Matthew 4:8-10 (KJV)Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; [9] And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. [10] Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Romans 1:25 (KJV)
Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
The biggest thing the devil wanted was God to worship and serve him. Likewise sinners think that God exists for them, to worship and serve them. This is the heart of idolatry. It is a desire that God fall down and worship me, and serve our needs, our wants, that He be our servant and we His master. This is the abomination that leads all mankind to condemnation of Hell:
Revelation 21:8 (ESV)
But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."
Human beings were made to worship and serve God. His role and the meaning of life is to be a worshipper and a servant. This is why Christ is said to take the form of a "servant", that is, to become a man, though He is God:
Philippians 2:5-7 (ESV)
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, [6] who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, [7] but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
Man was made to be the servant of God, not a master, not a friend of God. He was made to be a slave. God is the Master, the Lord of human beings. He is the one who tells us what to do, and we are the ones who obey. But sin is the desire that God be our servant, doing what we command Him. Sin is the desire that we be God, the King, the Lord and God be our subject, our creation. This is the trampling of God's glory underfoot by men.
This is why God forbids worshipping, making and serving of idols in His commandments above all. Idolatry is the worst offense towards God and the worst expression of hatred towards Him:
Exodus 20:3-6 (ESV)
"You shall have no other gods before me. [4] "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. [5] You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, [6] but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
When a man creates an image, and falls down and worships it, man is declaring that Creator ought to fall down and worship His creation. When a man bows and serves something he has created, he is saying that God is his creation, and he the creator. It is the perversion of the highest order. Idolatry runs deep in all our sinful souls. We like to make God in our own image, and say thing like "God is whatever we think we are", thus effectively bringing the glory of God down to a creature. But God is the one who made US. He is the one who has fashioned us however He liked according to His own mind.
But the wonder of all wonder is that Jesus Christ, who is the Creator, became one of His own creation. The Master became the Servant. The one deserving of worship, came to be the perfect Worshipper. Christ came to show what a true man ought to be. He served God, by showing the Father's glory, doing good and speaking the Father's word. He served man, healing the sick, feeding the hungry, raising people from the dead. He was God but He came to serve and not to be served, ultimately by giving His life on the cross of Calvary for God's glory and for man:
John 13:5-6 (ESV)
Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. [6] He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, do you wash my feet?"
Matthew 20:28 (ESV)
even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
If Christ, our God, did serve us and did live and die for us, then we are to stop living for our own selves, but Him who died for us. We must stop thinking that God exists for us, we must die to such sin, and exist FOR God. Christ has long been our servant. We must now declare Christ as Lord:
2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (ESV)
For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; [15] and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
Confessing Jesus Christ as Lord is to say: 'I have all my life confessed God as my servant and myself Lord. But now I repent, not our of compulsion, but since I have now seen that Christ served me with His life and death, I confess Him as my Lord, and myself His slave. I will serve Him forever.':
Romans 10:8-9 (ESV)
But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); [9] because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
See how all the apostles called themselves Christ's slaves or bond servants, after they have seen what Christ has done for them:
Romans 1:1 (ESV)
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,
James 1:1 (ESV)
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings.
2 Peter 1:1 (ESV)
Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:
Jude 1:1 (ESV)
Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:
If Jesus Christ is your Lord, that means that you are His servant. Christ can't be your Lord, while you are still Lord with Him. You must bow to Christ, and let Him no longer be your servant. You must wash Christ's feet with ointment and with your hair. You must live to show Christ, and you must die for Christ, just as He died for you:
Philippians 1:20 (ESV)
as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.
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