“Not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.” (Eph. 6:6)

If we are a part of the faithful saints, the body of Christ, we belong to him. If we have surrendered the old man of sin to the death of Jesus on the cross we belong to him. The word used in the text is not “servant” but “slave”; a person owned by another person. The Christian is owned by Christ, he is the slave of Christ.

Because the Christian is a slave of Christ, Christ has the right to demand certain things from the Christian. What he orders his slaves to do is, to be honest, and above board in their behavior. To obey that which is right and good and illustrates the character of their owner.

We don’t operate in the world to please people. We please people by pleasing God. He is our motivation. It’s Jesus we wish to make happy and to do that we must do the will of God from our hearts. That’s how we submit to each other and how we submit to others who are over us and how we submit to the husband and wife and parent. We please them because we please Christ.

When slaves or employees do the right thing for the right reason (to please God) they will find favor with those in authority over them. This will bring praise to God when the world sees the difference in those who have been with Jesus and those who have not. When the Christian slave or worker is the best worker, the most honest, the most sincere, the most happy to obey it brings glory to Christ.

The church, the body of Christ is composed of slaves and masters, of husbands and wives, of parents and children, of employers and employees and they are all one in Christ and because of that their relationship should bring nothing to the world but to praise their creator.

“From the heart” may be our downfall. We may be able to make ourselves obey or work hard or even be honest and respectful but inside we may have negative thoughts and motives. It may please men but can’t and won’t please God. All the relationships Christians are involved in must be “heart” based.

Task for Today: Don’t stop pleasing if your pleasing but do change why if it isn’t from the heart. If you aren’t pleasing then you know your heart is wrong. Jesus paid a great price for you. You are his slave. But, remember, you are a loved slave who has been lavished with the gifts of grace.