How’s Your Serve?

By Robert E. Guinn

    One of the most convicting things about Christianity is that our Savior set the clearest of examples for us in the life that He lived on earth. The Bible encourages us to have the same servant-leader attitude as Jesus. We read:

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross,” (Philippians 2:5-8).  

    We later read in the epistle of Titus that Jesus’ self-sacrifice was to redeem us, to purify us, and to inspire us to be zealous for His work (Titus 2:11-14). The same passage informs us that the grace of God trains and teaches the soul how to live and that His grace has been revealed to all men. In other words, when the reality of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross sinks into our heart and soul we realize that we are called by the Gospel to serve and live for the Lord God Almighty. We have been selected for His service.
    Think  about it. The Scriptures teach that when someone obeys the Gospel through baptism, they are transformed into a new creation. They are no longer a slave or servant to sin but called-out servant of Christ (Romans 6). So, our allegiance changes from serving self and Satan to serving the one and only Savior of our soul when we follow the Gospel call. No wonder Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other,” (Matt. 6:24).
    One of the most humbling tests of our faith is to sincerely ask ourselves, “How is my serve?” We communicate our love for Christ through an obedient lifestyle (John 14:15; 15:14). We also reveal our faith and devotion to Him through the life we live (James 2:18-20). For this very reason, Christians are challenged to test and examine whether or not they are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5). 
    If we do not like the answer to this question (“How’s my serve”), maybe we need to remind ourselves of the servant example in Jesus. He served to the point of enduring the humiliating death of a criminal. Now, let us be determined that His sacrifice will inspire faith and devotion in the life we give back to the Lord.

 - Robert Guinn preaches for the Central Church of Christ in Paducah KY.  He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.centralchurchofchrist.org