Servant of The LORD
Phoebe in Romans 16:1-2 was identified by Paul as being a servant of the church at Cenchrea, a town near Corinth. What does it mean to be a servant of the Lord? Let’s look at what the Bible tells us about being a servant.
The word “Servant” means 1) one who executes the commands of another, esp. of a master, a servant, attendant, minister, to be a slave and 2) a deacon, one who, by virtue of the office assigned to him by the church, cares for the poor and has charge of and distributes the money collected for their use.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS:
There are requirements to serve the LORD God: the Bible tells us that Fear is the beginning point.
Fear: The LORD God sent Jesus (as an angel) to His chosen children (including the adopted children) to keep them in the way and to bring them into the place the LORD God had prepared for them. We are to watch for, wait for Him, obey His voice, do not provoke Him for He will not pardon transgressions. The name of the LORD God is in Him. If we obey His voice, and do all that the LORD God commands, the LORD God will be an enemy to your enemies.
You are to not bow down to other gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works, but utterly overthrow them, and break down their images. You shall serve the LORD your God, and He bless your bread (this means: teachings, instruction, learning to gain wisdom, understanding, discernment, enlightenment for nourishment and comfort of the heart (feelings, will and intellect), the Flesh of Jesus), and your water (which means: the will of the LORD God given freely to (thirsty) men. The influence and Spirit of God operating in man through grace, to regenerate, strengthen and refresh man’s spiritual and natural life experience); and He will take sickness away from the midst of you. (Exodus 23:20-25).
The LORD God is a jealous God, and will visit the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate the LORD God. He shows mercy unto thousands of those that love the LORD GOD and keep His commandments. You shall not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that takes His name in vain. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shall you labor, and do all your work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD thy GOD: Honor your father and your mother: that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy GOD gives you. You shall not kill. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor. You shall not covet thy neighbor’s house, you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is your neighbor’s. (Exodus 20:5-17; Deuteronomy 5:9).
Be intelligent now therefore, O you kings: be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the LORD God with fear, and rejoice with trembling (fear). (Psalm 2:10-11). You shall not sin against the LORD God. If you serve other gods, it will be a snare unto you. (Exodus 23:33). You shall fear the LORD God, and serve Him and swear by His name, you shall love Him, cleave to Him (Deuteronomy 6:13; 10:12, 20:13:4).
You will corrupt yourselves if you make a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female, any beast that is on the earth, any winged fowl that flies in the air, anything that creeps on the ground, or any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth. You shall not lift up your eyes unto heaven, and see the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, and be driven to worship them and serve them which the LORD God has divided unto all nations under the whole heaven. You shall not serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat, nor smell. If you shall seek the LORD God you shall find Him, if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in tribulation, even in the latter days, and turn to the LORD God, and shall be obedient unto His voice He will not forsake you, neither will He destroy you, nor forget the covenant He swore. For the LORD God is a merciful God. (Deuteronomy 4:16-19, 28-31).
You shall therefore fear the LORD, and serve Him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve you the LORD. (Joshua 24:14).
We must do Upright walking to serve the LORD: The LORD God’s eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with Him. Those that walk in a perfect way shall serve the LORD God. (Psalm 101:6). The LORD God is God, the faithful God, which keeps covenant and has mercy with those that love Him and keep His commandments. (Deuteronomy 7:9). Love the LORD God, all you His saints, for the LORD preserves the faithful and plentifully rewards the proud doer. (Psalms 31:23).
Absolute loyalty is required to serve the LORD: No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold (be loyal) to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (treasure, riches (where it is personified and opposed to God). (Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13).Let every soul be subject (be under obedience) unto the higher powers. For there is no power (privilege) but of the LORD God. the powers (privilege) that be are ordained of the LORD God. (Romans 13:1).
Submit (be under obedience) yourselves to every ordinance (authoritative, rule or law) of man for the Lord’s sake; whether it be to the king, as supreme , or unto those that are sent by Him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of those that do well . It is the will of the LORD God with well doing you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. Honor all men, Love the brotherhood. Fear the LORD GOD and honor the king. (1 Peter 2:13-17). In the words of Jesus: render (to give away, deliver) unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto GOD the things that are God’s. (Matthew 22:21).
Those that have and keep the Commandments, those are the ones that love Jesus. Those that love Jesus love the LORD God, and Jesus loves them, and will manifest Himself to them. (John 14:19-24). A man’s foes are in their own household. Those that love father or mother, daughter, son, those that will not take up his cross and follow Jesus more than Jesus is not worthy of Jesus. (Matthew 10:36-40).
Regeneration (spiritual) rebirth (the state or the act) for the servants of the LORD God: When we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, works in our members were to bring forth fruit unto death. We are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. (Romans 7:6). Those that follow Jesus, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of His glory, shall also sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:28-29).
The kindness and love of the LORD God toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Spirit. The LORD God sent Jesus Christ our Savior and being justified by His grace, we are made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:4-7). We are not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of your mind. We must prove that is to recognize, approve, even deem worthy that which is the good, and acceptable and perfect will of the LORD God. (Romans 12:2).
Serve you the LORD: The LORD God took the Levites as a gift, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation. They shall keep the priest’s office for everything of the altar, and serve within the Vail. The LORD God has given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve of the tabernacle of the congregation. (Numbers 18:6-7,21).
We are to give service of love. Love should be without dissimulation (hypocrisy). Abhor that which is evil, and cling to that which is good. Be kindly affectionate one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord. Not slothful (lacking in diligence) in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer, distributing to the necessity (needs) of saints, given to hospitality, bless those which persecute you (not curse them), rejoice with those that rejoice, and weep with those that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble men of low estate. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Repay to no man evil for evil. Have regard for good things, live peaceably with men. Do not avenge yourselves, but rather allow the LORD God to repay for you. If your enemy hunger feed him, it he thirst give him drink, for in doing so you shall heap coals of fire on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:9-21).
It is important to serve with Humility: Walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called, with all lowliness (humility) and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Ephesians 4:2-6).
Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory (empty glorying, self-conceit); but in lowliness of mind (humility) let each esteem (to consider, deem, account, think) other better than themselves. Direct your attention to the things of others, not on one’s self. Have the same mind set as Jesus Christ, who is in the form of the LORD God. Jesus thought it not robbery to be equal with God. Jesus took the form of a servant, made in the likeness and fashion of men; He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:3-8).
The elect of God should put on holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, and humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man has a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also you should do. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfect ness. Let the peace of the LORD God rule in your hearts, and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (Colossians 3:12-16). The younger should submit to the elder. Everyone should subject one to another, and be clothed with humility, for God resists the proud, and gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of the LORD God, that he may exalt you in due time. (1 Peter 5:5-6).
Serve always with Love: You shall love the LORD thy God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words, which I command you this day, shall be in your heart. And you shall teach them diligently unto your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up. And you shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. And you shall write them upon the posts of your house, and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:5-9). Know therefore that the LORD GOD, He is God, the faithful God, which keeps covenant and mercy with those that love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations. (Deuteronomy 7:9). Love the LORD God with all their hearts, and with all their soul that you might live. To those who love the LORD God He will curse your enemies, and those that hate you and persecute you. (Deuteronomy 30:6-8).
The Lord Jesus Christ said we should love the LORD God with all our hearts, and with all our soul and with all our mind, and your neighbor as yourself this is the first commandment. (Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27). Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of the LORD God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39).
Cite Article Source
MLA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne “Servant of The LORD:.” Becker Bible Studies Library Jan 2015.< https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2135,>.
APA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015, January) “Servant of The LORD:.” Becker Bible Studies Library. Retrieved from https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2135,.
Chicago Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015) “Servant of The LORD:.” Becker Bible Studies Library (January), https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2135, (accessed).
