We are called to be servants. “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” (John 15:14) This may be in your future, that is up to He to whom it is to give that honor, but there is no questioning of the truth if you are indeed saved, we are servants. Here then is a question for you, are you indeed a servant, or do you represent Christ?
There is a big difference that perhaps many do not even realize, for are we not to be representatives of Christ, are we not sent out to proclaim His truths (Mark 16:15) to a lost world, to speak with all that will listen, and guide those who are new to the faith that we have been blessed with?
Everyone who is saved does these things, there is not one servant that does not, those who do not, yet profess to know Him are those that only represent Christ, but they do not know Him in their heart. There is no personal relationship with the Lord Jesus, they do not have a burning desire to be in His presence, He is not precious to them. These are they who will not speak of Him in the presence of others, they will use the word blessed, praise and other similar phrases occasionally, perhaps even a Scripture verse in rare moments, but their hearts are far from Him.
To represent Christ to these individuals is to attend church, to sing the songs, to be in the building when the building’s doors are open, no matter the reason or occasion. They are religious. These are they who will follow Christ as long as they are being fed, and Satan is more than happy to accommodate them in this area, for they serve their bellies, (Romans 16:18) they serve self, their desire is happiness, not holiness. They are who they are for pretense, for a show, and emotions can be one of the driving factions, for they “feel” saved only if they are performing what can best be described as the ritual, and for many church, all the functions that go along with it are those rituals, for to them a showing of their supposed faith is more of a sure sign of that faith than the actual action of it.
If you attempt to speak to them of their salvation, at best they will give you a moment in time, an occurrence, and most generally the day they were baptized, along with the certificate that proves that deed. Their Bible is a prized possession, but not the words in it, not the One who wrote it, and while they may have owned it for many years, it still has a shine on the cover. They have, in their minds, the key to the front door of heaven, they expect to be welcomed there with much fanfare, with great applause, and with many congratulatory words, yet they will arrive not where they expected.
They have fallen into the deceit of Satan, into the lies of religion, their works were for themselves, they were no more than a show, they represented only what they wanted others to see, themselves.
The life that is not in service to Christ is one that serves Satan, for it is his desire to see the Lord dishonored above all things, and there are few finer ways to do this than those who say they stand for Christ, yet self is their ruling master. “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” (2 Cor. 13:5)
