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SAVED TO SERVE

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 4, 1902

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 79, No. 9.

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SAVED TO SERVE.

By William W. Prescott

THROUGH the love of the Father in the gift of His Son as our Saviour, we are delivered from the bondage of sin, that we may serve God in the freedom of righteousness. “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for He hath visited and redeemed His people, and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David; as He spake by the mouth of His holy prophets, which have been since the world began: that we should be saved from our enemies might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our life.” Luke 1: 68–75. We are saved to serve.
“Saved to serve in any station, Saved to make His goodness known; Saved to sing His great salvation, Saved to live for Him alone.”
This purpose of salvation was shown in the message which the Lord sent to Pharaoh through Moses: “And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn: and I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me.” Again and again the command was repeated, “Let my people go, that they may serve me.” The children of Israel were not delivered from Egypt in order that they might spend their time in idleness. They were still to serve, but the service was under a different master, and of a different kind. “The Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor: and they made their lives bitter with hard bondage.” But how different is the service of the Lord! “The Lord is good to all.” “The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion.” “Serve the Lord with gladness: come before His presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord He is God: it is He that hath made us, and His we are.” We are saved to serve.
The call of the hour is the call to service, loving, faithful service. Consecrated workers are needed everywhere. Consecrated physicians, consecrated nurses, consecrated preachers, consecrated canvassers, consecrated teachers, a whole army of consecrated soldiers of the cross are wanted for service in the field. Any who may think that they are saved for any other purpose than to serve God and humanity should not apply. There are too many of that class already in the ranks. The Captain of our salvation calls for volunteers who are constrained by the love of Christ to present their bodies living sacrifices to be consumed in holy service. We are saved to serve.
And this call is really to every member of the Church. “Let the churches awake before it is everlastingly too late. Let every member take up his individual work, and vindicate the name of the Lord by which he is called.” The Lord has given “to every man his work,” and He is now pointing out with much definiteness what that work is. Many are recognizing His call to duty, and are taking up the work. Many are even now experiencing the blessing which is found in service. And still the command is, “Go ye also into the vineyard.” We are saved to serve. W. W. P.