To Know God Is to Serve Others
Monday October 27, 2008
Jesus Christ said in his intercessory prayer, "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent" (John 17:3). The gift of eternal life is only available through the Atonement of Christ, but we must choose to accept Christ, have faith in Him, and keep his commandments to receive it. But how do we really come to know God?
To Know God is to Love God
John teaches in his first epistle:
Jesus Christ taught that to serve Him is to serve others:
Serving others means serving God's children, who are our brothers and sisters. We can serve others in a multitude of ways, including praying to God for them and praying for the knowledge to know how to serve them.
It takes charity, humility, patience, and diligence to continually serve God by serving others, but the Lord has promised us His marvelous gift of eternal life if we do:
To Know God is to Love God
John teaches in his first epistle:
"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love" (1 John 4:7-8).To Love God is to Serve God
"And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul" (Deut 10:12).To Serve God is to Serve Others
Jesus Christ taught that to serve Him is to serve others:
"Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me" (Matt 25:45).Thus to Know God is to Serve Others
Serving others means serving God's children, who are our brothers and sisters. We can serve others in a multitude of ways, including praying to God for them and praying for the knowledge to know how to serve them.
It takes charity, humility, patience, and diligence to continually serve God by serving others, but the Lord has promised us His marvelous gift of eternal life if we do:
"And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it" (Luke 9:23-24).I think this promised gift is worth the effort and work required to receive it, don't you? Serving others doesn't have to be a huge event, either. What simple ways can we serve others? Please share your ideas or learn 15 ways to serve God by serving others!
Serving others daily is something as wives and mothers we do daily, laundry, cleaning, caring, cooking,support it is natural and expected. But if we take the time to see with spiritual eyes and attitudes it becomes service if we allow ourselves to feel that way.
Thanks Bri for your comment. In my recent article on 15 Ways to Serve God by Serving Others I put serving family at the top.
“I think this promised gift is worth the effort and work required to receive it, don’t you?”
I humbly suggest you need to be theologically more careful. The above statement implies that we must earn our way into heaven. This only serves to devalue Christ’s life of 100% obedience imputed to us – why is Christs obedience even necessary if we can “receive this promised gift” through our own “effort and work”?
Remember: “Justification is through faith alone apart from works of the law.”
Think along these lines instead: I can (proverbially) give that beggar £10 now because I have a “winning lottery ticket in my pocket”. The Kingdom awaits – promised to me – I am therefore liberated to give away my time and money without the need for pay-back now.
It is our faith in future grace (i.e. promises) that LIBERATE us to live without any dependence on the world around us.
See http://www.desiringgod.org
Tom