Servant of God - Thoughts 1

Date: Sunday 27th Feb 2005
By: Ghee Seng Teo

Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

We are God's workmanship like the clay in the porter's hands. He is to mould, build, shape us in Christ Jesus and to do good works during the process. Through Jesus' death on the cross, we are considered righteous, but His continuos saving grace is to touch, move, change and transform us into the likeness of Chirst.

To do the good works that God prepared is to serve Him. To be a servant of God there are a number of attitudes that we need to develop.

(1) Not afraid of Troubles
Luke 10:30-35 spoke of the good samaritan who had gone through lots of troubles to help one who had been robbed. We are to be of the same heart attitude too. For indeed if everyone are afraid of troubles then:
- No one would have bothered to preach the Gospel to you and I
- No one would have preached the Gospel to our parents
- The missionaries would not have gone to China
- The Apostle Paul would not have stayed away from far places like Rome or Spain
- The Lord Jesus would have stayed in heaven

We know therefore to serve the Lord to do good works, not afraid of troubles is essential.

(2) Not to ever give up
Luke 11:5-8 spoke of the persistent we ought to have in prayers. Likewise we serve the Lord the same level of persistent and perservance are required. If Nehemiah has given up, he would not have achieved the restoration of the wall. If we have given us, many more people that we know may not get to know the Lord!

(3) Not to live for I but Christ
Just like the Lord Jesus came to serve and gave his life as a ransom for many. Let the 'I' become 'C'hrist in our life. Let not live our lives based on other people's expectation. Let not live our lives hinged on other's criticisms. Let not luve our lives driven my our own's understanding. Rather we are to live a life according to the desires and will of the Lord.

Hebrews 12:2 "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

When the Lord Jesus went to the cross, he saw only the joy of all people returning to God and found meaning and purpose in the life starting from this life into eternity. Hence He willingly endured the pain, the shame of the cross. (c.f. a mother endures the gaining of weight, the pain of child bearing yet she is joyful as she looks forwards to the birth of a new life). Let us be likewise as the Lord is.