As believers, we have Christ as our Lord. Romans 14:8 says, "For whether we live, we live to the Lord, and whether we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore whether we live or we die, we are the Lord's." All believers are the Lord's. All have been born of the same God, all belong to the Lord, and all have the same Lord regardless of how much they differ in doctrinal concepts or in religious practices. Since Christ is our Lord, we should not judge any brother in the Lord by ourselves; rather, we should receive one another, for we neither are qualified nor have the position to pass judgment on anyone. If we truly know Christ as our Lord and as the Lord of all the believers, we will fear Him, honor Him, and take Him as our unique Lord.
In Ephesians 1:17 Paul speaks of "our Lord Jesus Christ." This indicates that this Christ as the Lord belongs to us and is our portion. We should not only recognize Jesus Christ as the Lord; we should enjoy Him as our Lord, more personally and more intimately. To say that He is the Lord of all things and of all people is general; to say that He is our Lord is specific. We should experience and enjoy Him specifically as our Lord in our experience of salvation and our Christian life that we may experience all the benefits of His lordship over us.
In Ephesians 6:5-9 Paul's word concerning the relationship between slaves and masters reveals that Christ is the Master of the believers. Paul exhorted the slaves to obey their masters with fear and trembling, in singleness of their heart, as to Christ. Fear is the inward motive for service, and trembling is the outward attitude. To be single is to be pure in motive, without a mixed purpose. Slaves are to be single; they are not to have a double purpose. This means that slaves are not to serve their masters with the intention of receiving some gain for themselves. Here the relationship between slaves and masters is a type of our relationship with Christ, our Master. We should obey Him, the unique Master, as slaves in singleness of heart that we may enjoy Him as our Master in His caring for us in different ways.
Christ is also the Sovereign Master to the believers. Second Peter 2:1 says that Christ is the Master who bought us. This implies Christ's person as the Master and His redemption, by which He purchased the believers. Jude 4 also says, "Our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ." The Greek word translated "Master" in this verse denotes one who is the absolute owner and who has unlimited power over another. By purchasing us back through His redemption, Christ becomes our Sovereign Master, having absolute sovereignty and unlimited power over us. His sovereignty and power also become a blessing to us.
The Lord's word in John 15:15 reveals that He is a Friend to the believers. The Lord said, "No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all the things which I have heard from My Father I have made known to you." This verse was spoken by the Lord after He had spoken the word concerning the intimate relationship between the branches with the vine. This shows us that the relationship between the vine and the branches is not a relationship between a master and his slaves. Rather, it is a relationship between friends. The vine and the branches are an entity that bears fruit to glorify God. The branches are the friends of the Lord as the vine, and the Lord is a Friend to them. What the Lord has heard from the Father He has made known to His friends. They know that the Father's desire is for Him to be expressed, glorified, in a corporate Body. In such a friendship, spontaneously we have a taste of the Lord's affection toward us.