Month: June 2015

Love and Serve

serving

In my quiet time the other day, I was reading Our Daily Bread, and read an interesting observation on John 21:15-22. In that passage, Jesus forgives and restores Peter.  Peter had denied Jesus three times on the night of His arrest. Here, Jesus asked Peter three times to declare his love for Jesus.  The point often missed in this text is that with each profession of love came a command to serve.   Every time Peter says that he loves Jesus, and Jesus asks Peter to feed His sheep. With love came service.

Jesus wants us to both love and serve Him. Perhaps that is why He said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15 It is easy to gather every week and sing, “I love You Lord” and “My Jesus I love Thee”.  It is another thing to serve Him in our daily lives.  The Holy Spirit has given each of us gifts designed to be put to use in serving Him, His people, and His world.  When we serve motivated by love it takes our discipleship to a whole new level.  We start putting the needs of others ahead of our own needs.  We see opportunities around us every day to express our love for God and for people by serving them.

The Mediator

  

In an effort to reduce the number of cases going to trial, mediation has gained popularity. In mediation, a third party enters in and attempts to negotiate a settlement between the parties who are involved in a dispute. They seek to find a mutually agreed upon compromise and prevent the need for a full trial.   Usually, there is a give and take to mediation where neither side gets exactly what they wanted. However, in 1 Timothy, Paul writes about a mediation in which one side gave all. “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 2:5. The dispute was between God and humanity. God’s justice demands that all who sin receive the wages of sin, death. Jesus mediated between God and us by paying the price for our sins on the cross. Since He had no sin of His own, His death could pay our penalty. God the Son paid for all of our sins, As Mediator, He says that all who trust Him will have eternal life.    
That is gospel message we are to share with the world. What great news! Don’t allow social or ethnic differences be a barrier. Take the good news of Christ’s atonement to everyone.

“The saved are singled out not by their own merits, but by the grace of the Mediator.” 

Martin Luther

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