Acceptable Service
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire.”
Hebrews 12:27–29
One of the most popular books of the 1800s was Jules Verne’s adventure story Around the World in Eighty Days, which highlighted the way travel and technology improvements of the 1860s had brought the world closer together. At the beginning of the book, the eccentric Englishman Phileas Fogg, who would soon set out on the great trip around the globe, fires his valet, James Forster. The offense that led to his dismissal? “Forster had brought him shaving water that was 84 degrees instead of 86!”
God is not an unreasonable or capricious master, but He is sovereign and Lord, and He has every right to demand our full obedience. When we do as we choose rather than as He commands, we should not expect our service to receive His approval. The Bible is filled with examples of people doing things their own way and finding God’s disfavor—Cain offering produce instead of a blood sacrifice, Nadab and Abihu bringing strange fire to the altar, Uzzah touching the Ark of the Covenant, Saul saving animals for a sacrifice when God had commanded him to destroy them, and Ananias and Sapphira lying about their partial offering.
God is not a negotiator. He doesn’t settle for less than He demands and decide it is close enough. In fact, Jesus expressed God’s standard in very stark terms: “So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do” (Luke 17:10). The way we view God determines how we serve Him.
Hebrews 12:27–29
One of the most popular books of the 1800s was Jules Verne’s adventure story Around the World in Eighty Days, which highlighted the way travel and technology improvements of the 1860s had brought the world closer together. At the beginning of the book, the eccentric Englishman Phileas Fogg, who would soon set out on the great trip around the globe, fires his valet, James Forster. The offense that led to his dismissal? “Forster had brought him shaving water that was 84 degrees instead of 86!”
God is not an unreasonable or capricious master, but He is sovereign and Lord, and He has every right to demand our full obedience. When we do as we choose rather than as He commands, we should not expect our service to receive His approval. The Bible is filled with examples of people doing things their own way and finding God’s disfavor—Cain offering produce instead of a blood sacrifice, Nadab and Abihu bringing strange fire to the altar, Uzzah touching the Ark of the Covenant, Saul saving animals for a sacrifice when God had commanded him to destroy them, and Ananias and Sapphira lying about their partial offering.
God is not a negotiator. He doesn’t settle for less than He demands and decide it is close enough. In fact, Jesus expressed God’s standard in very stark terms: “So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do” (Luke 17:10). The way we view God determines how we serve Him.
Today’s Growth Principle:
If we want to hear God’s “Well done” for our service, we must fear and obey Him all our days.
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