28 May, 2023

FEARING, LOVING AND SERVING GOD

(Christian Living 26)

The Lord commanded Moses to instruct His people: “And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deut.10:12). This is the most important command for us today as God’s people.

Firstly, we are “to fear the Lord”.
This is reverential fear – honouring God and respecting Him for Who He is. God is the Great and Mighty God – “the God above all gods” and He is Holy. That is why we are commanded not to take the Name of the Lord our God in vain. We need to fear God also because He is the Supreme Judge of all. One day we must all stand before Him and give an account of our lives – for the things done in the body.

Secondly, we are “to walk in His ways”.
These are the ways of His commandments, which will result in holy living. Obeying His commandments are necessary to keep us in right relationship with God all the time. The Apostle Peter has this to say to the Church: “Be holy in all you do, for it is written, “Be holy for I Am Holy” (1 Pet.1:15-16).

Thirdly, we are “to love Him”.
Christ tells us that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God. The Apostle John says, “We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). He showed that by giving us His Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins to save us and to make us His children. May we always be grateful for His love and love Him in return.

Fourthly, we are “to serve the Lord your God”.
Serving God is in response to His great love for us. We cannot say we love God and not serve Him fervently. The Apostle Paul, in gratefulness, said that he had become “a slave of Christ Jesus”. One becomes a slave for life, unlike a servant who is employed. What great love Paul had for His Lord! The word “serve” in both OT and NT also mean “worship”. The Psalmist exhorts us “to worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness” (Psa.96:9). That is because God is holy, and all who come before Him must be holy. Our Lord said we are also to “worship God in Spirit and in Truth” because He seeks such to worship Him (John 4:23-24).

Notice that all that we do: “to fear, to walk in His ways, to love Him and to serve Him” must be done “with all your heart and with all your soul”. This is wholehearted worship and commitment to our God. The word “all” is inclusive – not half-heartedly. We need to give all we got – body, heart, soul and spirit – in whatever we do for God to be pleasing to Him. Let us then this day dedicate our whole being to worship and serve God! 

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