The Greek word for “bond-slave” or “servant” is usually the word doulos. Doulos appears 117 times in the Greek New Testament, 25 of those from the pen of the apostle Paul. The word means an indentured servant, who by birth or by his own choice came under the authority and supervision of a master. The doulos served for a period of time or for life. This class of people may no longer exist in our modern world, but doulos speaks wonderfully of who we are in Christ. To be a doulos of Jesus is actually to have the most wonderful freedom imaginable.


To the sinful mind, freedom is “to be answerable only to oneself.” It is to have autonomy – to make one’s own rules. What is not understood is that this “freedom” is terrible bondage. We are slaves to sin which leads to death – eternal death (Romans 6:16). Jesus said in John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” To be a doulos of Jesus is to know that I am not my own; I’m free to serve Christ and others. What a great comfort!