Did Almighty God really become a slave in the person of Christ?
Yes. The Word declares that the Almighty God Himself, in Christ, took the form of a servant—better rendered a slave—and was made in the likeness of men. He set aside reputation, possessing nothing of this world's goods, descending from the Godhead to become fully human.
Les teaches from this passage that as the God of creation, the God who owns everything in the universe, He made Himself of no reputation and took upon Himself the form of a servant. Les explains that the better term for servant here is slave. A slave in antiquity had no material goods; his life was considered worthless, here today and gone tomorrow. The rowers in the ships of those days were slaves in the lower, hot areas of the ship, rowing until they died, and then they were pitched overboard. They had none of this world's goods. Les says this is where the Lord Jesus took Himself—to the depths of being a slave, with absolutely nothing of this world's goods to call His own. It is unbelievable from the human side, and Les cannot comprehend it, but the Word declares that the Almighty God Himself in the person of Christ became a slave and was made in the likeness of men. Imagine coming from the exalted area of the Godhead down to be nothing more than a human being like the rest of us.
But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
More Questions
Did God Himself in Christ actually become a slave and a man?
The Almighty God Himself, in the person of Christ, became a slave and was made in the likeness of men — a truth declared in the Word even though it is beyond human comprehension.
How could the God who owns everything become a servant?
Although Jesus is the God of creation who owns everything in the universe, he made himself of no reputation and took upon himself the form of a servant.
What was a slave considered in the Roman world, and why does that matter for Christ taking the form of a servant?
In the Roman world a slave was considered a nothing in the eyes of society, which is the status Christ took when He took the form of a servant.