Posted by Pastor Will
on November 3, 2009, 11:31 am, in reply to "Free to Worship "
In your post you said, “God made obedient angels servants of these lesser beings and even God became their servant!” I think we have to be pretty careful when talking this way. Angels do minister to us, and Jesus did say that He came to serve—not to be served, but we have to remember that just because Jesus came in the form of a servant does not mean that we were exalted to a level where He had to serve us. Even while He was serving He was still our God and Creator. He chose to serve us, but has never owed us anything, has never needed us, and has never been lacking without us. He has always been sovereign. We have never been worthy of Him being our servant.
Even the angels are primarily in service to God. One of the places that we see angels “serving” us in found in Hebrews 1:14. I think the true meaning of this verse is best said in versions such as the ESV or NASB:
Heb 1:14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation? (ESV)
Heb 1:14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation? (NASB)
As you see, the angels are sent to serve for our sake. They are not ours to command, but do work for those who are elect. As the Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary puts it:
Greek, “on account of the.” Angels are sent forth on ministrations to God and Christ, not primarily to men, though for the good of “those who are about to inherit salvation” (so the Greek): the elect, who believe, or shall believe, for whom all things, angels included, work together for good (Rom 8:28). Angels’ ministrations are not properly rendered to men, since the latter have no power of commanding them, though their ministrations to God are often directed to the good of men. So the superiority of the Son of God to angels is shown. They “all,” how ever various their ranks, “minister”; He is ministered to. They “stand” (Luk 1:19) before God, or are “sent forth” to execute the divine commands on behalf of them whom He pleases to save; He “sits on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Heb 1:3, Heb 1:13). He rules; they serve.
I understand your point, but I am just saying that we need to be careful that we don’t appear to exalt man to a higher level than we are really at. There is so much man-centered gospel being preached today that makes us sovereign and God dependant on us. There is nothing further from the truth. God is sovereign. We depend on Him for EVERYTHING. It is His will that is done.
God bless
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