Nearly forty years ago when it was still pretty much “on the edge” of acceptable, I had one of my ears pierced. But because it was so unacceptable to wear an earring in so many circumstances,’ I eventually stopped wearing it: the hole disappeared! Nowadays, piercings are ‘in’—for women, and men.
David said, "My ears you have pierced" (see Psalm 40:6), which could be interpreted, “You have accepted me as your slave," an allusion to the custom of masters boring the ear of a slave who refused his offered freedom (see Exodus 21:6). In other words, "There is a hole in my ear that marks me for the Lord, for life and eternity."
What marks a bond slave in our age? It is what-Paul-calls a “circumcision made without hands” (Col. 2:11)—a picture of the cross that has removed us from the penalty and power of sin. It means submitting to the work of the cross—to separate me from my self—my ambitions and plans—to be completely His. Have you allowed the Holy Spirit to pierce your ears? Do you have the mark of a bond slave?
I think our side to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in our lives is to be His bond servants. If we don't belong to Him in such complete and absolute way then, can He be called Lord? In ancient times -as you probably know- the lorship of someone over a person meant that the person was the personal possession of that lord. He owned that person, and He had complete authority over that slave, he could dispose of his/her time, that slave had a will at the entire disposal of his master. The slave had no right to himself. It's like having a car today. If you have a car, it is your personal property, a personal belonging, you have full right over that car.But if your friend buys the car from you, since it has changed owners, you cannot claim any right over that car anymore, you cannot dispose of it at will.
ReplyDeleteI think we have in our modern society a big problem understanding our belonging to the Lord. We have not acknowledged His total right to our lives. We still claim our right to our selves. Mi right to eat, mi right to my money, my right to think what I want, to entertain myself, on and on.
We fear if we let go we are going to lose ourselves and find ourselves no where to lean on. Only a greater knowledge of the One who is rightfully claiming His ownership over our lives can free us to voluntarily and eagerly submit to His Lordship.Only if we are His bond slaves we will be free indeed.
I'd like to share this wonderful reflection by Oswald Chambers on this matter.
Identified or Simply Interested?
March 21 2011
I have been crucified with Christ . . . —Galatians 2:20
The inescapable spiritual need each of us has is the need to sign the death certificate of our sin nature. I must take my emotional opinions and intellectual beliefs and be willing to turn them into a moral verdict against the nature of sin; that is, against any claim I have to my right to myself. Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ . . . .” He did not say, “I have made a determination to imitate Jesus Christ,” or, “I will really make an effort to follow Him”-but-”I have been identified with Him in His death.” Once I reach this moral decision and act on it, all that Christ accomplished for me on the Cross is accomplished in me. My unrestrained commitment of myself to God gives the Holy Spirit the opportunity to grant to me the holiness of Jesus Christ.
“. . . it is no longer I who live . . . .” My individuality remains, but my primary motivation for living and the nature that rules me are radically changed. I have the same human body, but the old satanic right to myself has been destroyed.
“. . . and the life which I now live in the flesh,” not the life which I long to live or even pray that I live, but the life I now live in my mortal flesh-the life which others can see, “I live by faith in the Son of God . . . .” This faith was not Paul’s own faith in Jesus Christ, but the faith the Son God had given to him (see Ephesians 2:8). It is no longer a faith in faith, but a faith that transcends all imaginable limits-a faith that comes only from the Son of God.