The privileges of a child, and the responsibilities of a servant pertain to every true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. All true believers are children of God, and being children, all the blessings of the family are theirs. Babes, young men, and fathers in Christ there are, but from the youngest and most immature to the eldest and most established, all are alike loved with the same love of the Father, yes, loved as the Son is loved; even as the Lord has said: “Thou...hast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me” (John 17:2323I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. (John 17:23)). Also for all the children is the same glory: “If children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ” (Rom. 8:1717And 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)). The love and the glory are equally for all the children of God. Believing in this truth sanctifies the soul. Faith in the love withdraws the heart from the world; dwelling in the love and looking forward to the glory render the child of God practically of the spirit of Christ, who has prayed thus for His own to the Father: “Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth” (John 17:1717Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. (John 17:17)). Never should we allow any sense of our own unfaithfulness to cloud our faith in our Father’s love to us, nor in our God’s faithfulness to His own word respecting us. It is evil enough to be unfaithful, it is but adding to that sin if we cast a reproach upon our God’s grace because we feel the sin.
In his home a child may be sick, but he is none the less the child; nay, he may be disobedient, still he is as always the child. The relationship remains. The child does not make the relationship, for that is of birth. Nor does the child of God made the relationship with God, “Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:1313Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:13)). God effects and establishes the relationship, and He does so in pure grace. Were we born of the will of our flesh we might forfeit the life, but we are born of God, and the life is eternal, and in the Son of God. One truth does not destroy another truth: that would be impossible. The sun does not displace the moon; and as there is harmony in the heavens God has made, so is there harmony in the Book in which God has recorded His mind. Hence, while all the exquisite grace of the truth of the believer’s childhood be rejoiced in, none the less the solemn truth of the believer’s servant-ship should be considered.
We are servants as well as children, and the very idea of service carries with it thoughts of responsibility. No doubt the idea of being a child implies responsibility, but not exactly the same as that of being a servant. We are servants, and are to walk and live as such. The great Apostle over and over again describes himself as a servant—or rather slave—of the Lord Jesus Christ. He speaks of himself as the Lord’s bondsman. We are bought with a price, even the blood of our Redeemer, and we are His, and He is our Master. We are not freed from the service of Satan to be allowed to serve our own lusts, but to serve our Lord. And He is our Governor, and we are responsible to Him for our time, our talents, our all.
The servant has his privileges, and the greater his responsibilities the greater his privileges. We see this in the world. Those who stand nearest the king—his councilors, his generals, his judges—are most privileged by reason of the very weight of their responsibilities. And so it is with Christians there are some to whom places of more important trust are committed than to others, and their responsibility is greater, in one sense, than that of their brethren. In one sense, we say, for whether it be an Apostle or the least among the servants, all are equally responsible to do their own particular work aright; and whether it be preaching the gospel, or eating or drinking, whatever we do, we are enjoined to do all to the glory of God.
The sense of responsibility makes man noble. The humble sentry on duty becomes a very hero under the knowledge of the weight of his responsibility. Some of the noblest deeds that men have ever wrought have been accomplished by the poorest and simplest, because it was their duty! Now when a Christian enters into the sense of his responsibility to his Lord, his service becomes ennobled by the effect on him of the highest considerations. The most insignificant act becomes great because it is done to the Lord. And little things get done well and wisely, to the very best of our utmost power, because they are done for our Master. We serve the Lord Christ.
Slovenly, half-and-half Christian work is an impossibility when our work is done to our gracious and beloved Lord. He searches the heart, and studies the motives that actuate us; and with Him it is not so much how great but how true to Himself the service. We must not judge as the world judges in serving Christ, but seek as servants to find out from His Word what are His wishes, and then to begin to please Him.