Page 5 - 信義宗神學院（第四十二屆畢業特刊）

Living out the Servant Song through Love

The theme for the graduation bulletin this year is ‘Living out the Servant Song through Love’. As
a servant myself, I would like to use this theme and biblical teachings to share the following with all of you
graduates:

1. In 1 Cor 13, the apostle Paul pointed out that, if we serve without love, even if we can speak tongues,
prophesy, work miracles or give up all our possessions, our service benefits no one; if we work however
effectively and humbly in front of people, but without love, what we do is just like a noisy gong and comes
up to nothing. If we do not understand all these, how can we serve with love?

2. We talk about serving with love, but what is love and what sort of love? Worldly love is concerned with self-
interests, has limitations and conditions and belongs to the flesh. If we are full of this worldly love, how can
we sing the servant song and serve with the kind of love that comes from God. Paul said, ‘But God proves
his love for us in that while we were sinners Christ died for us’. When you go out after graduation, you
should always live in Christ, otherwise, how can you serve with His love?

3. We talk about the servant song. What is this song? What is its name? According to Paul, this is a song of
love-genuine love for others. How can our service lead people to Christ? By testimony of genuine love. False
love leads to cheating. Those who cheat abandon their targets after they have got what they want. We love
others, not with false love, but with sincere love. When there is true sincerity, nothing is impossible. This is
the song which the servant must sing every day, continuing even when he comes before the Lord.

4. There is a fundamental difference between those who sing the servant song, live in Christ and serve with love
and those who are fleeting and who serve with the mouth. The difference is like those who build their houses
on rock and those who do it on sand. When rain comes, houses built on sand vanish like vapor, leaving
nothing behind, while those built on rock stand firmly. The Lord said, ‘By this everyone will know that you
are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’ The disciples are recognized as such because of their love
for one another. Isn’t this song of love something that us servants learn to sing?

Go, all of you. In spite of all the challenges lying in front of you, may you all serve by singing the servant song
and be blessed by the Lord’s wonderful care.

Rev. Dr. Simon Chow
President of Lutheran Theological Seminary

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