THE BASIS FOR SERVICE

THE BASIS FOR SERVICE

Willingness to serve flows from a settled interest in Him whose service I undertake. I need to know Christ as the Amen, the One whose “Word endureth for ever”. It declares fixity and endurance; a silent, positive, unalterable purpose — the One who says, and it is done. Hence, if I know Christ to be the Amen, I know that whatever I do in His name and for Him, He is able to ratify and will ratify; my labour will not be in vain; and the consciousness of this does induce one to be “stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15: 58). In fact, if I know not Christ to be the Amen, I have no sure foundation to rest on in my labours.

Following Jesus is always service. His sheep, the weakest, hear His voice and follow Him. The Lord says (John 12: 26), “If any man serve me, let him follow me”. But this is impossible while you regard your existence here. So He says first, “He that loveth his life shall lose it” (verse 25).

Isaiah was ready to serve as soon as the live coal had touched his lips; then it was that the people of God, the honour of God’s house, was deeply interesting to him, and when God says, “Whom shall I send?” (to His people) Isaiah replies, “Here am I; send me” (Isaiah 6: 8). So was ^[p. 263] it with Paul. The highest point that the servant can come to is to consider entirely for God and not for himself — really not caring for anything but for God and His glory. For the work of Christ Epaphras was nigh unto death, not regarding his life that he might repair the failures of others — himself and his comforts were forgotten for service sake. This is the spirit of consecration — the hands filled with consecration. See Exodus 29: 22 - 26.