To Serve With Love (Part 3)

To Serve With Love (Part 3)
“You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.” Galatians 5:13 (New International Version)
My unofficial acronym of the word “love” continues, with the “O” representing “obedience.” The greatest example of obedience is found in our big brother Jesus Christ. Philippians 2:7?11 [emphasis added] “but [Jesus] made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Jesus emptied Himself of His majesty and splendor, in order to become acquainted with our need of salvation. His life is the most generous gift He could have given. John 15:13-14 “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” Notice that friendship, unlike son-ship, is not a once-for-all gift, but develops as the result of obeying Jesus’ command to love. Jesus is our model of love. We become one with Him as we love as He loves.
Therefore, our response to His example of love is to let that same mind be in us that was in Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5). We are to have the same selfless attitude Jesus demonstrated while on this earth. Matthew 23:11-12 “But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” We obey God, not because we want money, fame, power, and prestige. We obey God because we love Him.
“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires” (Psalm 37:4 NLT). Each day we have the opportunity to obey the voice of God, or obey the voice of our flesh. But it’s obedience to the voice of God that pleases Him, and when He’s pleased, He’ll make sure that we’re pleased.