A True Servant of God

What is a servant of God, and what does one gain as a true and faithful servant? What does God look for in those who serve Him? Our true, one and only God, by His own acts, has over the centuries, proved that He is a God of love and grace, exercising perfect justice and judgment, and extending mercy to those seeking to serve Him. (Ex 34:6-7) Even to the ungrateful and wicked He has expressed kindness. (Matt 5:45) God delights in the fact that His sovereignty is administered in love. (Jer 9:24)

Accordingly, to the one being a servant of God, He desires people in His universe who serve Him because of love for Him and for His fine qualities. As a servant we must love first God and, second, our neighbor. (Matt 22:37-39) We must love God's sovereignty; we must desire it and prefer it over any other. (Ps 84:10) We must be the kind of Christian that, even if it were possible for us to become independent, would choose His sovereignty because, we as true Christians know that His ruler ship is far wiser, more righteous and better than any other. (Isa 55:8-11; Jer 10:23; Rom 7:18)

As to being a servant of God, we serve Him not merely because of fear of His almightiness nor for selfish reasons, but out of love of His righteousness, justice and wisdom and because of having the knowledge of God’s greatness and loving-kindness. (Ps 97:10; 119:104,128,163) God's servants exclaim with the apostle Paul: Oh, the depth of the riches both of wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?" Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid to him?” For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen. (11:33-36)

As a true servant of God, one comes to know Him, and really knowing Him means to love Him and stick to His sovereignty. Concerning the true servant, the apostle John writes:Everyone remaining in union with Him does not practice sin; no one that practices sin has either seen Him or come to know Him." And, "He that does not love has not come to know God, because God is love." (1 John 3:6; 4:8)

Just as the farmer sows his seed with love and care, the faithful servant of God spreads His Word with the seed of peace and love, not with wrangling, strife, tumult and the use of force. And the servants doing the sowing are servants of peace, not quarrelsome, belligerent or riotous. Therefore peaceful conditions must exist in Christians in order for their sowing to produce fruitage of righteousness. (Jas 3:18)

As a true servant of God, one must exercise self-control as Jesus did. He set the example for us to follow, for Jesus exercised self-control in all His works. The apostle Peter, when calling to the attention of house servants the need to be in subjection to their owners, wrote: For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps; who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth"; Who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously. (1 Peter 2:21-23)

In the "last days" lack of self-control was to be one of the characteristics marking those who would not be practicing Christianity as a true servant of God. (2 Tim 3:1-7) However, since Christians are to be imitators of God and of His Son (1 Cor 11-1; Eph 5:1) they should strive to cultivate self-control in all things. (1 Cor 9:25) The apostle Peter stated: "Supply to your faith virtue, to your virtue knowledge, to your knowledge self-control, to your self-control endurance, to your endurance Godly devotion, to your Godly devotion brotherly affection, to your brotherly affection love. For if these things exist in you and overflow, they will prevent you from being either inactive or unfruitful regarding the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:5-8)

Concerning the faithful servant of God, such ones are chosen by God to be joint heirs with His Son, to receive incorruption and immortality. In order to obtain the heavenly body, one must die, giving up the body of flesh, to receive the new body by a resurrection, just as a seed planted "dies" disintegrates, and is of an entirely different form and appearance from the plant that results. (Rom 6:3-5) (1 Cor 15:35-53)

It is evident throughout the Bible that the hope of a true servant of God has been to receive everlasting life at God's hands. This hope has encouraged God's servants to maintain faithful. The apostle John quotes Jesus as saying: "For God loved the world so much that He gave His only-begotten Son, in order that everyone exercising faith in Him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

For the true servant of God to get life, the individual must keep his mind fixed "on the things above, not on the things upon the earth." (Col 3:1-2) To the servants of God to whom are the hearers, Jesus said: "He that hears my word and believes Him that sent me has everlasting life, and he does not come into judgment but has passed over from death to life." (John 5:24; 6:40) Also John says that a Christian knows he has passed from death to life, if he loves his brothers. ( 1 John 3:14)

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