Love, The Motive To Christian Service CHRISTIAN FUNDAMENTALS.

Love, The Motive To Christian Service

CHRISTIAN FUNDAMENTALS

LOVE – THE MOTIVE TO CHRISTIAN SERVICE

Christ’s love provides the only and all sufficient motive for Christian service.

Motive is what gives birth to action and it determines the quality of that action.

It is the love of Christ that provides the motive for our Christian service and that love is what makes Christian service of such great quality.

INTRODUCTION


2 Corinthians 5:14–15 (KJV) 14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

OUR LOVE IS FROM CHRIST


Paul is writing to believers, to the Church, so this “us” applies to all born again believers.

The love of Jesus Christ constraineth us.



So what does constraineth mean?

A definition I found from Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary of the English Language that has this verse as an example is:

To compel or force; to urge with irresistible power, or with a power sufficient to produce the effect.

When you consider the “eth” ending, it means a continuous, irresistible power to compel us into service for Jesus Christ.



As we have reminded ourselves and others before, we are to live by the words of Jesus Christ. It is by this that we show our love back for him.

John 14:15 (KJV) 15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

If we love Jesus, we are respond to that continuous, irresistible force to keep his commandments by telling others how that while we were dead in sin, he died for

us providing us with eternal life if we believe on him as our only means of salvation!



We are able to show our love for Jesus because Jesus loved us first.

1 John 4:19 (KJV) 19 We love him, because he first loved us.

It is this love of Christ that he showed us first that constraineth us; that gives us the ability to not consider ourselves, but Jesus and what He did.



Motive is what gives birth to action and it determines the quality of that action.

MOTIVE OF CHRISTIAN SERVICE


If you think about it, there are basically three motives to service.

They are:

1. fear of punishment

2. the hope of reward

3. love

MOTIVE OF CHRISTIAN SERVICE


1 John 4:18 (KJV) 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

The individual who serves out of fear of punishment suffers from much as Scripture points out.

That person is tormented and not made perfect in love.

FEAR OF PUNISHMENT


A person who serves out of fear is nothing more than a slave to their master.

I need to do what I am told, or I will be severely punished.

This is a powerful motive, but a misguided motive if one is truly a Christian.

FEAR OF PUNISHMENT


A Christian who serves out of fear of punishment, does not understand the will of God.

While we know and believe that God is all powerful and perfectly capable of destroying us with no effort whatsoever, we also know that God is a merciful

God.

FEAR OF PUNISHMENT


If we were to serve God out of a fear of punishment, He would never have sent His only begotten Son, Jesus, to die for our sins.

None of us deserve eternal life, but we are given this gift freely because of God’s love for us.

If our fear of punishment were based on reality, then the moment we were born into this world we would have been sent straight to hell for our sin that we carry

in us.

But we were not.

FEAR OF PUNISHMENT


Romans 5:6–8 (KJV) 6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

FEAR OF PUNISHMENT


Fear of punishment can not be the motive for our Christian service.

FEAR OF PUNISHMENT


The second motive of service we identified is

the hope of reward.

This is one we need to be careful of.

THE HOPE OF REWARD


This service motivated by reward is a dangerous motive. Too often it is not based on a desire to selflessly serve, but is based on a desire to serve only if

rewarded for that service.

THE HOPE OF REWARD


We began this study with a reading of 2 Corinthians 5:14 – 15. Let’s look at this again.

2 Corinthians 5:14–15 (KJV) 14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

THE HOPE OF REWARD


Too many self-proclaimed Christians forget about what was said in verse 15!

“… that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves,…”

THE HOPE OF REWARD


Having been involved in the Charismatic movement for a period of time, I remember being taught the mindset that I am a child of the King.

This mindset also taught that I deserve all good things from God because I am His child. Nothing good can be restrained from me. That if I believe, I can have

whatever my greedy little heart can desire.

This is a lie from the father of lies himself, Satan. It is a statement with truth and error mixed together and therefore producing error.

THE HOPE OF REWARD


We have been adopted into the family of God, and we are heirs of all that He has promised. Being His children will lead to living eternally with Him and there

will be a time when we are kings on this earth with Jesus being the King of kings.

If we act contrary to the Word of God, we will be dealt with by God.

That is the truth of the matter.

THE HOPE OF REWARD


Those who teach otherwise are the ones we are instructed to stay away from.

1 Timothy 6:3–5 (KJV) 3 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; 4 He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, 5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.

THE HOPE OF REWARD


We as Christians do not believe that gain is godliness. We do not believe that because you have much in the materialistic sense here on this earth, that it

means you are a godly person.

Otherwise people like the Rockefellers, and the Gates, and all the other mega rich people must be godly, right?

THE HOPE OF REWARD


We as Christians are rich beyond belief, in that we are heirs of God. It is God who created everything that we see and can not even see.

At the same time, we do as instructed in Scripture.

THE HOPE OF REWARD


Matthew 6:19–21 (KJV) 19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Sounds to me like if you believe that gain is godliness, your heart is in the wrong place and your motivation is perverted.

THE HOPE OF REWARD


We also need to remember what the source of our motivation is, if we are believing that gain is godliness.

1 Timothy 6:10 (KJV) 10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Where is the Godly-type of motivation in there?

THE HOPE OF REWARD


Love is the only motivation we as Christians should operate on.

I am not talking about this idea of an unbalanced love that the world believes we should operate in.

If we operate in love, we will not always be perceived as the most positive people.

Love does not mean being politically correct.

Love means telling people the truth.

LOVE


If there is one thing I am proud of, it is that our fellowship is dedicated to speaking the truth openly and we are not afraid of the consequences of this

action.

Our motto, if you will, is from God’s Word!

Galatians 4:16 (KJV) 16 Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?

LOVE


Let all the heretics out there preach a false message of ungodly, unbalanced love.

Those like Joel Osteen, Billy Graham, Benny Hinn, Joyce Meyers, Rod Parsley, and the list just keeps going on and on.

Let them preach a false message of hope and they will pay for their grandiose lifestyle they are enjoying here on this earth.

They do not love you, they love what you have and will give to them.

LOVE


Many times their message does not speak of Jesus as being the only way to the Father. They speak of themselves as being god and that by pleasing them you

prove your salvation.

Do not expect that from myself.

Expect a message of love that is spoken because it is the only way to your salvation.

Do not worry about whether you please man, think about pleasing God.

LOVE


This is what Jesus tells us.

John 14:15 (KJV) 15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

LOVE


If love is our motivation, it is because God loved us first, as we stated before.

The motive of love is a response to that love of God given us first.

If you love God, then keep His commandments.

If you love God, then do not think of yourself, but those who are lost and in need of salvation.

After all, that is what Jesus did!

LOVE


I would like to ask all the so called “Biblical scholars” out there to do just one thing.

SHUT UP, so the real, KJV Bible believing, blood bought, Holy Ghost filled Christians can do their job without having to constantly correct your Alexandrian,

philosophical, anti-christ filled, Satanic teachings.

I say that in love because you are all racing each other to an eternal lake of fire where you will be tormented for all of eternity because of your unbelief and

hardened hearts.

OUR CHRISTIAN SERVICE


Scripture tells us to go out and preach the Gospel to every creature.

Mark 16:14–15 (KJV) 14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. 15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.



1 Corinthians 15:1–4 (KJV) 1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:



This love that Jesus showed us is our motive to Christian service.

Jesus, who was without sin, who is God and humbled himself to be as man, paid the price of our sin.

He took on the wrath of God so that we would not have to suffer that wrath … even though that is what we truly deserve.

He laid down his life so that the enemies of God, (every single person born into this world in the past, the present, and into the future), would be able to be

reconciled back with God.



John 3:16 (KJV) 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

What other motive do you really need?


Love, The Motive To Christian Service CHRISTIAN FUNDAMENTALS.

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