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Living The Christian Life
Serve God - The Service of the Believer
1. Areas of service
2. Reasons for service
3. Conditions of service
4. Consequences of service for the believer
5. Time of service
# Complement
Conversion to God should normally produce in the believer's heart the desire to serve his Savior ( 1 Thess 1: 9 ). To serve God means in the first place to recognize his authority and to seek to honor it at all times and in all areas ( Col 3:17 , Col 3: 23-24 ; 1 Cor 10:31 ).
1. Areas of service
The believer is called to serve God by:
• family behavior ( Col 3:20 ; 1 Ti 5: 4 );
• his behavior in society ( 1 Pi 2: 12-14 ; 1 Th 4: 11-12 ) and in the Church ( Ro 12: 9-11 ; 1 Pi 4: 10-11 );
• his way of speaking ( Eph 4:25 , Eph 4:29 ; Eph 5: 4 );
• his way of working ( Col 3: 22-23 );
• the proclamation of the Gospel ( 1 Cor 9:16 ; Ro 1: 9 ; Ro 10:14 ; Phil 1:14 ; cf. Mk 5:19 );
• prayer, praise and song ( Eph 5: 19-20 ; Ps 92: 1-6 );
• liberality ( 2 Co 8: 3-5 , 2 Co 8: 7 ; 2 Co 9: 7 );
• helping others, believers and unbelievers ( Heb 6:10 ; Tit 3: 13-14 ; Ga 6:10 ; 1 Cor 16:15 ).
These are all aspects of Christian witness.
2. The reasons for the service
The believer serves God when he is motivated by desire:
• to glorify God ( 1 Cor 10:31 ; 1 Pi 4:11 ; cf. Jn 17: 4 );
• to express gratitude to the One who saved him ( Heb 12:28 );
• to be useful to his Maltre ( 2 Ti 2:21 );
• to share with others, believers and unbelievers, what he discovered in Christ ( Mk 5: 18-20 ; Ac 4:20 );
• to call the lost to turn to Christ ( 2 Cor 5:11 , 2 Cor 5:20 ; Ro 10: 1 );
• to do the works that God prepared for him ( Eph 2:10 ).
God wants all men to be saved ( 1 Ti 2: 3-4 ; cf. Ez 33:11 ) and he wishes to use human instruments to make known his person and his message ( 1 Pi 2: 9 ; Ac 9 : 15 ; Ro 10:14 ; 1 Co 3: 5 ; 2 Co 6: 1 ; Ac 15: 4 ).
3. Conditions of service
To be a good servant, the believer must:
• manifest love towards God and towards men ( Mt 22: 37-40 ; Jn 13: 34-35 ; 2 Cor 5: 14-15 );
• walk in a manner worthy of the Lord ( Col 1:10 ; Phil 1:27 ; 1 Th 2:12 );
• obey the command of Christ to preach the Gospel ( Mk 16:15 ; Acts 1: 8 ; Acts 26: 19-20 ; Ga 1:16 );
• faithful in everything ( Lu 16:10 ; 1 Cor 4: 1-2 ; Heb 3: 1-6 ; cf. Lu 19:17 );
• manifests a spirit of submission and humility ( 1 Pi 5: 5-6 ; Ep 5:21 ; cf. Acts 20:19 ).
Commitment to service depends on a choice freely made by the believer, a constantly renewed decision ( Jos 24: 14-15 ; Ro 12: 1 , worship = service; Isa 6: 8 ). The capacity to serve comes from God ( Jn 15: 5 ).
4. Consequences of service for the believer
In his service to God, the believer finds:
• a goal in his life ( Ro 14: 8a ; Phil 1: 21a ; Heb 12: 1-2a ; Phil 3:14 ; Jn 6:68 );
• joy ( Ja 1:25 );
• God's approval and blessing ( Isa 3: 10-11 ; Mal 3:18 ; Heb 6: 10-12 ; 1 Cor 15:58 ).
5. The time of service
As soon as he is converted, the believer is called to enter into service ( 1 Th 1: 9 ; Ga 1:16 ; Isa 6: 8 ).
When it comes to entering a specific ministry of the Church, the question of spiritual age comes into play ( 1 Ti 3:10 ).
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# Complement
This section contains elements that are not part of the original CREDO course.
The service
The reasons for the service, read: " Why and how to serve God "
The conditions of service, read: response to " Consecration and priesthood "
Tithes and offerings: for a more complete study, read " Giving according to God ".