IF YOU TRULY SERVE THE LORD…
(here's what you can expect).

Want to know if your service to Christ is up to par? The Bible is clear that even a proper servant of Christ will be persecuted. Here are some verses from the Bible:

------------ John 15:20 ------------
Remember the word which I said
to you, A slave is not greater than
his master. If they have persecuted
Me, they will persecute you also; if
they have kept My word, they will
keep yours also.

Unless you are greater than the Lord Jesus (which no one can be) you will be persecuted for truly serving Him.

------------- John 16:2 -------------
They will put you out of the
synagogues; but an hour is coming for
every one who kills you to think that
he is offering service to God.

Service to God without dependence on God is a dangerous thing. It is a common biblical theme, in both the old and new testaments, that religious persecution is always initiated by religious people, usually God's own people, serving God without his consent or approval. The Lord prophesied that in the church age, many would continue to serve Him without His approval, when He said:

----------- Matthew 7:22-23 -----------
Many will say to Me in that
day, Lord, Lord, was it not in Your
name that we prophesied, and in Your
name cast out demons, and in Your
name did many works of power?
And then I will declare to
them: I never knew you. Depart from
Me, you workers of lawlessness.

We certainly cannot serve God our own way. Our impulses are usually the Lord's enemy. If you think that the Lord's true disciples would not misrepresent the Lord, think again. This time include the following verses about the Lord's own chosen coworkers. We all need to properly represent Christ in love, and we cannot trust our impulses. Only seeking His will step-by-step is adequate:

------------- Luke 9:54-55 ------------
And seeing this, the disciples
James and John said, Lord, do You
want us to command fire to come down
from heaven and consume them?
But turning, He rebuked them
and said, You do not know of what
kind of spirit you are.

It is not coincidental that the first murder in the Bible was not a case of domestic abuse, robbery, or war, but a case one brother killing another in jealousy over how to worship God. Cain's original intention was to offer the best worship to God.

------------ Genesis 4:8 ------------
And Cain talked with Abel his
brother: and it came to pass, when
they were in the field, that Cain
rose up against Abel his brother,
and slew him.

Perhaps Cain justified himself, in that he at least tried to "talk" to Abel first, right? Cain did try to talk to Abel, but his talk did not include an attitude of repentance. If we are to serve God rightly, we have to be those accustomed to repentance, and open to the correction of others.

Do you have a great reward in heaven? Maybe this verse will help you to know:

------------- Luke 6:22, 26 -----------
Blessed are you when men hate
you and when they separate you from
them and reproach you and cast out
your name as evil, for the Son of
Man's sake…
Woe to you when all men speak
well of you, for so their fathers did
to the false prophets.

If you seek the Lord to love and to serve Him, don't think you'll run across his will easily. This is not my idea, but clearly spoken by the Bible itself. Like it or not, to find God's way will never be easy or obvious. If it is, don't enter in. Instead you should:

----------- Matthew 7:13-16 ------------
Enter in through the narrow
gate, for wide is the gate and broad
is the way that leads to destruction,
and many are those who enter through
it. Because narrow is the gate and
constricted is the way that leads to
life, and few are those who find it.
Beware of false prophets, who
come to you in sheep's clothing, but
inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
By their fruits you will
recognize them. Do men gather grapes
from thorns, or figs from thistles?

According to my understanding of the Bible, to serve the Lord is one thing, and to be popular and broadly appreciated by humanity is a different thing. Of course, the Lord Jesus was greatly loved among some, and deeply hated among others. He caused both reactions simultaneously. If we are to serve Him, we might do partly as well, since we are not greater than our master. Certainly we should not be political. But this is difficult.

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