#002 Sold Out
Bondservants of Messiah
In the last article, I talked about the significance of commitment to God and His covenant, and how this is at the heart of what it really means to be a believer in Him.
When we first commit ourselves to walking in His covenant, it is only the beginning of a lifelong pursuit to carry out that commitment in the way we live every day of our lives. We turn from doing as we pleased, according to our own worldly desires, to actively seeking to do the Father’s will above our own. In other words, we go from trying to be our own master, to submitting to God as our master.1
“and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” (Romans 6:18 LSB)
This brings us to a concept expressed all throughout the scriptures — that we are to be God’s servants, doing the things He has instructed and prepared for us to do. As long as we are alive, we have a job which ought to come before anything else in our life, and impacts the decisions we make.
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10, LSB)
But why would we want to be God’s servant, rather than serving ourselves?
We choose to serve Him because we have decided that there is nothing more desirable to us than to know our Creator, to do His will, to have His blessing on everything we do, and to inherit His amazing promises for those who walk in His covenant.
We are ‘sold out’ to Him, and have willingly become His bondservants — because to be a servant of the living God is better than to be a king in a godless world destined for destruction.
“For better is a day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere. I would choose to stand at the threshold of the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.” (Psalms 84:10, LSB)
We each have unique assignments, and things we are uniquely gifted in,2 but in all things we are to serve the Creator to the best of our ability, and allow that to shape the rest of our lives. We are to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness,3 and let everything else be secondary to that pursuit, because we are committed to Him above it all.
Our service to God starts with the foundation of following His eternal commandments, and in doing so, we show our love to Him and to other people.4 From there, He will provide opportunities for us to serve Him in particular ways, wherever we are (so long as we are watching for them). Meanwhile, we can seek guidance from the scriptures to grow in wisdom and understanding, so we can better know how to serve Him every day.
What does it mean to you to be a servant of God? How could recognizing this aspect of our faith affect our worldview and the decisions we make every day? Leave a comment and let me know what you think!
Learning to live for the Creator —out of true love and devotion— is the central theme of this blog, with many articles to come exploring different aspects of this life as a follower of God and His Messiah. Consider subscribing to get future articles delivered straight to your inbox. Shalom!
“Serve Yahweh with gladness; Come before Him with joyful songs. Know that Yahweh, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.” (Psalms 100:2-3, LSB)
Featured Song
In pondering the goodness of God, to whom I myself have been sold out in my devotion, this song came to my mind.
“My Soul Sings” by Exodus Road Band is a beautiful song of praise and devotion to our amazing Creator. I hope it moves you to sing the praises of the Almighty God. Also available on popular music streaming services.
Community Spotlight
Youth Torah Fellowship (Discord server)
A place made especially for teens and young adults who are looking to study and practice the Torah (God’s instructions) and fellowship with other like-minded believers (especially youths), including regular Bible studies and games. Join here!
Ever seeking, ever finding, ever sharing.
Ever growing, never slowing, nor despairing.
Lifelong Disciple.
See Romans 6:22-23, 2 Corinthians 5:14-15
See Romans 12:4-8, Ephesians 4:11-13
See Matthew 6:33
See Matthew 22:36-40, Romans 13:8-10, 1 Timothy 1:5