READ: MATTHEW
3:5-17
There is a
remarkable difference between being a child of God and being a servant of God.
In certain regards, the privileges of a son far outweigh that of servant. Why
do we have to examine the differences between the child of God and a servant of
God? Being a child of God has certain advantages which being a servant of God
does not have. In John 8:35, the Bible says: “And the slave does not abide in
the house forever, but a son abides forever.” The servant does not
abide in the house forever. A child would always be in the house. The
implications of these are many. Psalm 23:6, for example, says, “Surely
goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in
the house of the LORD forever.” The one who dwells in the house forever
has the assurance that goodness and mercy shall follow him forever. And
according to Psalm 91:1, “He who dwells in the secret place of the
Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” In John 5:20,
the Bible tells us that the son sees everything the father does. There is a joy
in knowing what God is doing and being able to see, ahead of time, what He
intends to do. There are certain things that can happen to servants that cannot
happen to children. A very good example is found in Job 1:8-12. As good as Job
was, God called him, “my servant”. When terrible things began to happen to Job,
they happened because he was a servant. There is, however, something superior
to being a child of God. This is to be friend of God. There are categories of
children: prodigal children (Luke 15:11-24); children that cause the father
shame. In Matthew 3:16-17, the Bible talks of “...My beloved Son, in whom I am
well pleased.” You must strive to become God’s beloved son. But the
question is: What kind of child are you? Are you an ordinary child or a beloved
one?
MEMORIZE:
PSALM 23:6 –Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
