the gospel slave

 

For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant {the word is SLAVE}  to all, that I might win more of them.

1 Corinthians 9:19

Paul willingly made himself a slave to the gospel so that the message of Christ's saving work could move forward in everything that he did. To the Corinthians, Paul even laid aside all his apostolic rights to financial support so that the gospel could be shared unhindered. (Are you reading this TBN?) He trusted God to provide for His slave, because that is what good masters will do.

The gospel pushed Paul on to greater achievements and greater suffering. His life as a slave of the gospel eventually led to his martyrdom in Rome. But what He accomplished as a gospel slave is unparalleled. Paul was used to bring the gospel to the Roman world. He carried the church forward in his slave hands as he reached major gentile cities. The man wrote most of the New Testament scriptures as the Holy Spirit inspired his gospel correspondence with churches.

Gospel slaves are rare people. They let God be their entire agenda for everything. They are content to trust their Master. They can go far when they have no self-driven motives. And the gospel of grace gives them a gracious way of seeing and doing everything.