The verse before us is laced with several lessons. Let’s begin with the divinity of Jesus. In many portions of the Bible, there are veiled and straightforward accounts made of Jesus that He was more than an ordinary man. James described himself as a bondservant (a description we shall yet touch on later) of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is a clear reference of placing Jesus on the same pedestal as God. Were Jesus to be a subordinate entity to God, James would not be fit to serve them both at the same time. ““No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matthew 6:24 NKJV).

“So when James describes himself as a bondservant of God, he is simply saying, “I am branded for God for life”…Until we get to that point of branded servants, we may still be moved by things and people.”

Now, to the description. The idea of a bondservant is better explained with an Old Testament practice. When a man acquires a Hebrew slave, he is to make him serve for six years. The slave is designed to regain his freedom in the seventh year. However, if the slave loves the master and decides to continue with him, the slave’s ear is bored with an awl. From that moment on, he becomes a lifetime servant of his master. “But if the servant plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’ then his master shall bring him to the judges. He shall also bring him to the door, or to the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him forever.” (Exodus 21:5-6 NKJV). So when James describes himself as a bondservant of God, he is simply saying, “I am branded for God for life”. He made a final commitment, that even if there was a chance for him to go elsewhere, it came too late. Until we get to that point of branded servants, we may still be moved by things and people.