Eph 6:7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men
How different we would act if we had our Savior as a house guest.
Think about it, He knocks on the door and shocked, you let Him inside and invite Him to have a seat, to rest. You offer Him something to drink, to eat, you even offer to let Him freshen up- use your shower if need be and even allow Him access to the guest towels. Seeing He doesn't have any luggage with Him you also offer Him access to your husband's, your son's closet (if you're a female like me hehe) where the best clothes are kept. Anything and everything you're willing to do for Him, whatever He needs, whatever He desires you want to be able to offer it to Him.
Why are you being so generous? If it'd been a stranger who knocked on the door would he even have gotten a foot inside? Most likely not. At most you might offer that stranger a chance to use your phone if they need to call someone else to help them out, someone they know.
It's practical isn't it? No one in society expects us to open our doors to strangers, in fact we are cautioned earnestly NOT to ever let strangers inside our houses, only those you trust. If you let strangers in you're asking for a lot of trouble- to be robbed at the least, to be murdered at the most.
Am I suggesting you open your doors wide to any and all who would come in? Maybe. But you have to realize I'm suggesting this contrary, this insane thing to myself too. I'm no more desirous of opening my doors to one and all, than the next person. So why suggest it? Because each of those strangers- even the dirtiest, the grungiest, the most abhorrent of them all is your fellow man, your neighbor, a human being just like yourself and we are to treat others - doing service unto them - as we would do for the LORD. This is the will of God, that we LOVE one another.
We would treat our Savior with such honor because why? He died for us, He died to save us. We don't treat others with any sort of honor because they didn't do that for us, they didn't give us the chance for salvation, for life ever lasting. Yet, our Savior who died specifically told us on more than one occasion that He wants us to LOVE each other- even our enemies.
LOVE one another.
Serve one another.
Serve our enemies.
Pray for those who despitefully use us.
Mat 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you
Jesus' words!
Do you know someone who hates you, curses you, is your enemy, who despitefully uses you, and persecutes you?
Most of us don't live with an arch enemy- a vile nemesis waiting to orchestrate our demise in a very painful, torturous manner. Most of us don't live that way- under constant persecution. We can imagine what it is like because most of us have experienced some sort of situation where others treated us with less than what we deem proper respect.
Jesus would have us LOVE all others.
Jesus LOVED those who killed HIM!
Luk 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.
Would He ask for forgiveness for them if He didn't love them?
We understand this in part because even when our own children do awful things we love them, the mother of a murderer can still love their child. That murderer was a babe in their mother's arms, a child whose scraped knee they kissed to make all better, that child was not evil in the crib but innocent. Wives still love cheating husbands, husbands still love cheating wives. We are wounded by the actions of those we love, but that doesn't mean we instantly stop loving them. We are told to LOVE our enemies. If we are to love our enemies it stands to reason that we would love those who we naturally have affection for even as they some how became our enemies, hurting us.
If we are to have LOVE for our enemies- a love that means treating them with respect, caring for them in spite of their hatred of us- it really stands to reason that we are to serve others as if we were serving the LORD. This is a PERFECT example of how we should live in relation to each other, to love each other.
Eph 6:7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men
We should live as if we are doing service to the LORD.
No, we obviously realize those we are doing services for our not the LORD, that they might even hate us and use us, but we are to do the service we do to them in spite of all that because we are in truth following the very commandment our Savior gave to us- loving one another.
We can love the unlovable only when we embrace our Savior and allow the Holy Spirit to work in us, teaching us to love as Jesus would have us love.
Reading C.S. Lewis- Mere Christianity- He says (and I paraphrase really badly) We are to ACT as if we do love, even when we don't, because if we ACT as if we do this will make it a real possibility that one day we will naturally love. We should do what we KNOW we should do, even when there is NO feeling at all, NO desire to do what we know we should do. Using our intellect, using our knowledge, not attempting to use feelings to guide us.
Eph 6:5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
Eph 6:6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
Eph 6:7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men
Luk 12:37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.
Luk 12:38 And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.
Luk 22:24 And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.
Luk 22:25 And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.
Luk 22:26 But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.
Luk 22:27 For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.
Joh 12:26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.
Gal 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
Col 3:24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
Heb 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Heb 12:28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear
Rev 22:3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him
*
Eph 6:7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men
AS TO THE LORD.
We are to live, to serve, to work, to do all we do as UNTO the LORD and NOT to men.
AS TO THE LORD.
By His grace.
How different we would act if we had our Savior as a house guest.
Think about it, He knocks on the door and shocked, you let Him inside and invite Him to have a seat, to rest. You offer Him something to drink, to eat, you even offer to let Him freshen up- use your shower if need be and even allow Him access to the guest towels. Seeing He doesn't have any luggage with Him you also offer Him access to your husband's, your son's closet (if you're a female like me hehe) where the best clothes are kept. Anything and everything you're willing to do for Him, whatever He needs, whatever He desires you want to be able to offer it to Him.
Why are you being so generous? If it'd been a stranger who knocked on the door would he even have gotten a foot inside? Most likely not. At most you might offer that stranger a chance to use your phone if they need to call someone else to help them out, someone they know.
It's practical isn't it? No one in society expects us to open our doors to strangers, in fact we are cautioned earnestly NOT to ever let strangers inside our houses, only those you trust. If you let strangers in you're asking for a lot of trouble- to be robbed at the least, to be murdered at the most.
Am I suggesting you open your doors wide to any and all who would come in? Maybe. But you have to realize I'm suggesting this contrary, this insane thing to myself too. I'm no more desirous of opening my doors to one and all, than the next person. So why suggest it? Because each of those strangers- even the dirtiest, the grungiest, the most abhorrent of them all is your fellow man, your neighbor, a human being just like yourself and we are to treat others - doing service unto them - as we would do for the LORD. This is the will of God, that we LOVE one another.
We would treat our Savior with such honor because why? He died for us, He died to save us. We don't treat others with any sort of honor because they didn't do that for us, they didn't give us the chance for salvation, for life ever lasting. Yet, our Savior who died specifically told us on more than one occasion that He wants us to LOVE each other- even our enemies.
LOVE one another.
Serve one another.
Serve our enemies.
Pray for those who despitefully use us.
Mat 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you
Jesus' words!
Do you know someone who hates you, curses you, is your enemy, who despitefully uses you, and persecutes you?
Most of us don't live with an arch enemy- a vile nemesis waiting to orchestrate our demise in a very painful, torturous manner. Most of us don't live that way- under constant persecution. We can imagine what it is like because most of us have experienced some sort of situation where others treated us with less than what we deem proper respect.
Jesus would have us LOVE all others.
Jesus LOVED those who killed HIM!
Luk 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.
Would He ask for forgiveness for them if He didn't love them?
We understand this in part because even when our own children do awful things we love them, the mother of a murderer can still love their child. That murderer was a babe in their mother's arms, a child whose scraped knee they kissed to make all better, that child was not evil in the crib but innocent. Wives still love cheating husbands, husbands still love cheating wives. We are wounded by the actions of those we love, but that doesn't mean we instantly stop loving them. We are told to LOVE our enemies. If we are to love our enemies it stands to reason that we would love those who we naturally have affection for even as they some how became our enemies, hurting us.
If we are to have LOVE for our enemies- a love that means treating them with respect, caring for them in spite of their hatred of us- it really stands to reason that we are to serve others as if we were serving the LORD. This is a PERFECT example of how we should live in relation to each other, to love each other.
Eph 6:7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men
We should live as if we are doing service to the LORD.
No, we obviously realize those we are doing services for our not the LORD, that they might even hate us and use us, but we are to do the service we do to them in spite of all that because we are in truth following the very commandment our Savior gave to us- loving one another.
We can love the unlovable only when we embrace our Savior and allow the Holy Spirit to work in us, teaching us to love as Jesus would have us love.
Reading C.S. Lewis- Mere Christianity- He says (and I paraphrase really badly) We are to ACT as if we do love, even when we don't, because if we ACT as if we do this will make it a real possibility that one day we will naturally love. We should do what we KNOW we should do, even when there is NO feeling at all, NO desire to do what we know we should do. Using our intellect, using our knowledge, not attempting to use feelings to guide us.
Eph 6:5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
Eph 6:6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
Eph 6:7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men
Luk 12:37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.
Luk 12:38 And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.
Luk 22:24 And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.
Luk 22:25 And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.
Luk 22:26 But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.
Luk 22:27 For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.
Joh 12:26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.
Gal 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
Col 3:24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
Heb 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Heb 12:28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear
Rev 22:3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him
*
Eph 6:7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men
AS TO THE LORD.
We are to live, to serve, to work, to do all we do as UNTO the LORD and NOT to men.
AS TO THE LORD.
By His grace.
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