A decision and its implications: serving God out of love

Those who know they have been set free from sin make a conscious decision to be God’s servant, and this out of love and gratitude. This was the subject of a recent divine service in Kenya.

More than 7,000 believers gathered at the Moi International Sports Centre in Nairobi on 2 February 2025. “But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.” With these words from Romans 6: 22, Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider explained the tense relationship between freedom and dedication to our life of faith.

Liberated by Christ, bound by love

Apostle Paul draws on an image from his time. There was only one way an Israelite could become a slave to a fellow Israelite: if the person could not repay what he owed. Serving was a form of reparation. In the same way, after the fall into sin, human beings fell into the bondage of sin, unable to find their way back to God on their own. “Even though we do not want to, we sin. In fact, humans were prisoners of the devil.”

It was only through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that the path back to God was cleared. Human beings are freed from the power of sin through baptism with water and forgiveness of sins. And through sealing, a human being becomes a child of God and a joint heir with Christ. “It is impossible to earn grace,” the Chief Apostle emphasised. The childhood in God is and remains a gift that cannot be outweighed by deeds.

Free for God’s will

And precisely because salvation cannot be earned, it makes sense to respond to grace with gratitude and devotion—ideally based on a conscious decision to serve God. Not because we are afraid of punishment, but out of inner conviction. Not because we are forced, but out of love. “We want to do the will of God not because we are afraid of punishment, but because we want to enter the kingdom of God.”

The kingdom of God is that reality where everything will be according to the will of God. If we want to reach this goal, we must begin to align ourselves with the will of God already in this world. The Holy Spirit works in us: He transforms our inner self so that God’s will becomes our will. “That’s the sanctification and transformation which the Holy Spirit brings about.”

Noticeable consequences in our daily life

This transformation is very concrete. Those who serve God in this way live and act differently. They keep the commandments not because they are afraid that God will punish them, but because they are deeply convinced that this is right. “This is not just the will of God, but it is my will. And that is what I want to do because it is the right thing to do,” the Chief Apostle stated. We bring our offerings and make sacrifices not because we want others to see us, but because we want to contribute to God’s work.

The Chief Apostle used biblical examples to illustrate this: Barnabas’ donation to the church was honest and sincere, while Ananias and Sapphira wanted the same recognition and admiration for their deed. True service, so the conclusion, is done out of love for God, not out of calculation.

Such an attitude of heart also becomes visible in our dealings with our neighbours. We forgive because Christ forgives—and because we become more and more like Christ. We do good things without expecting anything in return. And we do more than is really required. “If you do something out of love, you are able to do a little bit more than your duty—simply because you want to compensate the weaknesses of others for the sake of God’s work.”

The goal in mind

The decision to serve of God is not a limiting factor. Rather, it is the path to perfection. It gives the Holy Spirit the opportunity to transform our hearts. It leads to sanctification and ultimately to perfect fellowship with God. “And when we are like Christ, we do the will of God because it has become our will. We serve the Lord because we want to contribute to His work. We forgive because Christ forgives. And we do good to others even if they do not respond in kind.”

Such an attitude of heart, borne by gratitude and love, is the key to eternal life. After all, the kingdom of God is not the reward for a religious achievement, but the fruit of a life that was given us by grace and which we devoted to God.