Do you have the courage to face this question squarely and answer with an unequivocal yes or no? Painfully we are reminded in the same that we are servants in our deepest being, and that we shall ever be such, whether that be in deepest hell, or in the highest heaven of God’s glory revealed. And the one supreme question for the servant, the slave to answer is this: Am I faithful? For the servant bought with the precious blood of Christ the question becomes: Am I faithful as it behooves me to be in “my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ”?
That man is a servant, is a scriptural truth. We are either servants of God or servants of sin and death. Either we are obedient to righteousness and life in Christ Jesus, or enslaved to unrighteousness, deceitfulness, the lie! Thus, the Word of God presents the matter for our prayerful consideration.
I want to believe in this writing, my youthful reader, that you love God. That you consciously and willingly, daily choose God to be your highest Good. That by the power of almighty grace you know yourself to be God’s servant, and as such His child.
Faithfulness Expected.
It is expected in a servant that he be found trustworthy, faithful, obedient. This is the crowning beauty, the fit spiritual adornment of servants. Whoever has servants looks for faithfulness in them to his cause. So it is with Satan. Strictly speaking, Satan, the Arch-Foe has no cause. His is the cause of a rebellious “ministering spirit”. But even as such he expects strict compliance in his servants to his diabolical program. Thus, it is with our modern dictators. He who is not faithful to their cause is crushed with ruthless force. They expect strict and absolute trustworthiness.
Our God Who is the loving Father of His children, is at once also the Consuming Fire. He looks for faithfulness in us, strict adherence to His cause in the midst of this world. Uncompromisingly we are to champion His cause, dwelling under His care, love, grace and protection. And we are weighed in the balances to be found faithful. We may not be traitors to God’s cause. This means that God demands of us that we serve Him only. We are to confess from pure hearts and sincere lips that God alone is worthy of our love and affection. It also means that we serve God wholly. We shall be faithful servants to God with our whole heart and mind and strength. Always we must remember that we are the Lord’s! My time is His, my strength is His, I am but a servant-steward of Him.
A Constant Ideal.
To be sure this “ideal” is more than a hazy, mystical something. It is more than a fit subject to be dated in the halls of learning, and a matter of oration and eloquence on the pulpit, lit is a God-given ideal laid down in His Word, which is attainable through faith in Jesus Christ. It is therefore an ideal which can be brought concretely into practice, be it always but in part and imperfectly, as an expression of gratitude to God for deliverance from the bondage of sin. No, this ideal is no mirage of the desert which when we attempt to reach eludes us, though we must not too soon pretend that we have attained unto the ideal of faithfulness. It is the high ideal of the perfection of God unto which we must evermore be conformed by the Word and Spirit of God.
For this ideal we strive. For it is God who works in us both to will and to do according to His good-pleasure. And then tremblingly we ask: Lord, what would Thou have us do? Teach us by Thy Word and Spirit. Thy Word is a lamp unto our—yea, my feet. In this atmosphere of childlike faith and humility it becomes clear to me, that in the striving for the ideal-goal of steward-faithfulness, many run, but that he that runs well obtains the reward. That affords drive and impetus to my life. I stretch out unto the prize of the high calling of God. It puts me aflame for God!
What! young people aflame for God, and that constantly? How old must one be? Must he be learned? Ah no! One must be taught of God. Then God stills the mouth of the enemy through the testimony of the singing children. For God has prepared praise (strength) for Himself thru the mouth of babes!
This ideal God holds before us, dear youthful reader. I am called to have great zeal for Him. I must stretch out for the “mark” today. In my present congregation, present catechism class, society. Faithful to my parents I must be. And woe is me if I do not. God is serious and always takes me at my word.
Proper Stimulation.
Faithfulness in God’s servants can be stimulated. And God requires of us that we shall do so. We are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.
Naturally, where there is no life, there can be no stimulation of the same. If the heart has stopped beating, and the blood has ceased pulsating in our veins, no amount of stimulation can stir the heart and body to greater action.
But where there is life, there can be stimulation to a richer glow of health and life. And so it is also spiritually.
This requires, first of all, spiritual knowledge of self. It calls for careful spiritual self-analysis in the light of God’s Word. We must be honest with ourselves, before God and our conscience. This requires honest instruction, love for truth. We must have a readiness of mind for God’s analysis of our self-deceptive heart. God’s analysis of our self-deceptive heart. God’s analysis of our desires, motives, plans, intentions, must be for us the only court of appeal.
This also demands the watchfulness and the struggle of prayer. He who prays little, receives little. He who prays doubtingly receives nothing from the Lord. Whatsoever we need to be faithful God gives to those petitioning the same, in order that He may be glorified through Christ in us. A faithful servant is often found on his knees in prayer and supplication, saying with Jacob: “I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless me.”
Faithfulness is also stimulated by seeking the fellowship of others who fear and love the Lord. If we choose our companions and friends out of the world, we seek the stimulation of the world. Then the evil desires are set aglow, it is the ghastly fire of hell! These things should not, be, Young protestants! But we should rather sing with David: For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. Psalm 84:10. For he that would be a friend of this world, shall be accounted an enemy of God.
Accountability.
Each day the servant has a reckoning to make with his master. So each day we have an account to straighten with our God. And this account is made out on the basis of our works. Then it is not the question, how popular I am with my friends, what people say about me. The only thing that has weight is: Does God when He weighs me in the balances find me to be a faithful servant, or does he find me wanting.
Faithfulness is awarded in this life. He that is faithful in little in the kingdom, is also faithful in much. Conversely it is true that those who are unfaithful in a little are also in much. God gives to His faithful servants more grace, and takes from the unfaithful what they even think to possess.
Here also all respect of persons falls away. Here no prejudice of men can spare us or condemn us. Let us walk carefully, faithfully looking for the reward of the faithful.