Have you ever noticed when reading the story of Israel’s  exodus from Egypt that every time Moses says to Pharaoh, “Let my people go,” there’s always a reason?

For example, in Exodus 8:1 God instructs Moses to declare, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Let my people go that they may serve me.’”  

The first time Moses goes into the palace and demands that the Israelites be let go, he specifically says it’s for them to be able to hold a festival unto the Lord in the wilderness. God wasn’t liberating the Israelites so they could go off and live however they wanted. God was liberating the Israelites so they could worship and serve Him.  

Israel’s redemption had a purpose, and not surprisingly, so does ours.

2 Corinthians 5:15 says Jesus died so that “those who live might no longer live for themselves but for Him who for their sake died and was raised.” Christ gave His life as a ransom, not so we could say, “Hey, thanks,” and then run off and live however we want. Rather, Christ has redeemed us so we can be His, a people for His own possession, ready and willing to serve Him. (Titus 2:14) 

It’s for service that we’ve been saved! “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)  We aren’t saved by our works (Ephesians 2:8), but unto works, so “we may bear fruit for God.” (Romans 7:4) 

God’s given us spiritual gifts so that we can serve in our churches. God’s given us the mind of Christ so that we can have confidence in speaking to our neighbors. God’s given us the Holy Spirit so that we can be patient and kind and loving and gentle, even when we don’t feel like it. All this so that the world might see something different and desirable, and that the works of God might be displayed. 

God’s hope for Israel was to be a nation of priests, holy unto the Lord, pointing the rest of the world to God.  Likewise, God’s hope for us is to be a “people for His own possession,” who proclaim the excellencies of the God who called us out of darkness and into the light. (1 Peter 2:9) 

We aren’t saved because we serve, we serve because we’re saved.  Romans 6:22 says; “We’ve been freed from being slaves of sin so we can be servants of God.  We are not our own.  We’ve been bought at a price,” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20), but our redemption has a purpose.

What an honor it is to be counted worthy of bringing glory to the King.