Freed to Serve

Freed to Serve

“But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to sanctification, and the end, everlasting life.” Rom. 6:22.

This is possibly one of the most condensed and glorious words we have in the Scriptures. Freed from sin—become slaves of God—our fruit to sanctification—the end, everlasting life! Here we have the gospel with its liberating power—an open door that leads to eternal life and glory.

Being set free from sin is the good news in the new covenant, which was unattainable in the old covenant. Each sin becomes an increasingly heavy burden and weight as one satisfies its demands. Sin, darkness, and doubt belong together, and they lead to death—eternal separation from the glory of heaven. Jesus came to set us free from the power of sin and the devil. He came to liberate the captives and the oppressed. Luke 4:18. “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” John 8:36. Only those who are willing to be set free, and saved, are added to the church, and they can be used for ministry that is acceptable to God. We cannot unite manifest sins in our conscience with our service for God. “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” Jas. 1:21.

If we are faithful to the Word that has been planted in us we can serve God according to His pleasure. Jesus is our great example in serving everyone in humility and meekness. All selfishness, wanting to be something great as a result of one’s human abilities, and ruling over others in one way or another goes right against the servant’s mind that Jesus had. “Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Matt. 20:28.

“Serve the Lord with gladness . . . .” Ps. 100:2. It is only proper to serve the living God in the sacrificial spirit of gladness, thankfulness, and love. Because Israel did not serve the Lord their God with joy and a glad heart, they were deeply humbled and had to serve their enemies. Deut. 28:47, flg.

The fruit of our service is to be to sanctification; otherwise it is of no profit. The result will only be dead works. A person can work for God, as the saying goes, and do many good works, but in the midst of all that he can be proud and vain, can seek honor and gain, be impatient and bitter, etc. The fruit of his ministry and many works is not to sanctification. In the midst of his ministry he continues to be a natural man without becoming spiritual. He cannot bear to be exhorted or reproved, and so he gets offended. Such a person is not a praise to the glory of Christ. Eph. 1:12. We have been chosen for salvation through sanctification of the Spirit so that we might obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thess. 2:13-14. Jesus does His work of sanctification with the individual in such a way that the works are manifested in unselfishness, thankfulness, and joy. We partake of sanctification by finding our own selfish “I” and bringing it into death so that the life and nature of Christ can be revealed.

The fruit of the Spirit and sanctification belong together. The more we are being sanctified, the more glorious everything will be, both in what we say and in what we do. The fruit itself is what is so precious, and it is to mature in both color and taste. The fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22) is not mentioned as being any kind of special works. It is the very fullness of a sanctified and glorified life that radiates in love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, and temperance. If all our works have their wellspring in these glorious virtues, there will always be growth and development in sanctification to an increasingly deeper and richer life in God. “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” John 15:2.

Christ is working to present a church to Himself without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. Eph. 5:27. When the trumpet sounds, Christ will come to fetch a glorious church, a church that possesses an abundance of good and pleasant fruits that will be eternal riches that follow the individual members of the body of Christ into their heavenly mansions. Jesus says that we are to lay up treasures there and not here on earth. “I . . . appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain . . . .” John 15:16. “For so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Pet. 1:11.

May we have our end—everlasting life—always before our eyes in our ministry. May our body, together with our abilities, our strength, and our money, be set free to serve the Lord.

“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.” Rev. 22:12.