SERVING GOD ACCEPTABLY

In Hebrews 12:28-29, it says wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire. Whenever the scriptures say for us to do something, it is because there is the likelihood we would not do it except we pay close attention to and deliberately do it.

Here in this text, we see an instruction for us to serve God acceptably because we are now members of His kingdom. We are saved to serve God and there is an acceptable way in which we must do it, in reverence and godly fear. The extent to which each generation of believers meet this requirement of God depends on whether they know there is such a requirement and how much they understand why it must be met. Just as God does not change, His requirement from believers from generation to generation does not too. It is our duty to meet this requirement, it is by meeting it that we work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12).

SERVING GOD: WHAT IT MEANS

The believer’s service to God in this context is beyond doing something for God at certain times or every now and then like going to Church services, serving in an activity team in Church, volunteering for community service etc, our service to Him is to live unto Him in all we are and do. Romans 12:1-2 says I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your body a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 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. As believers, we belong to God and the only thing we should be about in life is seeking to know and doing what He wants in every area of our lives.

When God delivered the Israelites from Pharaoh’s enslavement in Egypt, it was so they could serve Him (Exodus 8:1) and the moment they came out of Eqypt, they were given instructions which explained how they were to live, not just to conduct worship services from time to time but how they were to live their lives. Serving God is in living our lives unto Him and no less is expected of us under the New Testament. In 1 Corinthians 6:20 it says concerning us that for ye are bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body and your spirits which are God’s. Romans 6:10-11 says for in that he died, he died unto sin once but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon yourselves dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. If we are alive unto God we should live unto Him.

The greatest knowledge a believer can come into is the discovery of the fact that he/she belongs wholly to God and therefore should live unto Him. No believer can have true peace with God, understand the reason for their existence or be fulfilled (which most refer to as being happy) until coming to terms with this fact and submitting to it. Without submitting to God completely, the Christian life will at best be a struggle and end up being a façade and fiasco, much of which we see in this generation. The will of God cannot be done in the life of a believer that has not fully submitted to Him.

Satan had always exploited this lack of submission to keep believers outside God’s will where we may not enjoy the benefits of our salvation. He employs deception, half truths, and lies to take advantage of the immature Christian by leveraging on our uncontrolled lusts. Overcoming him begins with coming to terms with this spiritual reality that we should no longer live to ourselves but to God. There is no true Christianity without this and it is the beginning of total victory over Satan and his kingdom.

GOD’S GRACE TEACHES TO LIVE UNTO GOD

Titus 1:11-12 says the grace of God that bringeth salvation has appeared unto all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly, righteously and godly, in this present world. Beyond what most know, the grace of God brings more than forgiveness of sin and unmerited favor, it brings instruction also, it tells us what to do, it teaches us how to live unto God. To the believer, this grace is not useful or profitable except and until it is allowed to do that for which it is given. The greatest resistance to the work of this grace in a believer’s life is the non acceptance of this fundamental doctrine that we are no longer ours but God’s. Living soberly, righteously and godly will be a struggle until we totally submit to God, which in actual fact most see as unnecessary or impossible but the word of God teaches its necessity and possibility.

The teaching done by God’s grace that brings salvation is through the word of God and it takes putting God first to have regard for His word, else we continue to argue with it or twist it to mean whatever suits us, as many do.

BEWARE OF SELF!

In this dispensation, self is ‘the idol’ we are most at risk of submitting to rather than to God. God’s word forewarned us about this (2 Timothy 3:2-4). Idolizing self is simply consistently obeying the flesh rather than God and it is subtle because the urge to always obey it is usually so strong. The strength is due to persistent appeal of Satan to its lusts either directly or through the things of the world.

The lust of the flesh is the only avenue through which Satan tempts us. He never attempts to tempt us with what we do not lust after. James 1:14 says every man is tempted when he’s drawn away of his own lust (not Satan’s lust). All Satan does is to appeal to the lusts and true to it, every disobedience to God, every fight against God’s will, every rebellion against God by the believer is always as a result of giving the flesh and its desires the place that should have been given to God in our lives.

Overcoming starts from the place of total submission to God. Have you ever wondered why it says in James 4:10 that humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up? Humbling yourself is giving up on self and making God object of honor and obedience. 1 Peter 5:5 says the same thing also. James 4:10 says submit yourself therefore to God, resist the devil and he shall flee from you. The resistance will not work without the submission.

THE CONCLUSION

If you have areas of your life where you are not getting bible results, if things are happening in your life that do not glorify God, if your peace is being chastised by the enemy despite the fact that the chastisement of your peace had already been borne by the Lord Jesus then I suggest you run a check on whether or not you are living unto God. Are you seeking and doing His will as a way of life? The benefits of being in God’s kingdom are only enjoyed when you live unto God.

It is true that the just shall live by faith. Faith is what it takes to get your needs met and problems solved by God. But never forget that this faith, the God kind of faith, comes by hearing and hearing the word of God. This word belongs to God and is revealed only by His Spirit to each individual. The hearing and hearing is so revelation knowledge may come from the Holy Spirit. If there is no revelation knowledge there can be no faith and no faith, no benefits. Faith subsequently comes from God, so we are right back to where we need to start from, total submission to God.

It is true that it is by grace that we are saved through faith, not by our own works. We have seen additionally that besides salvation and unmerited favor, this grace teaches living unto God which puts us in the position to enjoy the benefits of being in His kingdom. The good part also is that if we live unto God here on earth, we have double benefits, first the fullness of His blessing here on earth and secondly reward when we leave here into eternity with God and His Christ. If we do not live unto Him however, we have neither His best down here and certainly no rewards over there. God’s grace for salvation does not cover reward in eternity, our living unto God here on earth is what we will be rewarded for over there. It is better to fully submit to God and serve Him acceptably in reverence and godly fear while we still can, it pays for now and even more in the hereafter.

Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all (1 Timothy 4:15). 


Pastor Gboye Omolayo is the Resident Pastor of Church@Allen, Allen TX, USA. He is a prolific writer and preacher who believes the efficacy of the word of God and the potency of the works of the Holy Spirit are still available to the Church today, as were at the Church’s infancy. He is the publisher of this blog.