We Are Merely Servants

“For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:5-6

It is a life long struggle: to maintain a balanced view of ourselves. Without Jesus, we are enemies of God. Not so much because of the sin(s) we commit, but because we were born in sin. To put it more bluntly, we were born into rebellion against God and His desires for us and the world He created.

In Jesus, we are now children of God. While sin does continue to nip at our heels and seek to drag us back, the finished work of Jesus, has assured our salvation.

The moments when this “nipping” tugs too strongly at our life, we can and do walk once again as we did when we were slaves to sin. We are not slaves, but we can look like it, for a time. Then, the Spirit of God comes to our minds and reminds us of our new birth and all that this “naturally” means.

We take hold of this conviction, confess our sin, receive God’s forgiveness and reaffirm our new birth.

In regards to our relationships to others, especially as leaders who have influence with the people of Jesus, we too fall into this same pattern. We secretly begin to believe our own “press.”

Paul reminds us, our task has nothing to do with declaring ourselves, no matter how important we think we are, or in need of “affirmation” we may feel. “For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.”

With the veil removed, the gory of God resident within us, we reflect the most important thing that all others need to see and feel the affect of, “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”