Serving God for All The Wrong Reasons
Jun 7, 2021 4874
There is only one reason for serving God that is acceptable to him.
Some people write about the dangers of “religion,” and religious people tend to complain about this, because religion is a good thing. Alternatively, some people talk about true and false religion. What is a proper perspective on religion?
The difference can be a subtle one. If it were simply a matter of doctrinal beliefs, then it would be a simple thing to tell the difference between the right and wrong kind of religion. But it isn’t. You can tick all the right doctrinal boxes and your religion can still be one that leads to death. How can this happen?
It all comes down to your motivation: your reason for wanting to serve God.
In the early days of Christianity there was a sorcerer named Simon whose motivation was to be recognized by the people as a great man. When Simon saw the power of God manifested through the apostles of Jesus, he recognized an authentic power far greater than his own trickery.
What is your motivation for serving God?
So, he offered the apostles Peter and John money so that he might receive the Holy Spirit.
Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!
This simple story illustrates two truths that show us the difference between false and true religion.
False religion serves God to get. True religion serves God out of selfless love.
The blessing that you might want in your life might be financial or healing or other kinds of blessings. There is nothing wrong in wanting to receive God’s blessing. But if you do religion in order to receive a blessing, then you’re serving God for the wrong reason. This is false religion.
True religion simply receives God’s favour through Jesus Christ.
False religion always seeks to buy God’s favour. True religion simply receives God’s favour through Jesus Christ.
There are many ways in which people try to buy God’s favour. Some people try to buy God’s favour by giving money to their church or favourite ministry. Others try to buy God’s favour by making their flesh suffer through fasting and other self-imposed difficulties. Some people try to buy God’s favour even by much prayer and Bible-reading, as much as these are good things in themselves.
It isn’t always what we do that matters so much, but the reason why we do it. That’s why the Bible tells us that God doesn’t look at outward appearances, but instead he looks at our hearts (1 Sam 16:7). The apostle Paul tells us that the law of God is good, but when we use it to try to obtain or remain in God’s favour, it brings about our death (Romans 7:13).
The only reason for serving God that is acceptable to him is a love that is born out of gratitude for what he has done for us. You can’t buy that kind of love. It is freely given by the Father to all of his children, and those who accept it will reflect it back to him, and to all creation.
Pay It Forward - Support Spreading the Good News - FAST!
Do you love this content?
We spread the Gospel every hour and minute of the day through this website. We are humbled to say that hundreds of readers and believers like yourself have decided that our work is important enough for them to support us financially.
We do not charge our visitors to read any of the content on this website, but we ask those of you who have been blessed and can stand with us to Pay It Forward to others.
When you Pay It Forward, you help spread the core message of Jesus to help others understand His essential teachings. You give hope and help them grasp the Gospel of faith, grace and freedom to change any person from the inside out.
Every gift, no matter what size, makes it possible for others to receive GOOD NEWS and experience it just like you have.
Support Good News Unlimited with as little as $1. Thank You!
JASON ANDREW TOPPIN
Jun 13, 2021
SERVING GOD AND SERYING OTHERS WHAT MORE CAN I SAY
JASON ANDREW TOPPIN
Jun 13, 2021
SERVING GIUD AND SERYING OTHERS WHAT MORE CAN I SAY
Vachel
Jun 13, 2021
The only reason for serving “god”.. could you fix that please. I’m a little troubled by seeing his name spelled in common letters. Thank you.
Shirley
Jun 13, 2021
Amen Dorothy
Dorothy Holmans
Jun 13, 2021
Knowing Christ is not a religion - it’s a personal RELATIONSHIP with Him.
Olivia
Jun 8, 2021
I serve God's love at the beginning of his gratitude for what he truly has done for my mother and father generation coming up decades years ago which 4,000 years ago and his gratitude today into the new generation my children and grandchildren I serve God's love cause of the truth that he truly brought to the forefront the holy spirit of true religion from God the King of wisdom down to his son Jesus Christ which was strip from his garment down to his sandals we say truth is in the pudding if you really want to believe the true religion from the only flesh and blood came from the King of God pass down to his only son for us to receive and acknowledge the truth from mighty King son Jesus Christ him self I feel and have felt that was and always have been our only way to the truth of our true religion down the pipe line was his son Jesus Christ and to know the true gospel about our self that great true religion from his gratitude pass down within our hearts amen thank you God for 4,000 years into the history of our generation and to serve your gratitude on into our light and beyond our future today Jesus Christ the son of a great one the King , Messiah Amen in Christ Jesus.
Eliezer Gonzalez
Jun 14, 2021
Just a typo... Now fixed :)