Slave: The Hidden Truth About Your Identity in Christ

PRAISE FOR SLAVE

John MacArthur expertly and lucidly explains that Jesus frees us from bondage into a royal slavery that we might be His possession. Those who would be His children must, paradoxically, be willing to be His slaves.

—DR. R. C. SPROUL

So much of our Christian walk is focused on ‘self ’—how will this trial refine my faith, improve my character, or fit into a pattern for my good? Often when believers speak of a personal Savior, they mean a Savior who is personally committed to their health, success, and life fulfillment. But such a view couldn’t be farther from the truth. In his new book, John MacArthur presents a powerfully riveting and truly eye-opening look at our relationship to the Lord Jesus. Want to rise to a new level of trust and confidence in your Master? Then this is the book for you!

—JONI EARECKSON TADA, JONI AND FRIENDS

INTERNATIONAL DISABILITY CENTER

Dr. John MacArthur is never afraid to tell the truth and in this book he does just that. The Christian’s great privilege is to be the slave of Christ. Dr. MacArthur makes it clear that this is one of the Bible’s most succinct ways of describing our discipleship. This is a powerful exposition of Scripture, a convincing, corrective to shallow Christianity, a masterful work of pastoral encouragement . . . a devotional classic.

—DR. R. ALBERT MOHLER

PRESIDENT, THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

"Dr. John MacArthur’s teaching on ‘slavery’ resonates in the deepest recesses of my ‘inner-man.’ As an African-American pastor, I have been there. That is why the thought of someone writing about slavery as being a ‘God-send’ was the most ludicrous, unconscionable thing that I could have ever imagined . . . until I read this book. Now I see that becoming a slave is a biblical command, completely redefining the idea of freedom in Christ. I don’t want to simply be a ‘follower’ or even just a ‘servant’ . . . but a ‘slave.’"

—THE REV. DR. DALLAS H. WILSON JR.

VICAR, ST. JOHN’S EPISCOPAL CHAPEL

CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA

slave

slave

The Hidden Truth about Your Identity in Christ

JOHN MACARTHUR

Slave

© 2010 by John MacArthur

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Published in association with the literary agency of Wolgemuth & Associates, Inc.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the New American Standard Bible.® © The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

Scriptures marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scriptures marked HCSB are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible.© 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Broadman and Holman Publishers. All rights reserved.

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ISBN: 978-1-4002-8111-4 (IE)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

MacArthur, John, 1939–

Slave : the hidden truth about your identity in Christ / John

MacArthur.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-1-4002-0207-2

1. Identification (Religion) 2. Christian life. I. Title. II. Title: Hidden truth about your identity in Christ.

BV4509.5.M2525 2011

248.4—dc22                                                                  2010032926

Printed in the United States of America

10 11 12 13 14 15 QG 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

To Nathan Busenitz

Wise and accomplished beyond his years, he has proven to be a treasure to me in multiple ways. He has served me as a personal assistant in pastoral ministry, as a writer of many articles on the Pulpit blog, as a fellow elder teaching and preaching at Grace Community Church, and as a professor at The Master’s Seminary. He has applied both his mind and heart to the research and writing of this book. He is as committed to its truth and urgency as I am. The dedication can only be to him so that all who read it in the years to come will know of my gratitude for his efforts.

Contents

Preface

1. One Hidden Word

2. Ancient History, Timeless Truth

3. The Good and Faithful Slave

4. The Lord and Master (Part 1)

5. The Lord and Master (Part 2)

6. Our Lord and Our God

7. The Slave Market of Sin

8. Bound, Blind, and Dead

9. Saved from Sin, Slaved by Grace

10. From Slaves to Sons (Part 1)

11. From Slaves to Sons (Part 2)

12. Ready to Meet the Master

13. The Riches of the Paradox

APPENDIX: Voices from Church History

About the Author

Preface

After more than fifty years of translating, studying, teaching, preaching, and writing through the New Testament, I thought I had its truths pretty well identified and understood— especially in the realm of the New Testament theology of the gospel. In fact, clarifying the gospel was the most important and constant emphasis of my writing—from The Gospel According to Jesus, Ashamed of the Gospel, Hard to Believe, and The Truth War to countless sermons and articles through the years. But through all those efforts, a profound and comprehensive perspective, one that dominates the New Testament and is crucial to the gospel, escaped me and almost everyone else.

It wasn’t until the spring of 2007, on an all-night flight to London while reading Slave of Christ by Murray J. Harris, that I realized there had been a centuries-long cover-up by English New Testament translators that had obscured a precious, powerful, and clarifying revelation by the Holy Spirit. Undoubtedly, the cover-up was not intentional—at least not initially. Yet its results have been dramatically serious.

A cover-up in the English New Testament translations? Was that true? Why? And with what consequences? Had no one uncovered this before Harris in 1999?

It didn’t take long to find one who had—Edwin Yamauchi in his 1966 Bulletin of the Evangelical Theological Society article entitled Slaves of God. Why had there been no response to his work? And how could a truth related so essentially not only to translation integrity but also to New Testament teaching about our relation to Christ be purposely hidden and the cover-up ignored?

I also discovered in my trips around the world that there are many other major language translators who have followed the lead of the English versions and maintained the cover-up. Yet there are some who do translate the word correctly. Thus this revelation is not hidden to my fellow believers in places like Russia, Romania, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Why in English?

I have no doubt that this perpetual hiding of an essential element of New Testament revelation has contributed to much of the confusion in evangelical teaching and practice. In fact, I wonder if it wasn’t the reason I felt the need to write so many books to clarify the gospel. If this one reality had been known, would any of those books have been necessary?

As I began to dig down into this buried jewel of the gospel, its pervasive splendor began to dominate my thinking and preaching. Every time and everywhere I addressed the subject, the response was the same—startled wonder.

During the same period I was asked to write a book on the doctrines of grace that was faithful to the Reformers. Was another one really necessary? Who could improve on Calvin, Luther, the English Puritans, Edwards, or Spurgeon? Certainly not me. I couldn’t hope to add to the clear, complete, and enduring works of past and present theologians on gospel themes. So I struggled to find a reason to write something new, considering what had already been written.

Until I saw the cover-up.

Though all those noble theologians in the rich Reformation tradition of gospel truth touched on this matter—no one had pulled the hidden jewel all the way into the sunlight.

Thus this book. As you read it, my prayer is that you will see the riches of your salvation in a radically new way.

—John MacArthur

one

One Hidden Word

Iam a Christian."

The young man said nothing else as he stood before the Roman governor, his life hanging in the balance. His accusers pressed him again, hoping to trip him up or force him to recant. But once more he answered with the same short phrase. I am a Christian.

It was the middle of the second century, during the reign of emperor Marcus Aurelius.¹ Christianity was illegal, and believers throughout the Roman Empire faced the threat of imprisonment, torture, or death. Persecution was especially intense in southern Europe, where Sanctus, a deacon from Vienna, had been arrested and brought to trial. The young man was repeatedly told to renounce the faith he professed. But his resolve was undeterred. I am a Christian.

No matter what question he was asked, he always gave the same unchanging answer. According to the ancient church historian Eusebius, Sanctus girded himself against [his accusers] with such firmness that he would not even tell his name, or the nation or city to which he belonged, or whether he was bond or free, but answered in the Roman tongue to all their questions, ‘I am a Christian.’ ² When at last it became obvious that he would say nothing else, he was condemned to severe torture and a public death in the amphitheater. On the day of his execution, he was forced to run the gauntlet, subjected to wild beasts, and fastened to a chair of burning iron. Throughout all of it, his accusers kept trying to break him, convinced that his resistance would crack under the pain of torment. But as Eusebius recounted, Even thus they did not hear a word from Sanctus except the confession which he had uttered from the beginning.³ His dying words told of an undying commitment. His rallying cry remained constant throughout his entire trial. I am a Christian.

For Sanctus, his whole identity—including his name, citizenship, and social status—was found in Jesus Christ. Hence, no better answer could have been given to the questions he was asked. He was a Christian, and that designation defined everything about him.

This same perspective was shared by countless others in the early church. It fueled their witness, strengthened their resolve, and confounded their opponents. When arrested, these courageous believers would confidently respond as Sanctus had, with a succinct assertion of their loyalty to Christ. As one historian explained about the early martyrs,

They [would reply] to all questionings about them [with] the short but comprehensive answer, I am a Christian. Again and again they caused no little perplexity to their judges by the pertinacity with which they adhered to this brief profession of faith. The question was repeated, Who are you? and they replied, I have already said that I am a Christian; and he who says that has thereby named his country, his family, his profession, and all things else besides.⁴

Following Jesus Christ was the sum of their entire existence.⁵ At the moment when life itself was on the line, nothing else mattered besides identifying themselves with Him.

For these faithful believers, the name Christian was much more than just a general religious designation. It defined everything about them, including how they viewed both themselves and the world around them. The label underscored their love for a crucified Messiah along with their willingness to follow Him no matter the cost. It told of the wholesale transformation God had produced in their hearts, and witnessed to the fact that they had been made completely new in Him. They had died to their old way of life, having been born again into the family of God. Christian was not simply a title, but an entirely new way of thinking—one that had serious implications for how they lived—and ultimately how they died.

What Does It Mean to Be a Christian?

The early martyrs were crystal clear on what it meant to be a Christian. But ask what it means today and you’re likely to get a wide variety of answers, even from those who identify themselves with the label.

For some, being Christian is primarily cultural and traditional, a nominal title inherited from a previous generation, the net effect of which involves avoiding certain behaviors and occasionally attending church. For others, being a Christian is largely political, a quest to defend moral values in the public square or perhaps to preserve those values by withdrawing from the public square altogether. Still more define Christianity in terms of a past religious experience, a general belief in Jesus, or a desire to be a good person. Yet all of these fall woefully short of what it truly means to be a Christian from a biblical perspective.

Interestingly, the followers of Jesus Christ were not called Christians until ten to fifteen years after the church began. Before that time, they were known simply as disciples, brothers, believers, saints, and followers of the Way (a title derived from Christ’s reference to Himself, in John 14:6, as the way, the truth, and the life [NKJV]). According to Acts 11:26, it was in Antioch of Syria that the disciples were first called Christians and since that time the label has stuck.

The name was initially coined by unbelievers as an attempt to deride those who followed a crucified Christ.⁶ But what began as a ridicule soon became a badge of honor. To be called Christians (in Greek, Christianoi) was to be identified as Jesus’ disciples and to be associated with Him as loyal followers. In a similar fashion, those in Caesar’s household would refer to themselves as Kaisarianoi (those of Caesar) in order to show their deep allegiance to the Roman Emperor. Unlike the Kaisarianoi, however, the Christians did not give their ultimate allegiance to Rome or any other earthly power; their full dedication and worship were reserved for Jesus Christ alone.

Thus, to be a Christian, in the true sense of the term, is to be a wholehearted follower of Jesus Christ. As the Lord Himself said in John 10:27, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me (emphasis added). The name suggests much more than a superficial association with Christ. Rather, it demands a deep affection for Him, allegiance to Him, and submission to His Word. You are My friends if you do what I command you, Jesus told His disciples in the Upper Room (John 15:14). Earlier He told the crowds who flocked to hear Him, If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine (John 8:31); and elsewhere: If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me" (Luke 9:23; cf. John 12:26).

When we call ourselves Christians, we proclaim to the world that everything about us, including our very self-identity, is found in Jesus Christ because we have denied ourselves in order to follow and obey Him. He is both our Savior and our Sovereign, and our lives center on pleasing Him. To claim the title is to say with the apostle Paul, To live is Christ and to die is gain (Phil. 1:21).

A Word That Changes Everything

Since its first appearance in Antioch, the term Christian has become the predominant label for those who follow Jesus. It is an appropriate designation because it rightly focuses on the centerpiece of our faith: Jesus Christ. Yet ironically, the word itself appears only three times in the New Testament—twice in the book of Acts and once in 1 Peter 4:16.

In addition to the name Christian, the Bible uses a host of other terms to identify the followers of Jesus. Scripture describes us as aliens and strangers of God, citizens of heaven, and lights to the world. We are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, members of His body, sheep in His flock, ambassadors in His service, and friends around His table. We are called to compete like athletes, to fight like soldiers, to abide like branches in a vine, and even to desire His Word as newborn babies long for milk. All of these descriptions—each in its own unique way—help us understand what it means to be a Christian.

Yet, the Bible uses one metaphor more frequently than any of these. It is a word picture you might not expect, but it is absolutely critical for understanding what it means to follow Jesus.

It is the image of a slave.

Time and time again throughout the pages of Scripture, believers are referred to as slaves of God and slaves of Christ.⁷ In fact, whereas the outside world called them Christians, the earliest believers repeatedly referred to themselves in the New Testament as the Lord’s slaves.⁸ For them, the two ideas were synonymous. To be a Christian was to be a slave of Christ.⁹

The story of the martyrs confirms that this is precisely what they meant when they declared to their persecutors, I am a Christian. A young man named Apphianus, for example, was imprisoned and tortured by the Roman authorities. Throughout his trial, he would only reply that he was the slave of Christ.¹⁰ Though he was finally sentenced to death and drowned in the sea, his allegiance to the Lord never wavered.

Other early martyrs responded similarly: "If they consented to amplify their reply, the perplexity of the magistrates was only the more increased, for they seemed to speak insoluble enigmas. ‘I am a slave of Caesar,’ they said, ‘but a Christian who has received his liberty from Christ Himself;’ or, contrariwise, ‘I am a free man, the slave of Christ;’ so that it sometimes happened that it became necessary to send for the proper official (the curator civitatis) to ascertain the truth as to their civil condition."¹¹

But what proved to be confusing