The Christ-follower as Worshipper & Servant

The Great Commandment (Matt. 22.36–40) calls every Christ-follower to be a lover of God and a lover of others. The gospel of Jesus Christ empowers a life to fully experience God’s grace every day and extend that grace to others. This is the ethos of the Christian life, to love God and love others. The challenge arises when one tries to define “how” to love. Love can be a nebulous verb proving difficult to show in real actions and measure in tangible terms if only considered from the world’s point of view. Thanks be unto God! He has not left us to our own imagination or compassions. He has given the supreme example of love in Christ Jesus. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins(1 John 4.9–10). God’s love shown by demonstration is the heart of the Gospel. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Rom. 5.8).

Several striking truths show the supremacy of God’s love. First, love is an action because God, the One who is love (1 John 4.16), establishes this through his expression. Second, the value of God’s love is supreme because he gave his only begotten son in order to express it (John 3.16). Third, the measure of God’s love is supreme because Jesus fully emptied himself (Phil. 2.6–8) in order to demonstrate the Father’s love. Fourth, the extent of God’s love is supreme because in the atoning sacrifice through Jesus Christ he has given new life and saved to the uttermost from the curse and condemnation of sin. Finally, the effectiveness of God’s love is supreme because it compels those who have received it to share his message and ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5.14f).

Christ-followers, in considering your life as a Worshipper (love God) and Servant (love others), you must first know who God is and understand what he has done. He has revealed himself that we might know him. Here are a couple of practical ways to grow your ethos as a worshipper and servant this year. First, read his Word, the Bible. Bible reading guides are a great help. I encourage you to go to print a copy of the file we’ve created to guide you through the Bible in ‘08 or use one of the plans offered at NavPress.com.

Second, communicate with God in regular time of prayer. Let your prayer be guided by God’s revelation of his character and attributes in his Word. Pray his Word back to him and over your life. Prayer is a way of expressing love to God and also loving others by faithful prayers for them. I encourage you to be sure you are signed up for the LifePoint prayer network that comes out every week. You can join the Prayer Network or access this week's prayer list on LifePoint Online. Prayer in our community of Christ-followers is an essential strength and unity-building discipline for us as a community to be faithful to.

Third, show your love to God in the greatest demonstration he has given to his children, obedience (1 John 5.3). Sin wars against the soul of every person but God’s grace gives victory. Is there a sin that haunts you, a temptation that besets you? Repent, receive God’s forgiveness and trust in God’s grace to obey his Word. His grace is greater than our sin (Rom. 5.20).

Fourth, show your love for God by loving others. Loving others as an expression of loving God is not only obedience to his command (1 John 3.23, 4.21) but also transfers the supreme value of relationship with God to other people. When we love God by loving others, we testify of the great worth his love has been unto us. When we love others sacrificially and generously we bear witness of how God has sacrificially and generously loved us first. We are servants of God expressing his love to others as it compels us. We serve to meet needs in His name and for his glory that others might experience first-hand the love of God.

Christ-follower, how will you live the love of God in your life? Who will you share the love of God?

—Pastor Lane