Holiness, Godliness, Usefulness
11/11/2014, by John Kincaid
Lesson 417: The Joy of Mercy, Pt.3
How can we do all this without losing heart? Paul urges us to serve in view of God’s mercy.
This is the starting point in Rom.12:1, the foundation for everything we do in serving God.
Our heart needs to be in our work; above all other motivation should be God’s mercy.
If our work lacks joy, we won’t do it well. Obedience without delight actually eats away holiness.
Paul doesn't motivate us to serve out of guilt, or fear of loss or rejection. Have you ever had a boss who was never satisfied? Nothing you do is ever good enough.
The workers dread every task, and eventually burn out or harden themselves against the boss. The work suffers because the heart is not in it; there is no love or joy for that sort of boss.
God is different. God says to serve Him, not because of His anger or our guilt, but because of His mercy.
Luke 6:35 you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.
About This Series
The goal of this series is to become more useful in serving the Lord Jesus Christ, as an instrument in the Redeemer's hand. The theme verses for the series are Ephesians 4:22-24, Philemon 11, 2 Timothy 2:21
- to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,
- and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
- Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.
- Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.
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