ACCEPTABLE SERVICE

 Luke 16:13 KJV

"No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."

The phrase "unrighteous mammon" doesn't mean that money or wealth is evil; it is amoral. But money/wealth when ill-gotten, that is what it is - ill, bad, unrighteous. To be faithful with mammon is to treat it like a servant. To be unfaithful with it is to be it's servant, and you cannot serve two masters at the same time. Serve God in spirit and in truth, and He'll commit to you true riches.

One would expect the verse to read "...for either he will serve the one, and refuse to serve the other...." but it uses "hate" and "love," implying that to serve is to love. True service is borne out of love.

The Lord Jesus said to Peter in John 21:15, "...Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs."

John 21:16 "...feed my sheep."

John 21:17 "...feed my sheep."

That's a call to serve. So, the Lord was telling Peter, "if you love Me, serve."

The Lord showed Peter an example in John 13:3-7,12-15 (KJV): "Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; [4] He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. [5] After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. [6] Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? [7] Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. [12] So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? [13] Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. [14] If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. [15] For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you."

Notice that Jesus had realised that God had given Him everything, yet, all that didn't get into His head to stop Him from serving. He humbled Himself and served those He loved. True service comes with humility, and love always moves one to serve the loved one. When we serve fellow brethren because they are Christians, we are actually serving God. Mark 9:41 (KJV). "For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward."

He who must serve the Lord must do so with his spirit. That means serving to please God and not self/man. Paul said in Romans 1:9 (KJV), "For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son...." Then he admonishes us to do it with total submission in Romans 12:1 (KJV)

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."

To serve God with your spirit is to ensure the service is without the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, or the pride of life. 1 John 2:16 (KJV)

"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." This is akin to Eve's mistake in Genesis 3:6 (KJV)

"And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food (LUST OF THE FLESH), and that it was pleasant to the eyes (LUST OF THE EYES), and a tree to be desired to make one wise (THE PRIDE OF LIFE), she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat."

Any service that would be acceptable to God must be without any trace of carnal/fleshly gratification, else there'd be no reward for it. The service must be out of love for the Lord Jesus Christ and His body, which is made up of the brethren. 

Finally my brethren, I say to you the same thing Jesus said to Peter and the others in John 13:17 (KJV) "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them." God bless you richly, in Jesus' name. Amen!