We are servants of God because we are sons of God; sons first, then servants. In this there is no bondage, but privilege and comfort. Yoked with the Lord Jesus, the perfect Servant, we find rest and blessing, for His yoke is easy and His burden light.
True service flows from known relationship and communion. We doubt not the divine order is peace, communion and service. Every question of conscience as to our eternal blessings must be settled, in order to have peace with God. The conscience must be purged with the blood of Christ to have no more conscience of sins. We must know Christ before we can live Christ. We must be consciously children of God before we can walk as children. Then communion with the Father and the Son can be enjoyed, and from it willing and happy service can flow.
A great deal, however, that in our day is called the service of God, when judged by the light of Scripture, is found to be not true service. How many, for instance, sincerely think they are serving the Lord in begging money from the unsaved, in order to meet the expenses incurred in carrying out missionary efforts? Now, Scripture not only enjoins us to come out from among unbelievers and to be separate, but most pointedly commends the first Christians because “they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles, for His name’s sake” (3 John 7). The fact is we need exercise of conscience over the written Word of God, in dependence on the Holy Spirit, in order to learn what the Lord’s will is as to our service. It is one thing to be engaged in service, and another to serve “acceptably with reverence and godly fear” (Heb. 12:2828Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: (Hebrews 12:28)).
Because of Love
We serve the Lord Christ, because He loved us and gave Himself for us. But if service becomes our object, instead of the Lord, we shall certainly fail and most likely break down. Who has not seen unhappy examples of this, or sorrowfully proved it in his own experience? If the eye of our heart be on our service, however scriptural, instead of the Lord, we are removed from the source of real strength and therefore will be going on in the energy of nature, instead of in the power of faith. We should “be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.” We have no other strength; therefore it is written, “Blessed is the man whose strength is in Thee.” All our resources are in Him. To make service our object is to be away from the Lord, and then our service will go on in mere routine and dead formality, or we will break down and give it up. The perfect Servant could say, “I have set Jehovah always before Me,” and, “My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work” (Psa. 16:88I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. (Psalm 16:8); John 4:3434Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. (John 4:34)).
To Every Man His Work
It is blessedly true, however, that all believers are servants — that we all have our work given to us till He come. He gave to every man his work. He called His ten servants and delivered unto them ten pounds (to each a pound) and said unto them, “Occupy till I come.” Each member of the body of Christ has his work. “To every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ,” and the edification of the whole body depends on the faithfulness of each. We all have our work, but what the character and measure of it may be, the Lord who has given it can alone make known. To those who wait upon Him, He will do it. Having learned what the service He has appointed us is, we should then give ourselves to it with diligence, for His glory. We read of those who “addicted themselves” to their ministry, and so should we. Such know their entire dependence on the Lord, and, like the apostles, they give themselves to prayer and to their ministry. They count upon God for blessing, and they cannot be confounded. There is a definiteness of purpose and action, and they look for definite results. They cleave to the Lord and reckon upon Him.
Things New and Old, adapted