WHEN AN APOSTLE IS CONCERNED -- Tomorrow:
"Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me. For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him." (2 Corinthians 11:1-4)
Devotion 8 of 29
" . . . for I have espoused you to one husband . . . "
Having been exposed to a phenomenal amount of "evangelism" and "church growth programs," I can tell you that the professing church has not done well in defining precisely what they are attempting to do in such activities. It is not enough to speak of "winning souls," "helping people," "reaching out to the lonely," and other such ambiguities.
The Spirit has spoken "expressly" concerning the objective of Kingdom labors. This verse will identify one of those objectives.
I think it wise to enumerate some of the other statements concerning the purpose for preaching the Gospel, whether to bring men initially to Christ, or to bring them to maturity in Him. The nature of these statements will undergird the seriousness of the thought before us.
1. " . . . that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in Me" (Acts 26:18).
2. "To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God" (Eph 3:10).
3. "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God" (Eph 3:17-19).
4. "That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom 15:6).
5. " . . . that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor 1:8).
6. "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power" (Eph 1:18-19).
7. "That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God"(Phil 1:10-11).
8. " . . . that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God" (Col 4:12).
9. "Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless" (2 Pet 3:14).
10. "That He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish" (Eph 5:27).
Any similarity between these affirmations and the general knowledge of "Christians" about the aim of our labors for the Lord is purely coincidental. Countless believers have never heard a clear statement concerning the reason for working for the Lord – nothing at all in the class of the texts just quoted. As painful as it is to admit it, a lot of "church" activities are like "beating the air" (1 Cor 9:28) or speaking "into the air" (1 Cor 14:9). No work done in the name of the Lord can rise above its objective. If the purpose is on a low plain, the effects will also be there.
Much of the condition of the modern church is owing to the fact that the objectives of those leading it are too low. They are nearer to the earth than they are to heaven. The above is but a sampling of the revealed objectives of God for the body of Christ. I hardly see how anyone can in any sense be said to be serving Him if they are at a variance with those objectives.
Now Paul will state the purpose that drove him when he first preached to the Corinthians – when he remained among them for eighteen months, and in the writing of his two epistles to them. It will be apparent that his aim is in perfect harmony with what has elsewhere been stated as the purpose for the church.
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, grant me grace to work in Your vineyard for right and noble reasons.