John 13 gives an account of the Last Supper, which was shared by Jesus and His disciples. Jesus was coming to the end of His life’s journey and was about to face His greatest trial—being arrested, falsely condemned and sentenced to die. He would be beaten and mocked, and He would suffer the most agonizing death of that day—crucifixion.

During the Last Supper, Jesus wanted to make one final, lasting impression upon His followers by leaving them with an example of how they were to live and carry on the Jesus ministry after He was gone. So with a towel and a basin of water, Jesus washed and dried the feet of each of His disciples, including Judas, the one He knew would betray Him.

When Jesus had finished, He said to His disciples, Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you (John 13:13-15).

In this passage of scripture, Jesus confirms that He is our Lord and Master and our example. What kind of an example was He? But [Jesus] made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross (Philippians 2:7,8).

The Serving Christ

Jesus walked this Earth as a faithful servant of God saying, I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me (John 5:30). Jesus did not seek to make Himself a prosperous life. His sole purpose was to serve divinity to humanity with great love, compassion, patience and humility. For even Christ pleased not himself (Romans 15:3). Jesus was the serving Christ.

Throughout the four Gospels, Jesus continually reinforced to His disciples the message of serving. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. 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 (Matthew 23:10-12). Jesus was laying the foundation of what He expects of His followers.

Divine humility is a necessary quality of a faithful servant. When you humble yourself before the Lord, He will take responsibility to lift you up His way and in His time. You can’t lift yourself up before God and people. Self must be cast down so the Lord can be lifted up.

Let the Spirit Glorify God

O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps (Jeremiah 10:23). That is why Jesus provided His followers with the gift of the Holy Ghost. When you have the person of the Holy Ghost living within, you have the divine guide, teacher, helper and comforter. He will reveal the life and servitude of Jesus and how to follow that example. Divine humility allows the Holy Ghost to do His perfect work in your life.

Paul wrote, What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s (I Corinthians 6:19,20). Your body, your spirit and your soul belong to God. He purchased you with the divine blood of His Son, Jesus.

When you go to Calvary, you become God’s servant in this world. He forgives you of all of your sins, wipes away all the guilt and condemnation and rescues you from the eternal flames of damnation. He saves your soul and gives you a new life on Earth and an eternal life in Heaven. You cannot accomplish any of that for yourself. It all comes about through the power in the divine blood of Jesus that was spilled on Calvary.

From the time you become a new creature in Christ, your purpose is to glorify God with your life. Jesus said, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it (Matthew 16:24,25). When you are a faithful servant of the Lord, there is no room in your life for self.

Freely Give

Jesus continued, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father (John 14:12). Jesus performed many mighty works of power, love, grace and forgiveness during His ministry on Earth. All of those works are to follow His true servants today.

Jesus declared, Freely ye have received, freely give (Matthew 10:8). Our Lord and Master has graciously served us many things we were not worthy to receive, yet we opened our hearts’ doors and received them. As a servant of the Lord, you are to faithfully serve what you have received from Him. You cannot serve others from yourself because you have nothing that will benefit them.

You are to serve the divinity in you, the qualities and characteristics of the Jesus life. Jesus said, He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water (John 7:38). Those rivers are produced by the power of the Holy Ghost, but you must be a willing servant for them to pour forth from you.

The Apostle Paul spoke of your responsibility before the Lord saying, I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35).

In God’s plan, the life of His servants is about giving to others. Then the more you serve, the more the Lord serves and blesses you and the more God will increase within you to enable you to serve. The more love, faith and grace you share, the more they will increase in your life; but when you stop serving, the divinity within you will dry up.

Choose to Be a Servant

In Bible days, it was common practice for people to own servants. Paul frequently wrote about servitude unto the Lord because people in that day could easily identify with what it meant to be a servant. He said to the Corinthians, For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more (I Corinthians 9:19).

Paul willingly chose to give all and be a servant unto all. He was not forced into it; God loved him into it. Paul freely served the love and faith of God that he might gain more love and faith. He freely served the wisdom, knowledge, grace and power of God that he might gain more. By freely serving, he gained more souls for the Kingdom of God.

Child of God, as a free moral agent, you too must decide how much of yourself you will give to God and His service. God will not force you into anything. You must decide what you will give, what you will serve and what you will sacrifice. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver (II Corinthians 9:7). God loves those who cheerfully and willingly serve from the heart in love.

Serve with Love

Another key ingredient required to be a faithful servant unto the Lord is divine love. In great love and gratitude, Paul submitted himself unto the service of the Lord, the one who saved his soul. He knew that without the Lord, he was nothing and would be sentenced to an eternal flame in hell.

Paul wrote, And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief (I Timothy 1:12-15).

Paul understood that Jesus’ love sacrifice at Calvary gave him the privilege to be a son of God and a joint heir with Christ. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together (Romans 8:17). Paul recognized that it was God who had purchased this privilege for him with the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. He understood completely that he belonged to God.

In I Corinthians 13, Paul devoted a whole chapter to the love of God. In it, he wrote, Though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing (I Corinthians 13:2). You can possess all kinds of spiritual gifts from God, do wonderful works, make great sacrifices and serve in a variety of ways; but without divine love, they mean nothing to God.

Labors in Vain

In Revelation 2, Jesus instructed His church at Ephesus to repent because they had lost their first love. The people in that church had separated from evil. They were patient and did many works and labors without fainting, but all their serving was in vain. Jesus told them, Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent (Revelation 2:4,5).

Those people had not served with love for God and souls. They had performed their works and labors out of obligation, habit or a sense of duty to the church. Jesus knew they were no longer serving Him from the heart, and divine love was no longer a part of their efforts.

Paul, a True Servant

After Paul was saved, he was compelled by divine love to serve divinity to people of all walks of life just as he had been served divinity on the road to Damascus. Paul wrote, I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also (Romans 1:14,15).

The Holy Spirit in Paul impressed upon him His ministry of service, and he was even willing to put his life at risk to perform that service. In that day, Rome was the seat of great prejudice and persecution against the church, but that didn’t move Paul. He knew he was a servant, and he did not count his own life dear.

Paul wrote, Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God (Acts 20:23,24). As a faithful servant, Paul knew he did not belong to himself but to the Master. He was steadfast in service and endured many trials and persecutions for the sake of his Lord.

Paul was willing to pay any price to be a faithful servant of the Lord and please God above all people. For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ (Galatians 1:10).

Separate unto the Lord

The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe (Proverbs 29:25). Are you a faithful servant unto the Lord or a people pleaser? If you are a faithful servant, the Lord has chosen you to come out of this world and serve Him, even though the world will hate you for doing that.

Jesus said, These things I command you, that ye love one another. If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me (John 15:17-21).

Christians who seek to be accepted by the world are not faithful servants of Christ. Many claim they try to be a part of the world so they can win souls for Christ, but that never works. Their lives directly contradict the Word of the Lord which says, Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world (James 1:27). You must serve those who are in need and keep your garments spotless.

Faithful vs. Unfaithful

Are you a faithful servant unto the Lord? Are you steadfast in your love and devotion to Christ? Are you firm in your obedience to the Word of God and in performing your duties for the Lord?

Again in Revelation 2, Jesus addressed the church in Smyrna, which was enduring great persecution. He said, Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life (Revelation 2:10). Child of God, faithfully serve the Lord until the end of life’s journey, whether that be by death or by Rapture. Then one day, a crown of life will be yours.

Jesus is coming soon. Look around at this wicked, corrupt civilization we live in, and you will know that is true. Jesus warned that His servants must be ready to go when He comes and be continually serving until He appears. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh (Matthew 24:44).

Jesus likened His second coming to a lord of a household going on a long journey. The servants of the house waited for his return, which had been delayed. That master’s wise and faithful servants who would continue to work and do their master’s will until the time of his return would be rewarded. Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods (Matthew 24:46,47).

Jesus explained that there were also evil servants in that master’s house who, instead of being faithful and continually serving, began to take their ease and indulge in selfishness. They even went as far as to smite and hinder their fellow, faithful servants; and Jesus said, The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 24:50,51).

Become a Faithful Servant

Take heed to those words of the Lord because our Master will soon return; and when He does, what will He find you doing? Will you be one of the wise and faithful servants or one of the evil servants? Notice that both kinds of servants were found in that master’s household, and both kinds are found among God’s servants as well.

Friend, are you a faithful servant of the Lord; or is there any sin, disobedience or things displeasing to God in your life? If there are, you need to submit to the cleansing blood of Jesus. Only through that blood can you be made a new creature in Christ. Only through the blood can you be cleansed of all your sins, healed in your body and restored in your mind to a fit and faithful servant. You must carry out the Lord’s work until the end of life’s journey; so in the end, you can have a crown of life in the Lord’s Kingdom.

If you are unsaved today, say the sinner’s prayer located on page 13 of this magazine and know that the power in the blood goes beyond saving your soul. It will supply every need in your life and give you power to serve the Lord effectively in this final hour. God bless you today.