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