Promise Of Delivery Through Service

Comments to Sabbath School Quarterly #8, 2nd Qtr.

Ever since the fall there has been war on our planet almost every day. Someone calculated that there had been only a few hundred days of peace in our six thousand year history. With war comes the conquering of people. Those who are conquered are forced to serve their new masters. Some are forced to serve where they live and others are captured and taken to the land of their new masters to serve as slaves there.

As a slave or servant, you are to do what your master wants. You are to do it when, how and where your master wants it done. More often than not there will be no rewards for faithful service. On the contrary, whether you serve well or not, there will be punishment, mistreatment, abuse, and even torture. Nothing you do will be good enough, and when it is others will take the credit. You will be demeaned and humiliated in all possible ways.

Occasionally, some slaves find freedom. Many escape hoping to find a place of refuge where they are no longer enslaved. There are many slaves who have used force by revolting against their masters. Others, in the case of Nations, formed a revolution against their masters. In the minds of the slaves, they would rather die fighting for freedom, than to live enslaved. Some use political movements to achieve their freedom. Such was the case of Gandhi in India. Some masters feeling pity for their slaves and guilty for their treatment freed them.

When Adam and Eve fell all mankind became servants or slaves to Sin. In order to be freed or saved we needed a Deliverer or Savior. God anointed His own Son for this. It says in Isaiah 42 about Jesus:

Isa 42:6 I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;
Isa 42:7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

The word for anointed in the Hebrew language is “Mashiah,” which includes a connotation of being set apart. It is from this word that we get our word “Messiah.” In the Greek it was translated to “Christos.” But, Christ did not stage a revolution or uprising. On the contrary, to free us, He became one of us. Paul says regarding Christ in Philippians:

Phi 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Phi 2:7 But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Phi 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Christ, because He loved us, became a slave to the Law of Sin and yet He never obeyed the Sin Master. Paul confirms this in 2 Corinthians:

2Cor 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Christ defied all logic and worldly sense. While sinful humanity fought for Freedom, Christ served to be free. Godly love is servant-love. It is Love for God and others. This is where we find freedom from what enslaves us to this world. For this reason Christ was rejected. It says in Isaiah:

Isa 49:4 Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God.
Isa 49:7 Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and His Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and He shall choose thee.

If you ask anyone if they want freedom, the answer will be yes. Will they pick up their cross and follow Jesus? Many are called, but few choose to follow Christ. Christ’s death on the cross, gives us all freedom and delivery from Sin. However, few actually enjoy it. Christ wants to free us all from the Law of Sin and its power. And He has. But, only those who become slaves to righteousness will enjoy that freedom.

This means that we are to allow His Spirit to develop Christ character in us. What character you ask? Read 1 Corinthians 13 and Galatians 5:22,23. We are to develop every talent, ability and gift the Spirit gives us to serve God and others. Matthew 25 says:

Mat 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

When we serve God we serve others. When we love God supremely, He enables us to love others as He loves us. Love is the fulfillment of the Law (Roman 13:8.) This is what it means to keep the Law by Faith. This is the way to rebel against Satan and Sin: by serving and loving God and others. Will you respond to Christ’s love for you today? Or will you despise and abhor Jesus Christ?

The Special Insights web page resides at:
http://www.1888message.org/sabbathschool/