Word Webs World

Words of JP……………

What is a servant of God, and what does one gain as a true and faithful servant? What does God look for in those who serve Him? Our true, one and only God, by His own acts, has over the centuries, proved that He is a God of love and grace, exercising perfect justice and judgment, and extending mercy to those seeking to serve Him. (Ex 34:6-7) Even to the ungrateful and wicked He has expressed kindness. (Matt 5:45) God delights in the fact that His sovereignty is administered in love. (Jer 9:24)

Accordingly, to the one being a servant of God, He desires people in His universe who serve Him because of love for Him and for His fine qualities. As a servant we must love first God and, second, our neighbor. (Matt 22:37-39) We must love God’s sovereignty; we must desire it and prefer it over any other. (Ps 84:10) We must be the kind of Christian that, even if it were possible for us to become independent, would choose His sovereignty because, we as true Christians know that His ruler ship is far wiser, more righteous and better than any other. (Isa 55:8-11; Jer 10:23; Rom 7:18)

As to being a servant of God, we serve Him not merely because of fear of His almightiness nor for selfish reasons, but out of love of His righteousness, justice and wisdom and because of having the knowledge of God’s greatness and loving-kindness. (Ps 97:10; 119:104,128,163) God’s servants exclaim with the apostle Paul: Oh, the depth of the riches both of wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?” Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid to him?” For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen. (11:33-36)

As a true servant of God, one comes to know Him, and really knowing Him means to love Him and stick to His sovereignty. Concerning the true servant, the apostle John writes:Everyone remaining in union with Him does not practice sin; no one that practices sin has either seen Him or come to know Him.” And, “He that does not love has not come to know God, because God is love.” (1 John 3:6; 4:8)

Just as the farmer sows his seed with love and care, the faithful servant of God spreads His Word with  the seed of peace and love, not with wrangling, strife, tumult and the use of force. And the servants doing the sowing are servants of peace, not quarrelsome, belligerent or riotous. Therefore peaceful conditions must exist in Christians in order for their sowing to produce fruitage of righteousness. (Jas 3:18)

As a true servant of God, one must exercise self-control as Jesus did. He set the example for us to follow, for Jesus exercised self-control in all His works. The apostle Peter, when calling to the attention of house servants the need to be in subjection to their owners, wrote: For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps; who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth”; Who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously. (1 Peter 2:21-23)

In the “last days” lack of self-control was to be one of the characteristics marking those who would not be practicing Christianity as a true servant of God. (2 Tim 3:1-7) However, since Christians are to be imitators of God and of His Son (1 Cor 11-1; Eph 5:1) they should strive to cultivate self-control in all things. (1 Cor 9:25) The apostle Peter stated: “Supply to your faith virtue, to your virtue knowledge, to your knowledge self-control, to your self-control endurance, to your endurance Godly devotion, to your Godly devotion brotherly affection, to your brotherly affection love. For if these things exist in you and overflow, they will prevent you from being either inactive or unfruitful regarding the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:5-8)

Concerning the faithful servant of God, such ones are chosen by God to be joint heirs with His Son, to receive incorruption and immortality. In order to obtain the heavenly body, one must die, giving up the body of flesh, to receive the new body by a resurrection, just as a seed planted “dies” disintegrates, and is of an entirely different form and appearance from the plant that results. (Rom 6:3-5) (1 Cor 15:35-53)

It is evident throughout the Bible that the hope of a true servant of God has been to receive everlasting life at God’s hands. This hope has encouraged God’s servants to maintain faithful. The apostle John quotes Jesus as saying: “For God loved the world so much that He gave His only-begotten Son, in order that everyone exercising faith in Him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

For the true servant of God to get life, the individual must keep his mind fixed “on the things above, not on the things upon the earth.” (Col 3:1-2) To the servants of God to whom are the hearers, Jesus said: “He that hears my word and believes Him that sent me has everlasting life, and he does not come into judgment but has passed over from death to life.” (John 5:24; 6:40) Also John says that a Christian knows he has passed from death to life, if he loves his brothers. ( 1 John 3:14)

Through the Scriptures the God of power and dynamic energy as the Maker of heaven and earth are repeatedly highlighted. We see evidence of His Almighty power in all physical creation, in the immense and countless stellar bodies as well as all earthly things. The Bible record pulsates with His express of power and His mighty acts toward mankind. Though at times He has kept quiet exercising self-control, whenever His due time came to act He has taken vigorous action with His full might. In every case, His varied expressions of power have been in harmony with righteousness. (Ps. 98:1-2, Isaiah. 5-16)

Our God of power is slow to anger and always under control and in harmony with His attributes of love, wisdom and justice. He is abundant in loving-kindness. If one fears God and works righteousness, he will receive mercy from Him, for the Almighty recognizes man’s inherited imperfection and shows mercy to him on this account and on the basis of Jesus’ sacrifice. (Ps 103:13-14)

God gave His only-begotten Son full of God’s power and wisdom. From Jesus’ miraculous birth forward, God’s power was displayed toward and through Him as never before. Like the psalmist, He became “just like a miracle to many people.” (Ps 71:7) Jesus and His disciples, like Isaiah and his children, were “as signs and as miracles in Israel from God,” portending the future and revealing God’s purpose. (Isaiah 8:18) In Jesus’ God’s powerful workings during thousands of years now found fulfillment, came to fruition. Rightly the apostle could speak of Jesus as “the power of God and wisdom of God,” (1Cor 1:24)

Jesus Christ is called “The first – born from the dead.” (Col 1:18) He was the first and only to be resurrected to everlasting life through God’s power, and His resurrection was “in the sprit,” to live in heaven. (1 pet 3:18) He was granted immortality and incorruption, and was made higher than the heavens,” second only to God in the universe.(Heb 7:16) His resurrection was performed by God Himself. (Acts 3:15)

Jesus’ anointing by God’s spirit was accompanied by divine power.(Acts 10:38) As ‘the prophet greater than Moses,’ who was “mighty in His works and deeds,” Jesus’ credentials were proportionately greater. (Deut 34:10-12) Jesus took no credit for Himself, constantly giving acknowledgement to God as the Source of His powerful works. (John 5:19, 26) Honest persons recognized “the majestic power of God” manifested through Him. (Luke 9:43)

Jesus gave proof of God’s interest in mankind, evidence of what God would do for all loving righteousness. Jesus’ powerful works were largely related to mankind’s problems, first and most basic among which is that of sin, with all its damaging effects. Sickness and death are concomitants of sin, and Jesus’ ability to heal sickness of all kinds and even to resurrect the dead. (Matt 9:23-29)

Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the God of power manifested His power over the sunlight on the day Jesus was hung on the cross from the sixth hour (11am. To 12 noon) until the ninth hour (2 to 3 p.m.) a darkness fell over all the land.(Matt 27:45) Luke’s account adds that the darkness fell “because the sunlight failed.” (Luke 23:44-45) This could not have been due to an eclipse of the sun by the moon, as some think, for the darkness occurred at Passover time, which was always the time of the full moon. It is about two weeks later that the moon is new, that is, in the same direction as the sun from the earth (the time when solar eclipses occur).

Long before this occasion, God had demonstrated His power to shut out the sunlight. This was when the Israelites were down in Egypt. During the ninth plague thick darkness enveloped the Egyptians with darkness that could “be felt.” It lasted for three days, longer than any eclipse of the sun by the moon. Also, in the nearby land of Goshen, the Israelites at the same time enjoyed light. (Ex 10: 21-23)

The purpose of the resurrection shows forth not only God’s unlimited power and wisdom but also His love and mercy and vindicates Him as the Preserver of those who serve Him. (1 Sam 2:6) Having resurrection power, He can go to the extent of showing that His servants will be faithful to the very death. The fact that God’s servants are willing to give up life itself in His service proves their service is, not for selfish considerations, but for love. Job was an example. (Job 27:5) It also proves that they acknowledge Him as the Almighty, able to resurrect them, Universal Sovereign and the God of power and love. The resurrection also is a means by which God sees that His purpose toward the earth, as stated to Adam, is carried out. (Gen 1:28)

The expressions of God’s power reached a high point in the establishment of the kingdom by Christ Jesus and the judgment acts that result from His event on earth. As for Jesus’ disciples they prayed, addressing God: “Sovereign Lord, you are the One who made heaven and the earth.” (Acts 4:24) And the most important thing to note, even though He is the Almighty power, the God of power is not an angry God but a happy God, pleasant, peaceful and calm toward those who properly approach His presence. (Ps 16:11) “God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. (Matt 22:31-32) God because of His power, “makes the dead alive and calls the things that are not as though they were.” Paul includes this fact when speaking of Abraham’s faith. Rom 4:17)