(Introduction)
What does it mean to be called “An Approved Servant of the Lord?” Christians are called “bond-servants” in the New Testament. A bond servant is one who belongs to another; a bond-slave, without any ownership rights of their own. The Greek word “Doulos” is used with the highest dignity in the New Testament – namely, of believers who willingly live under Christ’s authority as His devoted followers. Does this describe you? Some examples are found in Titus 1:1, 2 Peter 1:1, and in Jude 1:1. (NKJV)
The Christian who desires to be an “approved servant” of his Master, the Lord Jesus Christ, will be one who puts the Master’s will and teachings into practice in his own life. He or she will want to be as close to Jesus as they can, ever learning more about Him. There are many ways we learn about God. We have the Word of God to tell us who God is and what His will and plan for mankind is. We find in the Word of God how to become a Christian and serve the Lord Jesus. We find out what we must do to become “An Approved Servant of the Lord Jesus.” One hymn writer wrote, “More About Jesus Would I Know…”
There are many things and ways an “approved servant” of the Lord can be involved in. These will always be done with the view of maturing in the Lord himself and helping others mature also. We have been called out of the “domain of darkness” (Col. 1:12-14) into the “marvelous light of the Gospel.” Since that is true, we are to live lives of faith and obedience and strive to encourage others in their Christian walk. Christianity is an active and on-going religion. What I mean by that is that we are constantly encouraged to build upon our faith and put it into practice in our daily walk with the Lord Jesus.
Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:17 that the Scriptures were given “that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Christians must have a “high” view of God’s Word. We must not only accept the fact that the Word is true, but we must be willing to read it, study it, meditate upon it, and tell others about it.
There is room in the Church of the Lord for all of us to use the talents the Lord has so abundantly bestowed upon us. One version uses the word “lavished.” God is not stingy, rather, He loves us so much that He wants us to have the best He has to offer. Jesus In Ephesians 1:3 Paul tells us our Heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus have “blessed us with EVERY spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.”
So, let’s strive to use our talents to the glory of God. We need to have the right motives in our service. We realize that one can “never work their way into Heaven,” but once we are in Christ, we must be the best workers He has. Let your light shine so that your heavenly Father may be glorified (Matthew 5:14-16).
