What is the Value of a Slave?

That may seem like a strange question. However, we assign value to something according to the price paid for it, its rarity, its usefulness, and our perception of its worth. Or, it is an asset to us.

How then do we determine the value of a slave and what has that to do with Christianity?

First the Longing

Before something is of value to us, there is usually a longing for it. A yearning to possess, experience, hold or enjoy what you believe is worth having.

Consider a child looking through the window of an ice-cream shop. He sees what he longs for. He reaches into his pocket to see whether he has enough to pay the purchase price.

If he is short, all he is left with is his longing.

God jealously yearns for a people who will fellowship Him in spirit and in truth. Unlike a child who may not have the purchase price, God had the purchase price before the foundation of the world, Ephesians 1:4.

The Language of a Slave

The Bible enlarges on than that, by connecting it to slaves.

Paul writes, Having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness, Romans 6:18.

And, having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome of eternal life, Romans 6:18.

That language is confronting.

In the modern world, the word slave immediately brings to mind oppression, cruelty and the denial of human dignity. After all, Satan is the great counterfeiter of everything that is of God.

Slave Language and the New Testament

The New Testament repeatedly uses the language of a slave to describe our unique relationship with Christ.

James, the half-brother of Jesus introduced himself: James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, James 1:1.

Why would men such as Paul and Peter, who understood the freedom found in Christ, willingly describe themselves in this way?

Perhaps they understood something that modern Christianity has largely forgotten – God calls us to be slaves of Christ, Ephesians 6:6.

The question then is not simply whether we belong to someone, but to whom do we belong?

Bought For a Price

In the ancient world, a slave could be purchased for a price and become the master’s possession, either to be kept or sold.

The New Testament takes this familiar picture and gives it an extraordinary meaning.

You are not your own. For you have been bought with a price, 1 Corinthians 6:19.

More than that, You were chosen before the foundation of the world, Ephesians 1:4.

The Father sent Christ to pay the ransom price to free humanity from spiritual and eternal consequences of sin.

So, You were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold,…..but with the precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ, 1 Peter 1:18,19,

The price was not something temporary or corruptible. It was Christ’s blood.

The Value

If value is considered in terms of the price paid, then what does the price paid for us, tell us about our value?

We were purchased with the sinless blood of the Son of God.

This does not mean that our value comes from some inflated view of ourselves.

Our value and identity comes from the extraordinary price God paid for our redemption – bought back.

Being a slave of Christ is not a statement about worthlessness. It is a statement about how much God values us and desires us to be members of the family of God.

He thought us:

Worth pursuing
Worth redeeming
And worth the measureless sacrifice of the Son of God.

Everyone Belongs To…

Here is another uncomfortable truth.

We like to think of ourselves as completely independent, for God gave us a free will.

But Scripture presents a different picture.

Humans are driven by an ambition, fear, money, pleasure, status, relationships, approval, addiction, self-preservation, and our own wants and desires.

The truth is we all are slaves to someone, or something.

The Bible says: You are slaves of the one whom you obey. Either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness, Romans 6:16.

But Jesus saved us.

He rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the beloved Son, Colossians 1:14.

Christ a Bondservant

Christ did not merely speak about being a slave, or a bondservant, He also became one.

Although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant……He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross, Philippians 2:5-8.

This changes everything.

Lord Master, kurios – Slave, doulos

The value of a slave is not determined by the slave, but the master and the price he was prepared to pay for them.

The One who purchased us is the Lord-Master, kurios. He is the Lord who loves you so much He:

Gave His life for you
Provides all your needs
Protects you
Trains you
Disciplines you
Transforms you and
Rewards your faithfulness.

Therefore, the value of a good master is beyond worth.

The Master is then reflected in the slave.

A New question

Instead of asking, How could God call me a slave, perhaps we should ask: What kind of Master am I a slave to?

And Scripture gives us the answer.

He is the Master who became a servant Himself
He is the Master who calls us His friends
He is the Master who calls His slaves children and co-heirs, Romans 8:17.

He is the Master whose kingdom is eternal and invites us into a relationship that is not just for now, but for ever – part of God’s eternal plan.

So, what then is the value of a person who has been purchased by Christ?

We have value because our Lord and Master is so precious – far beyond our human valuation.

That is the hidden beauty within the language of being a slave of Christ. The Master is the true value of the slave.

Our greatest freedom is not found in belonging to no one.

It is found in knowing our identity completely in the One who is worthy of everything.

Maybe, we will take this a step further. What is the True Value of a Faithful Slave?

Photo Source

Dr. Wendy is a servant of the Lord. Her desire is to help believers grow in their understanding of Scripture and walk confidently with Christ in these end-time days.

If this article has encouraged you, explore more biblical insights and uplifting messages at Whispering Encouragement. We are here to inform, equip, and encourage believers to grow deeper in their faith.

Subscribe for free so you can stay up to date with the topics that matter most to you.

** Helping believers discover the treasures hidden in God’s Word **

________________________Whispering Encouragement_______________________

What is the Value of a Slave?6 min read