Watch the vid below by Steve McVey, Christian Religion Lie #67 “We Are Saved To Serve” and my comments follow…
There’s a lot of focus on “serving” in the modern state of Christendom.
So a lot of lies you’ll hear start with “God did this for you… now you should do this for Him” etc, and “God wants you to serve him”…
And the all time, most self-absorbed, narcissistic one of all “God NEEDS you to serve Him”.
Making you think that God NEEDS you to do stuff for Him because He isn’t powerful or capable enough to do anything on His own.
These types of lies…
Reduce God down to A Toddler who can’t fend for Himself!
But it’s NOT why we were saved.
We weren’t saved so that we could simply “do stuff” for God. No sir!
We were saved so that we can know God and Christ… and enjoy a relationship of love and intimacy with them both.
Christ Himself said in John 17:3:
“Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”
Christ Himself said the purpose of our salvation was to know Him and to know the Father (God).
Paul says God is not served by human hands!
Paul writes this in Acts 17:25:
“And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.”
So the TRUTH is…
God doesn’t NEED us to serve Him
God is MORE than a big boy… more than capable… He is all powerful, the creator of all, the initiator of all, and He created ALL THINGS to enjoy them in love.
So then…
“How should you approach the idea of “serving God” as a Christian?”
Let’s look to Ephesians 2:7-10 (The Message) for the answer:
“Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.”
The truth is…
God allows us to serve Him — it’s His gift to us.
Your service to God should be an overflowing of the knowledge you have in Jesus. The knowledge you have of God’s overly abundant Love, Mercy, Grace, and Goodness in your life. All GIFTS given to you by your heavenly Father.
And He also gives you the gift of service — you don’t “have to” serve God — you “Get to” serve God and enjoy an intimate, loving, and awesome relationship with Him.
This lie that you were “saved for service” will keep you on the religious treadmill of activity. You weren’t saved to serve… you were saved to enjoy and intimate relationship with your father and Jesus.
With Love 
Caleb
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Martin 06.15.09 at 12:58 pm
Did you read I Peter 4:10 when you were writing this? “Saved to serve” in that reference is to serve others because you have been gifted by God.
John 12:26 tells us God will honor those who serve Christ.
Tell me again that we are not saved to serve? We are to serve Christ and use our talents and gifts to serve others.
calebo 09.08.09 at 3:26 pm
@ Martin: From the post above …
“It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.””
Love,
Caleb