1 Thessalonians 1:9
For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God…

The church in Thessalonica heard the message of Christ, recognized it as true, and then committed itself wholeheartedly to service for that message. It is this passion that drew the attention of others and caused them to comment on the style of life that the Thessalonians had adopted.

Nearly two millennia later, the truth of this remains the same. One reason that the Christian faith is so often disparaged is the apparent disconnection between what we say and what we do. We delude ourselves into thinking that we can agree with the teaching of God’s Word in principle, but not practice. Yet when we become all creeds and no commandments, we discredit the transforming power of the Gospel and leave a sour taste with those we meet.

In order to be a “fragrant offering” [Ephesians 5:2], we must live in a way that releases the pleasing aroma of Christ’s love and devotion to His Father. We do this when we act in a manner that honors God; when we serve Him.

Salvation and service are meant to go hand-in-hand. Scripture speaks plainly of this in many places, including Hebrews 9:14: “…how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”

It speaks of the relationship between Christ’s salvation and our service again in Titus 2:14: “…who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”

Not only that, but God has ordained these good works for us, as Ephesians 2:8-10 says: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” 

So we see that salvation and service are not divorceable. As noted pastor Charles H. Spurgeon once said: “Let us then prove our gratitude by our devotion and live as those who, having claimed a privilege, are willing to take the responsibility connected with it.”

In the same way that James reminds us that faith without works is dead, salvation without service is lacking the very quality of life. Perhaps this is best summed up with the words of Paul in Galatians 5:25: “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.”