How do we see ourselves?
Not just in terms of Christian identity – child of God, brother or sister in Christ, royal priest, etc. – but in terms of Christian service.
Whether someone has a formal position or not, we’re all vital members of the body of Christ (cf. Rom 12:4-6). And Christ, through His Spirit in us, has given each believer different gifts for the building up of His church (cf. Eph 4:7-13).
So, how do we see ourselves as we exercise our gifts for the good of the church? Leaders? Teachers? Volunteers? All of these titles are perfectly fine, but what gives each of them (or any other designation) its proper perspective is Spirit-produced humility; humility wrought in our hearts as we realize that we are nothing apart from Christ (cf. Jn 15:5).
We see such humility in Paul as he describes his apostleship (a high position if ever!) as granted “by the will of God, according to the promise of life in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim 1:1). He goes on in 2 Tim 1 to recount how he was saved by God, not according to his works but according to God’s own purpose, and grace “which was granted to us in Christ Jesus from all eternity” (v. 9). Yes, I’m an apostle. But first and foremost, I was a desperately wicked sinner saved by God through the gift of His Son. This personal coming to grips with the gospel of grace humbled Paul and cast a huge shadow over all he did in his service to Christ.
And so, as he saw himself clearly – through the lens of the gospel – he saw that he was a nothing but a “workman” (a laborer; 2 Tim 2:15), a household “vessel” (like serving dish; 2 Tim 2:20-21), and a “bond-servant” (a slave; 2 Tim 2:24). Yes, the apostleship set him apart from nearly every other believer, but in that function, he was no better than Timothy in his service to Christ…no better than any of us in our service to Christ, whatever our respective sphere of labor.
It’s an amazing privilege to be called any of these titles. Seeing yourself as a workman, vessel, or slave is less about demeaning yourself and more about magnifying the One who has called us, gifted us, and brought us into the good works that He prepared beforehand for us (Eph 2:10).
If we’re just laborers or vessels or slaves of Christ, we’re just infinitely beloved and blessed by God to carry forth His life-changing gospel to our church, our families, our neighbors, and our world.
