In the history between God and man, there have been many who have served Him. But the highest demand, the highest serving, is to meet the Lord’s greatest need by preparing the church for Christ. The climax of the Bible and the fulfillment of God’s economy is the marriage between Christ and the church, the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:2). But what is lacking right now is the prepared bride for this marriage. That is why the New Testament is filled with letters from slaves of Christ serving the church unto maturity, preparing the bride for her Husband.
To serve in this way requires the highest maturity and freedom in life. In our serving of the Lord, there are three different levels. First, we can serve according to the black and white letters of God’s law. This is something very physical and requires no relationship with the Lord. Second, we can serve according to the Lord’s commands, subjectively received through the interpretation and revelation of the objective word. Although this might seem like the topmost way to serve, there is still another level: serving according to the wisdom of one who has grown with the Lord to such an extent — so fully submitted to Him, so thoroughly having allowed the Spirit to work in him — that his own desires, intuition, and even opinions are respected by the Lord as His own. This is truly a slave of the Lord, someone who doesn’t just follow orders, but carries out the transforming work of the Spirit freely and subjectively.
Eliezer from the Old Testament and Paul from the New are two examples of this serving. Eliezer was the oldest servant in Abraham’s house, having grown in life with him for many years, and “ruled over all that [Abraham] had” (Gen. 24:2). In Genesis 24, Abraham chose him to accomplish his dearest desire: to find a wife for his son Isaac, typifying the marriage between Christ and the church. This command was subjective: Abraham said, “Put your hand under my thigh…” And it was in this level of intimacy and oneness with His master that Eliezer set out to fulfill his mission.
While he was seemingly just a servant sent out to complete a task, we see him exercise great creativity and authority in how he executed the command, demonstrating his maturity and freedom as someone much more than a lowly slave. “And may it be that the girl to whom I say, Please let down your pitcher that I may drink, and who says, Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink, may she be the one whom You have appointed for Your servant, for Isaac; and in this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master” (v. 14). Later, he even “gazed fixedly upon her in silence to know whether Jehovah had made his journey prosperous or not” (v. 21). This is certainly not just someone following commands; this is someone exercising the creativity, confidence, and authority of his master. Later, we also see his wisdom in placing jewelry upon her (v. 22) and his insistence on returning home immediately (v. 56). These all reveal his character and shared ownership of his commanded task. In a sense, he was, by faith, joyfully living out the pursuit and reality of the marriage to the Lord that he was helping to bring about.
In the same freedom and hope, Paul served the New Testament church. He viewed himself as a slave of Christ (Rom. 1:1), and yet he was also the Lord’s “freedman” (1 Cor. 7:22). He was not shy or careful; he was full of character and “flavor.” While speaking to the Corinthians about marriage, Paul freely expressed his own opinion alongside the Lord’s commandments (vv. 25; 40). It would have been easier — and “safer” — for him to simply pass along black and white commands (v. 10). To share his own opinion, however, required one that had been found faithful by the Lord (v. 25). In his full submission in oneness to his master, Paul didn’t just receive and execute commands; he knew the Lord’s heart and mind, his spirit mingled with the Spirit, and thus was able to coordinate with the Spirit for the work of transformation (v. 40). The Lord trusted Paul’s opinion because they were one in their desire for the building up of the church, holding the same view together of the bride prepared for Christ.
Today, may we also find that our own submission to the Lord as His loving slaves leads us to much more than being a “lawkeeper” — to enjoying a glorious freedom to express His will with our will, His thoughts with our thoughts, and His opinions with our opinions. He is awaiting His bride to be ready; now, He needs servants to carry out the work of transformation only possible through His Spirit in our spirit, active and functioning in oneness. The fruit of the work of the Spirit is none other than the church, glorious and without blemish, a bride adorned for her Husband (Rev. 21:2)!
(Above are notes of fellowship taken from a gathering on 7/14/2024, not reviewed by the speaker.)