christ Jesus. For example, Paul, Timothy, Peter, and James considered themselves bondservants (slaves) of Christ Jesus. Their heart intended to manifest total loyalty to Him, no other master, only Christ. 

Bro. Chambers’ commentary reflects the meaning of the entire chapter of Romans 6 – please read. Verse 22 reads: But now since you have been set free from sin and have become the slaves of God, you have your present reward in holiness, and its end is eternal life. 

Paul is speaking about living a regenerated life, resurrected by and in Christ Jesus. Jesus must become the center of our lives. It is not difficult to live a regenerated life when He is the focus. His yoke is easy, and His burdens are light when He is the center. The church, at large, is not manifesting regeneration; we are manifesting religious fraud – a failure to live righteously as prescribed by God. We continue to justify our conduct by redefining righteousness. 

Righteousness is the total of the requirements of God. The requirements of God’s kingdom are much higher than the requirements of the law because they require surrender and obedience to every word that proceeds from Him. 

There is much more to cover, but hey, this is a newsletter. I will close with what the Holy Spirit revealed to me regarding being a bondservant. 

A SLAVE IN ATTITUDE BUT A FRIEND IN RELATIONSHIP. 

We become God’s friend when He has our heart. He is no longer someone we “talk” about, but someone whose life is manifested through us. He is our treasure, and others will come to know Him because when they experience us, they are experiencing Him. 

The relationship between family, friends, and the church, “at large,” will change when we start living life by faith in the Son of God – no longer “I.” 

Real Life Christian Ministries 

Residence Inn by Marriott 

2340 Center Street 

Chattanooga, TN 37421 

423-899-2552 

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