Resources/Articles
Five Great Reasons for Serving God in 2016
2 Corinthians 5:10-20 is a wonderful lesson for those who might ponder over why they should serve God. Some “serve God” (appear religious) because they feel they have to. Others will serve because they want to or out of love for God. Discover in the verses above what motivation there is to being a servant of God.
Our appearance at the judgment of Christ is a good reason for serving God (v.10). We will all be there someday. “As I live, saith the Lord, to me every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess to God so then each one of us shall give account of himself to God” (Romans 14:11-12). There will be several judges who sit in courts today you may never meet, but this Judge is one all will meet, whether we have done good or bad. It is a day to prepare for and wait for in service to God. Review your life. Are you serving? Is your service steady? Are you ready to see the Judge?
The terror of the Lord is a motivation for serving God (v. 11). God does not terrify some people. There is no “fear factor” in the way some people live their lives. You hear people say, “I will someday,” “Later,” “Tomorrow,” “I’m not worried,” etc. Such attitudes are similar to us hearing about a catastrophe in a foreign land and the hundreds of people whose lives will never be the same. We never think such could happen in this country, but it did over 10 years ago (September 11, 2001). Several, who never lived in fear before, fear for their safety today. The same is true with God’s handling of unrighteousness in the Bible. Since God is an unchanging God, he will execute wrath against all ungodliness (Romans 2:4-9). Some have lost a sense of fear and urgency. Do not be one of them.
The love of Christ for us is a supreme reason for serving God (v. 14). What Jesus did in dying for us is probably reason enough to be a Christian and live faithfully. Romans 5:6-8 says it would be hard to find someone to die for a righteous person, but Christ died for sinners. Jesus died for people who despise and reject him. We ought to serve God for the gift he gave which brought us hope, peace, joy, and life that we could not find in ourselves or the things of the world (Jeremiah 10:23; 1 Timothy 6:6-7).
A new life should bring us to serve God (v. 17). Many people must deal with their past when they wake up every morning. They do not want to talk about it to others. If they do, there is nothing positive about they way they feel. God wants to give us a new life - a life “renewed in the spirit of your mind...that after God hath been created in righteousness and holiness of truth” (Ephesians 4:23-24). That is a life anyone should want to live.
Being an ambassador for Christ is a wonderful motive for serving God (v. 20). Not many people will represent Nike, Wheaties, Apple, or Microsoft, but we can represent Christ before the world. Whether it is our family, neighbor, co-worker, teammate, or friend, we can “show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). Christ has no one else to do this for him. Will you not be a member of his kingdom and represent his name before others who also need to give their lives to him and serve him?
