The Gospel of Grace and Christian Service
Book of Romans Chapter 12
What is Christian service?
After God has shown to us His Mercy and Grace and saved us from His wrath, we must choose to receive what He has done for us by Jesus Christ, and we must begin our walk of obedience with Him!
We should understand that we will serve this world, or we must accept what the Lord Jesus has done for us and serve Him.
We cannot have two masters!
Luk 16:13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
We must remain faithful in our service until the Lord returns to take us home!
Luk 12:42 And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?
Luk 12:43 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
Luk 12:44 Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.
Luk 12:45 But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;
Luk 12:46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
Luk 12:47 And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
Luk 12:48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
Luk 12:49 I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?
Even as Christians serving with a purpose, we must never think too highly of ourselves!
The Apostle Paul describes this for us.
Act 20:18 And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons,
Act 20:19 Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews:
Act 20:20 And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house,
Act 20:21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
There is a particularly good reason to be good servants of the Lord.
Col 3:23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
Col 3:24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
Col 3:25 But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.
As Christians we have a purpose in this life when before the Lord found us, we were miserable and without purpose!
*****Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Another way of saying these things to say we must be devoted to the Lord for the work He has done for us to get us saved.
Christian devotion means:
2Co 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
2Co 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
2Co 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
A Christian doing a work for the Lord will stand out in this world, especially in this day that we are hated so much.
Act 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
Act 4:14 And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.
We owe the Lord all our body can give to Him.
We owe all our energy to the Lord.
All our thoughts need to be on our service to Him!
We live in a world that desperately needs to get right with God!
The way to do this is clearly revealed through the Lord Jesus Christ!
Our "faith" in the work of Christ Jesus is counted to us for "righteousness".
It was the same for Abraham of the Old Testament.
Rom_4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Rom_4:13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
Gal_3:6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
We are to give our bodies to God while we are still alive!
Sin destroys the body!
We are Born Again now having a new soul.
We are filled with the Holy Spirit of God and need a refilling daily.
God demands we give Him our body for His service.
We are not to do our own thing.
We are not to dedicate our bodies for our families even though this should be a close second.
We are not to dedicate our bodies to our jobs or our possessions.
We are to give our bodies to God to do with them as He pleases!
Living sacrifice means a constant and continuous service.
Living sacrifice means wherever our body is located.
Living sacrifice means without our own desires but for the desires of God.
Living sacrifice means living for God!
1Co 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
We give our bodies to the Lord because it pleases Him, and we always want to please our Heavenly Father!
2Co 5:9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.
What is it that we must give with our bodies? Our Reasonable Service.
God does not ask us to do unreasonable things!
Reasonable means: rational, logical, intelligent.
Service means: worship, ministry.
We once used our minds and bodies in sin!
God now demands we use our bodies and our minds for His glory once we belong to Him!
Humanism says to worship your body.
No matter what we do this old body will not last forever.
God says give Me your body and I will return to you a new glorified body!
God came to this earth and took Himself a human body when He could have chosen any of His creations or made Himself a new creation.
Heb 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
Heb 2:15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
When the Lord Jesus died and was resurrected, He took that same body to the glory world.
Now as we live and breathe and are Born Again, our body is home to God's Holy Spirit.
1Co 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
1Co 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
When we see Jesus, we will get a view of what our own glorified body will look like.
1Jn_3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
All this will begin when we are more like Jesus Christ daily!
*****Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
The word conformed means to be fashioned after. Made agreeable to or suited to.
That word world means the way this world operates and serves itself.
This world is corruptible, so it has corrupted itself!
We see this everywhere in our world today as corruption has taken over this world!
I never would have thought our own government could sink so low as to be in the corruption we see today.
We can say that corruption loves corruption because it is never ending!
As Christians we are to stay as far away from the things of this world as we are able.
We do these things by renewing our mind to have the mind of Christ which is a servant’s mind.
This world is built upon lies!
What is the truth?
The world itself and everything in it will pass away, but the child of God cannot pass away!
1Co 7:31 And they that use this world, as not abusing it: "for the fashion of this world passeth away".
If we are in the will of God, we are right where God wants us to be!
2Co 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
It is the will of God that we be saved!
1Th_4:3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:
It is the will of God that we are obedient to His Word!
1Pe_2:15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
It is the will of God we have eternal life!
1Jn_2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
It is the will of God that we try our best to be more like Jesus Christ. This is the meaning of being Christian!
Act_11:26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
Eph 3:14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Eph 3:15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
There is no wisdom in the governments of this world, especially those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ!
1Co 2:6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
1Co 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
1Co 2:8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
We are to be transformed into the ways of the Lord Jesus Christ!
Those that reject the Lord are corrupt.
Those that reject the Lord are reprobate.
Those that reject the Lord are carnal.
Those that reject the Lord have been blinded by Satan.
Those that reject the Lord are empty and vain.
Those that reject the Lord think only of this world and are alienated from God and are His enemies.
Humanity has become defiled!
Tit 1:15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.
Tit 1:16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
As Christians we must be transformed to prove to God, we love Him!
Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Rom 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
Rom 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
We must become a humble servant to the cause of Jesus Christ!
*****Rom 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
Rom 12:4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
Rom 12:5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
As Christians we are to think highly of ourselves as God's children and future residents of the New Heaven, but we must know that we are no better than anyone one else saved or lost.
We are just better off because we know our home is in Heaven because we know we are saved from the wrath of God!
We must always be concerned about our humility!
We must not become conceited.
We must not become prideful.
We must never be arrogant.
We must think soberly which means in one's right mind because we have the mind of Christ and think as He did and as He does.
1Co_2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
What we now possess and what we are, comes from the Lord.
It is God who gave us a measure of faith to believe, and it is God who helps us to grow our faith!
Without this "working faith" we could never be one of God's servants!
This includes the gifts and abilities God has given to us for the purpose He has given to us.
This includes increased faith and drive and confidence to go about the work God has given us to do.
This includes the desire to serve the Living God!
God offers so much more, but He will only give it to us one measure at a time, so we are never overwhelmed with the task that is before us.
Remember God gives all these things along with His guidance, but all results come by Him.
We cannot cause someone to be saved these things are in the hand of God.
We are to just be busy about the work He has given us to do!
God does the ploughing, we do the planting, God does the reaping!
We should remember, the Church is the body of Christ and just as our human body there are many distinct parts of the body of Christ.
The Lord Jesus Christ is the Head, and we will find our task as some other part of the body.
Not everyone can be an arm or a leg.
Not everyone can be the heart or the lungs.
We should be able to see what part of the body of Christ we are and do this work with all our heart!
Luk 22:25 And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.
Luk 22:26 But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.
Luk 22:27 For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.
Jas 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
No matter our place in the Body of Christ we should always be praying for more faith to serve in that position!
Psa_84:10 For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
We must know that our faith grows according to our belief in the Word of God!
Rom 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
This includes the study of God's Word.
2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
******Rom 12:6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
Rom 12:7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
Rom 12:8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
God gives to us many physical gifts as we serve, but much more important are the Spiritual Gifts.
A Spiritual gift is a God-given ability given to each believer.
All Spiritual gifts come by the Holy Spirit who lives in each and every believer.
These are separate from the "Fruit" of the Spirit, but together they make each child of God a force to be reckoned with.
Each Spiritual gift is given for Spiritual purposes.
The Fruit of the Spirit is given to every believer to make us be more like Jesus Christ!
All the gifts of God come according to God's "Grace".
The modern-day prophet is of those who preach the Word of God.
The Word of God we have today is complete so there is no need of prophets. We just need to hear what God has given to us and in some cases to make sense of the Word as it relates to the other Scriptures.
There is no one to try to interpret what God has already made interpretation of!
2Pe_1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
The modern-day prophet keeps the Word of God in the context it was written and makes application to our lives today.
The Word of God does not change, the circumstances of our lives may change, but the answers God gives to us, work in any lifetime!
The Living Word is the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Written Word is by the Holy Spirit both given to us by God the Father.
No one can be a prophet of God without first having accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior!
The gift of ministry is what the remainder of God's children have been called to do.
This is the heart of the servant to minister to others!
This is one of God's children being willing to turn their attention to others and not themselves.
Gal 6:10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
The gift of teaching is the ability to try to ground all God's children to the truth of the Scriptures.
Not only does a Church need a great Prophet or Pastor, but the Church need teachers also willing to search the Word of God for God's answers to life.
We cannot teach until the Holy Spirit has taught us!
We all need to be in one mind and in one accord with the Word of God.
After all if God said it and the Holy Ghost preserved it, then it must be important!
The gift of exhortation could be said to be the gift of motivation, but it includes much more.
It takes this gift to get us to be busy about the work the Lord has given us to do.
Every Pastor should have this gift.
Every Pastor should be able to teach.
The Lord Jesus put it this way:
Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Mat 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
To the Pastor the Holy Spirit put it like this:
2Ti 4:1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
2Ti 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
2Ti 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
2Ti 4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
If you want to know the truth, then we can see that this time has come where no one really wants to hear the truth of the Word of God.
The gift of giving means sharing our earthly gifts with the Church and the ministries of the Church to promote the cause of Christ and in this can rewards be earned in Heaven.
Giving to charities will never gain you a reward in Heaven unless given to Christian based charities!
The gift of ruling is simply the gift of being a leader, working in the administration of the Church.
It could also be said the ability to work in government for the cause of Christ Jesus.
It takes a great zeal for the cause of Christ and there is no room for laziness and there is certainly no room for compromise.
We are never to compromise the Word of God.
It must stand as it is written!
Many in government fail in this greatly!
The gift of mercy can be seen in those Christians who are full of forgiveness and compassion.
Every child of God is called to have the gift of mercy by the Lord Jesus Himself!
Luk 6:36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
Even knowing all these things and practicing them according to gifts given by the Holy Spirit, we must do our best to be like the Lord Jesus Christ.
This is a personal drive to be a Christian and be a part of a group of Christians!
*****Rom 12:9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
Rom 12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
Rom 12:11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
Rom 12:12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
Rom 12:13 Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.
The Lord Jesus Christ made this really easy for us.
Mar 12:29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
Mar 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
Mar 12:31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
We see that this is a commandment!
The Holy Spirit decided we need to understand this and explains what Jesus is saying so we can be clear on the Word of God.
We are to love one another without being hypocrites!
We must be completely free of selfish motives.
If I tell you I love you, then I had better be sincere for the Holy Spirit to acknowledge what I say.
These words must never be used just to get a reaction from that person!
We must understand that we must have this love for the saved and for the lost.
Mat 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
Mat 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Mat 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
We show love by hating evil!
This is a hatred with intense feelings, but love must remain for that one who did that evil.
Sounds impossible but it is not.
The Lord Jesus Christ died for us while we were still His enemy!
We must fight against evil!
We show love by fighting against evil and hating all things evil.
Job 28:28 And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
Jas 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
We fight against evil when we cling to that which is good!
We are to desire the absolute best for all those we meet and those we know.
We are to love our brothers and sisters in Christ with that special love that Jesus showed!
Eph 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
If we have that feeling that we have already reached perfection and these things are too far from us, then we become a larger part of the problem in the Church!
We are to honor, reverence, and respect even esteem, all of God's children.
We can just imagine a house of God where these things were as important as salvation!
Php 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
Php 2:4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
We are to serve the Lord and not each other, but by serving the Lord, we will serve each other!
We must not be lazy in the things of Christ!
We must show due diligence in the work of Christ.
We must be earnest and not hesitating in our Christian life for Christ!
That word fervent means to be hot for the work of Christ.
Remember what Jesus said of the last days where the Church has become lute-warm rather than fervent.
We see this today in the modern church.
The Church has lost its fervent spirit and has given in to the world.
Heb 5:11 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.
Heb 5:12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
We are to serve the Lord Jesus until He returns to take us home with the same zeal we had when we were first saved.
Not only these things, but we must conquer our trials and not allow our trials to defeat us.
God manages trials in only two ways:
1) He can remove that trial we are going through, and He does sometimes.
2) More often than not, God just goes through that trial with us so we can learn some valuable lesson.
Our job is to endure that trial while it affects our life!
We win most all battles with prayer!
We must be ready to pray at all times!
1Ch 16:11 Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.
And last but not least, we are to give to the cause of Christ!
This has nothing to do with the tithe which is a command of God.
These are love offerings.
The more God provides to us the more we should be charitable to others.
To be safe with our giving then it should go through the Church and the ministries of the Church.
Most monies given to the charities of the world end up in pockets of some person and did not serve the charity or the cause of that charity.
We must be hospitable to all when that time arrives.
1Pe 4:9 Use hospitality one to another without grudging.
1Pe 4:10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
Widows have often been in the plan of God, but there are rules.
1Ti 5:10 Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints' feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work.
Most of our Christian ladies would be acceptable and many do need help.
If we claim to be Christian, then we should certainly act the part.
We do not learn this in the world, we learn these things from the Word of God and the Holy Spirit will call upon us to be obedient when the time comes!
Amen
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