No, we aren't merely pawns in a game, but Scripture does indeed say, "Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness." (Romans 6:13), and to regard ourselves as slaves of Christ (Ephesians 6:6, 1 Peter 2:16).
We are to be servant-hearted. But we are not slaves. That's what religion says. God says we're children. We weren't solely made to be served. We were made to love and be loved.
Our duty to Christ supersedes our duties to other people (Luke 14:26), but it is indeed by our love of others that we show our love toward God, for no one can say they love God and hate their brother (1 John 4:20) and it is a deep wrong that from the same mouth comes blessing and cursing (James 3:9-10) for Christ's Commandment to love God and love our neighbor are indeed truly one great commandment, for by loving others we love God and it is with the love of God that we come before our neighbor--even our own enemies--in loving sacrifice and surrender.
Love for people and love for God should not be competition, nor does he ask it to be. Otherwise, it sounds like a child saying, "Who do you love more? My sister or me?"
This one is true, as we have received already the riches and blessings of God in Christ by His grace. There is no greater blessing than what we have already received in Jesus, which is nothing short of forgiveness of sins, communion with God as beloved children, and the hope of the resurrection and everlasting life in the world to come.
That's not what commitment means. Commitment means devoting oneself to a person, thing, or obligation. When a person pledges themselves to their spouse they are indeed making a commitment to them--it does not mean that they want to cheat or be with another; it means they don't want to cheat or be with another, but rather devote themselves to the one they have pledged themselves to. To commit ourselves to Christ is to make the resolve to pledge ourselves to Him and to His way.
Like I said, anyone can say some marriage vows. But vows alone are not an indication of love, otherwise there wouldn't be so much divorce.
Our devotion to the Lord is not some perfect analogy to marriage or any other human relationship. Christ is our Lord, our Master, and we are His bondservants. Our lives are to be lived conformed to Him and His way and to abide ourselves in His will. That's not how marriages work because a marriage isn't about having one person on top and another on the bottom, it's about a partnership with mutual sacrifice and submission to one another in love (Ephesians 5:21-33). But Christ is not our husband or our wife, He is our Lord.
He is our Lord, but he condescended to leave his throne and crown to be crucified and identify with our pain.
The finished work of Christ in the Atonement by which we are reconciled to and justified before God which comes to us as grace isn't the same thing as the reality that as the people of God we are to live our lives in faith through our vocations. God may very well have things He wants to work through us or to use us for, whether that's true or not of any of us individually we may not know--but it has nothing to do with what we have received as the once and done pure gift of God.
Yes, but while this life is spent taking out the rough edges, God also knows the future, and he's beyond time. He called Abraham "Father of many Nations" before Isaac was born. He called Gideon a mighty warrior when he was still a coward and a wimp.
The Apostle is explicit that we are to boast in nothing except for the cross of Jesus Christ (Galatians 6:14) and that there is nothing of ourselves of which to boast (Ephesians 2:9). Therefore to God alone be the glory--that He will share His glory with us in Christ by His grace, both now in part and in full in the resurrection doesn't change that.
Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. - Romans 8:17
Frankly most of these platitudes I have not actually heard, some I have. But some of these don't come nearly close to saying what I think you think they do. This isn't about god being envious, distrustful, angry, distant, etc; it's often simply about the fact that we are sinners reconciled to God and called to a life of faith and good works in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.
-CryptoLutheran