Serve as a slave of righteousness on earth. The greatest example of a slave of righteousness is the Lord Jesus Christ himself.The disciples except for Judas Iscariot,served as slaves of righteousness. The apostle Paul was the other example.
We often asked, why did they have to suffer that much? Especially, the Lord Jesus Christ who had to be crucified on the cross. It's the suffering of the Greatest Slave of Righteousness. He then set the example for the disciples and us.
Matthew 20:20-28 (New International Version)
20Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.
21"What is it you want?" he asked.
She said, "Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom."
22"You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said to them. "Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?"
"We can," they answered.
23Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father."
24When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers.
25Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.
26Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
27and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—
28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
You please God when you serve as a slave of righteousness and not as a slave of sins.
The apostle Paul saw it fit to suffer these things for full Christformation in himself. If we are to be slaves of righteousness this is how it may appear as in the case of the apostle.
2 Corinthians 6:4-10 (New International Version)
Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
Why did Paul persevere through these trials? Yes, to be a slave of righteousness for the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ on earth. To show forth the power of God to unbelieving and wicked mankind,either for their salvation or chastisement,you'll need to be a servant of righteousness or even a slave of it.This may puzzle people around you, as it was in this passage above. The apostle Paul spoke of the servanthood as well as the power of that sincere servanthood,and he had never spoken from the comfort of ordering and commanding others like the world does.He lived his life as an example of Christformation in himself at whatever cost it takes to receive just that.There was no other short-cuts for him.He went through everything for Christ to be formed in him fully.
