In our weekly Bible study group we have been considering the gospel accounts of the temptation of Jesus in a study entitled "Tempted, Yet Triumphant". It's been a spiritually refreshing and faith reassuring time spent together in God's Word.
As we considered Jesus' reply ~ "For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only" ~ it was interesting to note the link between worship and service. In the mind of Jesus He knew the connection between the two, dual aspects of the same attitude. To worship is to serve. Christ's answer reveals the fact that to worship him would be to serve him. This was always Satan's main desire, for he challenged Jesus, "...worship me!" not "serve me". As the father of lies, Satan always leaves the obvious unsaid as he subtlely refrains from giving the complete picture.
Worship and service are synonymous and go hand in hand. Jesus knew that whatever we worship we will serve. Service to the Lord is true freedom, but service to Satan is terrible bondage. God's pattern is to start with suffering and end with glory, while Satan's pattern is to start with glory and to end with suffering.
Worship and service...I know where my loyalty lies. Do you?
1 Peter 5:10 (NIV) ~ "And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."
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