You must find yourself in Christ if you are to find your way in life. So who are you? You are a slave of Christ, a saint in Christ, and saved by Christ.
1) You are a slave of Christ. (Paul and Timothy, servants/slaves of Christ Jesus)
What this means: This is not like the dark history of human trafficking that is so firmly embedded in our minds. Man has no right to take another man, strip him on his dignity, and claim ownership of him. God, on the other hand, has that exclusive right: He created you and rules over this world.
The reality is, as much as we talk about freedom and even fight for freedom, we are all slaves. You either live in the blessed service of God or you are slave to your sinful, selfish nature and impulses. Everytime you do what you want to do, with no regard to God, you are showing your slavery to self. This is a cruel slavery, as nothing you do has eternal worth or lasting meaning. There are none who do good--not even one (Rom. 3). Your only freedom is the freedom to sin, which is bondage to self.
The good news: Jesus Christ did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking on the form of a servant, made in human likeness (Ph. 2). He traded the crown of glory for the crown of thorns. He rendered to God the service that all of us owe God ("I came to serve, not to be served"), then died to purchase from our state of sin and death. He became slave so that we might be free to serve the living God and live in that blessed relationship for eternity.
2) You are a saint in Christ. (To all the saints who are in Christ Jesus)
What this means: That you don't have to be Mother Theresa to be a saint. A saint is not someone who is being holy, but is all those who have been made holy in Christ. And to be made holy is to be separated from sin and for God. That doesn't mean that you no longer struggle with sin, or that you perfectly follow God. Rather, it means that you are now free from sin's tyranny and guilt (the wages of sin is death!) and free to serve the living God.
You are a saint because Jesus Christ made you a saint. In our sin, we were set apart only for destruction. But Christ lived the life we couldn't--set apart from sin and for God--and that perfect life was made ours through faith in Him. He became sin who knew no sin, so we might be the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5). Now in union with Christ through faith, we are hidden with Christ in God (Cot. 3) until the day when His name will be on our foreheads and we are forever identified as belonging to God (Rev. 22).
Practical application: This news naturally comes with a point of conviction and comfort. First, you can no longer excuse your sin with the line, "Well, I'm not saint." Yes, you are. You were bought at a price and now are in the King's service. So stop it. Second, there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8). You have no excuse for sin, but there is also no condemnation for you in your sin, which is nailed to the cross (Col. 2). Your life is untouchable.
3) You are saved by Christ. (Grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ)
What this does not mean: This is not a bumper sticker, not is it a box you check off by declaring yourself or others "saved." This term has become one of the most abused in Christian terminology and has become an excuse to shirk Christian living, spiritual disciplines, regular worship with God's people, self-sacrificial evangelism, and discipleship. The term "saved" means nothing if you do not know what you're saved from and what you're saved to.
Being saved does not mean being saved from your struggles. The popular testimonies today revolve around celebrities who talk about how they used to be crack addicts, playing the field, etc. until they were saved, at which point they were free from the addictions and vices. But the reality is that a life saved by Christ is one where you pick up your cross and follow in the suffering footsteps of Your Savior.
I had to come to terms with this reality coming from a broken home. I was not simply a victim. I was in the crowd shouting "Crucify Him" as my Savior was falsely condemned. I am a transgressor and need a Savior from sin. This is where we meet the matter of grace. Grace is not God's favor toward good people who need a little help, or fence-sitters who need to fall to one side. It is God's demerited favor. In other words, it's not just that we've fallen short of His glory. We've earned His wrath.
Grace thus reconciles rebels to their King and grants them peace. You are no longer an enemy of God and He no longer sits in judgment over you, if you are saved by grace through faith in Christ. Rather, you have peace. You need not approach His throne in prayer with fear and trembling, but boldness and confidence. You're even entitled and privilege to call the all-powerful God, "Father," and approach Him with the confidence of a child looking for care and security from his father.
In conclusion, if you are not saved by Christ, then you are still a slave to your sin and bear the identity of a rebel, due His just judgment and wrath. Why not make today the day where you bow your knee and embrace the grace, peace, holy identity, and blessed servitude of God that comes with being a Christian? It is this fundamental change that will give hope in this world and the next.
If you are a believer, today is the day to re-embrace your salvation and your identity in Christ. Especially on a deployment, it is easy to get caught in the hamster wheel and find yourself trying to persevere without remembering the grace of the God who saved you and who you are in Him. You should remember those things each morning, for you must find yourself in Christ if you are to find your way in this life. God's grace and peace be with you all in Christ Jesus!
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