Jesus humbled Himself to become a man, setting aside His glory, to be one of us. Because He took the punishment of sin in our place, tasting death for everyone, God crowned Him with glory and honor. That should reveal to us the great heart of God who was willing to give His only Son, but also that He honors those who sacrifice for the good of others. Jesus sacrificed His life for the purpose of bringing many sons to glory. He left His glory so that He could bring you to glory.

The author of Hebrews often used nautical terms. There is an unusual one here in this passage. When a ship ran aground, the strongest, most capable swimmer was chosen to take a rope from the ship to the safety of the shore and secure it. The sailors could then cling to the rope and not be swept away by the current as they made their way to the safety of the shore. It is translated “author” here. You could also use the word “trailblazer”. Jesus secured a line of safety for us to reach God.

He is our perfect Savior because He suffered all the things we suffer. He got in the boat with us and endured the storms of life with us. None of us could ever hope to make it to the safety of shore. Knowing that the boat of humanity had run aground and was about to be beaten to pieces, He joined our boat and suffered with us. He dove in and braved the currents and secured the rope to within the Holy of Holies in heaven. As we escape this storm we are brought right into the very presence of God, accepted in Christ, who became one of us.

Consider: He is our perfect trailblazer. He can show us the Way because He walked (swam) it for us.

5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.

Paul’s attitude and philosophy of his mission work are clearly stated in this verse; he served and worked as “a servant of Christ.” A servant, doulos in Greek, was a term Paul used to indicate his self-identity as he served the Lord.

A voluntary life of devotion and sacrifice for God’s Kingdom was a basis of every work he did. He confessed, “Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.” (1 Corinthians 9:19)

Paul’s portrait of his own identity is a mandate to everyone who follows the life of a believer. Once you are saved, you have absolute freedom to choose a way of life. With the new life born through Christ’s blood, Paul “made himself a slave to everyone” to preach the gospel and advance God’s Kingdom.

When this identity collapses, a crisis comes to the believers’ life, diverting them to demand God’s reward and blaming others for their own choice. Although dedication of one’s life to God’s Kingdom begins with one’s free will and voluntary devotion, loss of this mindset as “doulos” can quickly blind our heart and mislead us into a meaningless conflict with secular values such as money, fame, or vain ambitions.

Paul said, “We do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord.” “I make myself a slave to everyone.”

The fact that his life was driven by this belief was exposed in many parts of the New Testament. Rather than receiving, he considered giving as a greater blessing (Acts 20:35). Even in times of deficiency, he led his team to fundraise from churches in order to help and support the church in Jerusalem that was suffering from a severe famine.

Paul was strictly dogmatic, however, strategically practical and forward-looking. Not only teaching and preaching, Paul provided substantive money and funds for the poor, practicing the love of Christ voluntarily.

In Christ, there is nothing impossible for believers who desire to practice this love for others. We are in an era that even Christians are sold by money, being tested or discouraged in material temptations. Through the lips of the prophet Isaiah, God said, “To which of my creditors did I sell you?” (Isaiah 50:1) However, countless believers surrender to the force of money and discredit their conviction in Christ.

Paul’s courageous and daring model of self-support and self-reliance should speak strongly to modern churches to release many who are bound by a trap of fear in money or secular values. This Early Church method will revive when we inherit Paul’s spirit: “Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.”