To Serve is To Love
There is an emphasis today on us being "sons or friends of God" instead of His servants. True enough, we are His sons, and His friends now through Jesus Christ:
"I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." (NIV) John 15:15.
and Gal. 4:4-6
But let's realize the truth that is being said here. We now, having accepted the first-born son as our Savior and Lord, and so He graciously adopted us into His family. Jesus, the first born Son, is now our Elder brother. So, of course, we are His sons. But that doesn't mean we, like the proverbial "lazy son of the Boss" often depicted in movies or novels, takes advantage of this position granted to us and forget the agonizing death of His Son on our behalf to make this position available to us. We need to cherish it and use the position to bring glory to His name by how we live, albeit by His power alone.
How do we do that? We do, as His Word says, in denying ourselves, and agreeing to do His blessed will. Not only in just agreeing to do it, but, as His child, knowing the only way we had access to our Father, was by the suffering of His first born Son, we now WANT to do it. A child desires to please His parents, not to have them approve of him, but because He knows they do. He knows they love him, and so he responds to that love; not to "get them" to love him, and yes, he knows that they will never stop loving him, even when he doesn't please them, and he operates from that security also, but not to take advantage of it, and just do what they want and test that love.
I just wanted to add these points to the current conversation concerning us being sons of God. I feel there are many twisted perspectives, which are causing Christians not only to get off track on this issue, but also to abuse their position as "sons." Some of this has derived from the " prosperity gospel," "authority of the believer," dominion theologies," and most currently, the "new grace" movement. All these use Scripture to back up their beliefs, but they also appeal to the flesh of man, where us, and not God is the focus.
Yes, there are benefits of salvation, but not to be used for our glory, but for His. Doesn't the fact of His suffering on our behalf make you want to fall down at His feet and do His will? Doesn't it cause you to ask, "what will you have me do? I know I am no longer your servant, but it is my pleasure to serve you anyway. I accept and cherish you as my Father. What can I do to bless your heart today? I never want to hurt you, although I know I probably will. You loved me first, now I love you. As my brother, Christ, has said that His meat is to do your will, my Father. It also is mine."
"I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." (NIV) John 15:15.
and Gal. 4:4-6
4 "But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.[a] 6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba,[b] Father."
But let's realize the truth that is being said here. We now, having accepted the first-born son as our Savior and Lord, and so He graciously adopted us into His family. Jesus, the first born Son, is now our Elder brother. So, of course, we are His sons. But that doesn't mean we, like the proverbial "lazy son of the Boss" often depicted in movies or novels, takes advantage of this position granted to us and forget the agonizing death of His Son on our behalf to make this position available to us. We need to cherish it and use the position to bring glory to His name by how we live, albeit by His power alone.
How do we do that? We do, as His Word says, in denying ourselves, and agreeing to do His blessed will. Not only in just agreeing to do it, but, as His child, knowing the only way we had access to our Father, was by the suffering of His first born Son, we now WANT to do it. A child desires to please His parents, not to have them approve of him, but because He knows they do. He knows they love him, and so he responds to that love; not to "get them" to love him, and yes, he knows that they will never stop loving him, even when he doesn't please them, and he operates from that security also, but not to take advantage of it, and just do what they want and test that love.
I just wanted to add these points to the current conversation concerning us being sons of God. I feel there are many twisted perspectives, which are causing Christians not only to get off track on this issue, but also to abuse their position as "sons." Some of this has derived from the " prosperity gospel," "authority of the believer," dominion theologies," and most currently, the "new grace" movement. All these use Scripture to back up their beliefs, but they also appeal to the flesh of man, where us, and not God is the focus.
Yes, there are benefits of salvation, but not to be used for our glory, but for His. Doesn't the fact of His suffering on our behalf make you want to fall down at His feet and do His will? Doesn't it cause you to ask, "what will you have me do? I know I am no longer your servant, but it is my pleasure to serve you anyway. I accept and cherish you as my Father. What can I do to bless your heart today? I never want to hurt you, although I know I probably will. You loved me first, now I love you. As my brother, Christ, has said that His meat is to do your will, my Father. It also is mine."
posted by Patti Blount @ 9:51 AM
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