SERVING GOD GIVES EVIDENCE OF FAITH

SERVING GOD GIVES EVIDENCE OF FAITH

Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him. —Malachi 3:18

            How do you know if a person truly knows the Lord or not?  How do you know that you truly know the Lord… or not?  According to the passage above the righteous serve God and the wicked do not.  So the question is— “Are you and I serving God or not?” 

            This theme can be seen through God’s Word.  Those who know Him serve Him and those who do not know Him do not serve Him.  You can see this right off with the first two children born in the human race— Cain and Abel of Genesis chapter 4.  Cain killed Abel, but why?  The commentary in I John 3:11-13 tells us— “This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another.  Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he slay him? Because his own deeds were evil, while those of his brother were righteous.  So do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you.”

            Now there are some interesting truths that come out of this passage about the “why” Cain killed Abel.  First, we are to love one another (I John 4:7-11).  Cain did not love his brother and that is one reason he killed his brother.  Second, Cain belonged to the evil one.  Wow, Cain made the choice not to follow God, not to be in the Kingdom of Light.  Instead he chose to follow Satan and be in the kingdom of darkness (Colossians 1:13; II Timothy 2:26).  That is why Cain killed Abel.  Third, Cain’s works were evil and Abel’s righteous (Matthew 25:31-46).  That is why Cain killed Abel.  Again, Cain was of the world’s system headed up by Satan (II Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 6:12).  That is why Cain killed Abel.

            The Apostle Paul said in his testimony about himself before King Agrippa, Governor Festus and those seated with them— “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied.  ‘But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen from Me and what I will show you.  I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified by faith in Me.  So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.  First to those in Damascus and Jerusalem, then to everyone in the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I declared that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds worthy of their repentance.  For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me” (Acts 26:15-21).

            When a person truly repents and turns to God then there will be service to God as proof of their faith in Him.  That is the truth that pours forth from what God’s Word to us says.

And so, dear Father, may I serve You because I love You.  May this be so in the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Jesus.  So be it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLX83HbefrI