Serving two Masters?

[TrustAndObey]

Hi all, I'm still alive.

I was watching a Doug Batchelor video this weekend and he quoted the two verses about serving two Masters:

Matthew 6:24-No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Luke 16:13-No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

I've read those verses plenty of times before but for some reason they have really stuck in my head this time, for a lot of reasons.

I think about them every time I start to do ANYTHING and I ask myself "is what I'm about to do serving God?" If it's not, it's obviously serving satan, right?

It's been a nice little reminder that my life isn't about me and I thought maybe you guys would receive a blessing from it too.

Also, if you get the chance, look up what it means to "serve".

Human effort + Divine intervention = _________ (fill in the blank).

Miss you guys!!!

 

[honorthesabbath]

Human effort + Divine intervention = __victory?_______

Welcome back stranger!

 

[TrustAndObey]

Victory is a definitely an awesome answer!!! There are several answers that will fit.

Here's another blessing:

http://gospelman.info/christian/HelloGOD.html

It's a great song.

 

[TrustAndObey]

I have a quick question:

What does it mean to "serve" as defined in the bible?

Does it take any effort on OUR parts to "serve"?

 

[honorthesabbath]

Absolutely it takes effort to serve. This is why we are cautioned by this texts...

Ga 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
2Th 3:13 But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.

It does take effort to serve the Lord. For one, most of the time He calls us out of our comfort zones and places us in area's that would be the LAST place we want to be. (Can you say JONAH?)

Sometimes there's danger and if we had 'our' way, we would do that or be there. I think it took real effort for the Lord Jesus to say and DO, "Thy WILL be done". After all, He prayed 3 times for a change of plans.

And then there is the every day private service we offer to God that no one sees or knows about. Those private wrestlings over habits and lusts and WILL. Paul says that presenting our bodies living sacrifices is actually an act worship (service).

I think once we accept Jesus as our Saviour, we get enlisted into His army. As a salvation soldier, we are called upon to fight the good fight and run the good race. All this indicates EFFORT!

 

[TrustAndObey]

So you have to wonder why so many people think that our relationships with Christ have nothing to do with what WE do.

 

[AndrewK788]

So you have to wonder why so many people think that our relationships with Christ have nothing to do with what WE do.

I know what you mean. Being saved by grace obviously has nothing to do with our own efforts, because we would always fall short, but some people stop there and don't continue. They say "I'm saved, praise God!" and sit around their whole life doing nothing in return.