Believing Men And
Women Worship And Serve The Lord God Freely
Ezra 2:68-69
As the grace of God operating towards his
people is free, so the grace of God operating in his people is free. We know
and rejoice in the fact that every blessing of grace and providence, as well as
every blessing of heavenly glory is free(I Cor.2:12;3:21;Rom.8:32;Eph. 1:3). What God does for us
he does simply because it is his will to do so.He gains nothing by it and would
lose nothing if he did not do it. Grace is God's good
pleasure, the good pleasure of his will toward us. Even so, whatever the
believer does for his God he does simply because it is his good pleasure to do
so. He is not motivated by either the fear of punishment or the hope of reward.
All that he offers to God is offered freely.
AS WE HAVE FREELY RECEIVED THE GRACE OF
GOD, SO WE MUST FREELY PROCLAIM THE GRACE OF GOD TO ALL MEN (Matt. 10:7-8).
Paul said, "I have preached unto you the gospel of God freely" (II
Cor. 11:7). God's servants are worthy of their hire (Lk. 10:7; I Cor. 9:7-14);
I Tim. 5:18).
But God's servants are not hirelings! I cannot imagine anything more offensive
to a gospel preacher than to have someone ask him, how many people, or how much
money he would have to have to go anywhere to preach the gospel! Neither can I
imagine a gospel preacher asking for anything as a condition for his services
as a preacher! We preach the gospel freely, trusting God to supply our needs as
he sees fit.
GOD'S SAINTS WORSHIP HIM FREELY (Psa.
54:6-7). Both private worship and public worship are to God's people free,
uncoerced acts. Worship that is forced, or performed
out of the dread of punishment or the desire of gain is not worship at all, but
only the pretencious act of a mercenary servant.
SINNERS WHO HAVE BEEN SAVED BY THE GRACE
OF GOD GIVE FREELY OF THEIR MEANS TO MAINTAIN AND PROMOTE THE WORSHIP OF GOD
(Ezra 2:68-69; 7:13-15;
II Cor. ;9:7). Those to whom much is forgiven love
much; and love is manifest in two ways: doing and giving! God does not need any
of us. What can a man do for, or give to God? Nothing! But the Lord allows us
the privilege of giving to the cause of Christ, ministering to his people,
maintaining the repair of his house, and caring for his servants. These things
God receives as done unto himself and his people do freely, as unto the Lord.
Don Fortner