Serving God Acceptably

Serving God Acceptably --Scriptures and comments  

(Abbreviation KOG = kingdom = kingdom of God)
                              

Hebrews 12:26-28 -- 'we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken' (it is on earth and it is unstoppable*)

"26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. 27 And this word, Yet once more, signifies the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear."

Comments--

1.  Let us have grace by which we may serve God acceptably.  Grace is God's enabling power to do every good work  (2 Cor 9:8;  
  Eph 2:10; Eze 11:19; 36:24-27**)

2. with reverence-- Our minds need to "let God be God"--the absolute Almighty, Lord and Creator of all, above all.

3. godly fear -- We  must recognize that pleasing and serving God is the number #1  issue in all things. God is a consuming fire, and none can resist Him.  The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10;  Psalms 111:10**).

Haggai 2:6-9--(quoted in Hebrews 12) 

6 For thus says the Lord of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; 7 And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of hosts. 9 The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, says the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, says the Lord of hosts.

Comments-- God will shake heaven, earth, everything that is not built on Jesus Christ (Heb 12:27)  including all nations. Christ (the desire of all nations) will be revealed to all nations and  His glory and that of His house (the church) will be greater than the former.

We are not to hope to escape troubles or persecution by rapture-- 

John 17:15-- Jesus prays that God not take Christians out of the world--but keep them safe through difficulties.

John 6:39, 40, 44, 54-- All Christians will be raised up (resurrected or raptured) is on the last day, not before.

Mat 6:33-- "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God (KOG) and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you."

What is the KOG? It is His will being done on earth (Mat 6:9-13)--including our doing His will . It is not just going to heaven.

What does seeking the KOG and righteousness look like?    Generally -- the KOG and righteousness is not what we see in the world and  hear in the news. It is agape or divine love (1 Cor 13:1-8) of God working through Christians--putting the interests of God and others above self. The KOG includes spiritual warfare and casting out demons, and defeating Satan (Luke 11:20; Eph 6:10-18;  James 4:7). The KOG is seeking and hungering for righteousness in our lives (Mat 5:3-10). It includes the Great Commission:  making disciples and teaching the nations to obey His commands Mat 28:20; 5:19), and growing in love and the stature of Jesus Christ (2 Pet 1:11). Things (needed for life) will be added to you when you seek the kingdom and His righteousness (Mat 6:24-33)

Since we are receiving the KOG (Heb 12:26-28)-- what can we do to try to serve God acceptably?  The Bible says we should do the following:

1. We are instructed to  pray for the Kingdom to come, forgive and seek forgiveness and righteousness (Lord's Prayer, Mat 6:9-13**).

 ⁹ After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. ¹⁰ Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. ¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread. ¹² And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. ¹³ And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

2. Study diligently the entire Bible and give special attention to the parables about the KOG (Mat 4:4). ^" But he [Jesus] said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God."

3. Obey and teach God's Law (Mat 5:19). ¹⁹ Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

4. Grow in love as in 2 Pet 1:2-14 (below).  

2 Pet 1:2-12**--Read these verses about how we become partakers of the divine nature of God  by His divine power to secure an abundant entrance in the KOG as it says in verses 10-11 below:

"10 ... brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: 11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."

COMMENTS:  To serve God acceptably, we need faith to believe that with God's promises and His enabling grace [2 Cor 9:8--which comes by His spirit], we  can grow in stature and nature of Jesus Christ, bear godly fruit  and extend (enter abundantly)  the KOG-- which will  eventually fill the whole earth.  The growth of kingdom of God on earth is the unstoppable.** To extend the  KOG, God  plans to use His people--the Church.  We choose to be used in His plan by choosing to grow in the nature and love of Christ. The promise is that if we abound to become partakers of the divine nature of God, we will not be unfruitful or barren, but have an abundant entrance into the KOG.

8 Steps to becoming partakers of God's divine nature  and to serve God acceptably starts with faith (according to 2 Peter 1:2-12) --

1. Faith-- is being persuaded that  God is able to perform His promises (Rom 4:21) that we may escape the worldly corruption of our flesh nature God's enabling grace (divine power, 2 Cor 9:8) through diligence (v 5, 10) in seeking the knowledge of God and His grace.  Hosea (4:6) said, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." Jesus said,  "man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from God (Mat 4:4).       

        Grace (as described in 2 Corinthians 9:8)--"God is able to make all        grace  abound toward you; that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work."  This grace comes through the power of the Holy Spirit (Ezek 36:24-27).

2. Virtue-- goodness, righteousness, morality, integrity, decency, worthiness, purity (according to the dictionary).
3. Knowledge -- We  need a good  knowledge of  the Bible and how it relates to the times we live in. Man shall live by every word that proceeds from God (Mat 4:4).

4. Self Control-- be not conformed to the world, but be transformed by renewing of the mind (Rom 12:1-2).  The flesh nature tries to replace God's ways with man's ways and natural human understanding.

5. Perseverance-- We can not give up too easily (if at all).  We must let God correct us and adjust our direction.

6. Godliness-- Trying to please God by doing what we think He would do. Not selfish.

7. Brotherly kindness --  Practice the many 'one-another' instructions in the Bible.

8. Love-- According to 1 Cor 13:4-6, love is kind, long-suffering, bears all things (not easily offended), not proud, hopes, rejoices in truth, and endures many things (turns the check) and more. We should love one another (even if others don't love us). Love serves God by loving to one another, both in word and deed.

Attitudes toward the Kingdom of God

Mat 5:1-10**- Read verses about the attitudes of the  people in the KOG

They are blessed, meek, poor in spirit, hunger for righteousness and make and peace when possible. They  may suffer for the KOG and receive special blessings from God.

Mark 4:3-20**-- Read verses about the Parable of the sower seed (word of God)  about the KOG.

Comments:  Four types of ground (souls or people) are:   wayside,  stony,  thorny,  and  good soil.
Descriptions of the four types of soil:

1. Wayside:  the seed is eaten by birds, meaning  it is nullified by the lies of the Devil.

2. Stony: the seed endures only until affliction or persecution comes because of the word of the kingdom.

3. Thorny:  the word is choked by worldly cares, love of riches, and lust of the world.

4. Good soil: Word is heard and received and it brings forth much fruit. Hearing and receiving is more than physical--it includes serious attention toward the word, strong faith, having hunger for righteousness, diligence, perseverance and a strong desire to grow and follow God-- and willingness to give up worldly cares and even suffer for the kingdom.  

Strong faith hopes in the word of God and His promises. Faith increases by repeated hearing of God's word (Rom 10:17). Faith without works is dead (James 2:20).  Without faith we cannot please God (Heb 11:6). Man shall live by every word that proceeds from God (Mat 4:4).

Footnotes

* The Kingdom of God is unstoppable: Dan 2:44-45, 7:13-14; Num 14:21; Heb 12:28; Mat 28:20; Ps 110; Ps 2:6-9; Ps 22:27-28.

** To save space, some scriptures are left for you to look up and read.  

Quotes come from the King James Version, with some changes from Old English to modern English  (i.e., saith --> says, etc).   

last revision:    2016-07-10