“I will run the way of Your commandments, For You shall enlarge my heart.“ PSA 119:32 “I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth” 3Jo 4 As Christ Jesus is Himself the way, so also He is the truth. The truth found in Him is both the staff and the path of the spiritual pilgrim. We live in an age of biblical illiteracy. Even worse, among students of Scripture there is an abysmal ignorance of the life of Christ. Contrary to what many believe, Bible study is not an end in itself. How often we hear someone say, “Study to show yourself approved”, as if God’s approval was based on the study! But the verse tells us that the end of study is to be “a workman who needs not be ashamed.” We are not engaged in the acquisition of knowledge, but in the appropriation of the life of Christ. “But you have not so learned Christ,if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus.” EPH 4:20-21. “Most people are troubled by the things they don’t understand in the Bible. The things that trouble me are the things I do understand.” - Mark Twain If we are to accomplish the objective of our brief sojourn on this earth, we must get our bearings from the truth “as it is in Christ.” The cross of Christ must become our compass providing, not just data, but transformed living. Before we set out to present the truth to others, we need to be certain we have first applied it to ourselves. Before the sword of truth is ever used to wage war (EPH 6:17), it must be used for corrective surgery (HEB 4:12-13). “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” - Leo Tolstoy “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” 1Jo 2:6. We have a message for the world. It is eternally vital to the soul of every person now living on this planet! Astoundingly, we are told that with the present world population pushing 6 billion people, that of all the people who have lived since the time of Christ, one half are now living! If this is even close to being true, what magnificent opportunities exist for the church to fulfil her mission. But all the evangelistic efforts in the world will fail unless the Body of Christ is living the truth. If I have learned anything in my life and ministry it is this: God’s power cannot be severed from personal purity. Until there is unconditional surrender and obedience, our labors will bear little fruit. The world will not accept the message of Christ from us until they see the life of Christ in us. “But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to give a defence to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and reverence.” 1PE 3:15 THE BANNER OF TRUTH “You have given a banner to those who fear You, that it may be displayed because of the truth.” PSA 60:4. If we are to effectively display the banner, the guidon of truth, the world must see its power at work in our lives. The prophetic condition of this Laodicean age is that of “a form of godliness but denying its power.” 2Ti 3:5. “They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.” TIT 1:16 How can we raise the standard in our generation? How can the weary souls of this age be made to see the banner and rally to it? How can we redeem the brief time that remains for us in this generation? 1. We must remember our mission. The mission of the Church is not difficult to identify. The difficulty is in getting us as Christians to commit to it. If we do not accept and identify with “The Way” which we have seen, we lack the sense of urgency, the spiritual vision, to accomplish the task. We must come back to “one thing” thinking! We must pare our lives down to the essentials of our service. Each believer is accountable for spreading the Gospel (MAR 16:15). We are all commissioned by highest authority ( MAT 28:18-20). Each one will answer for the task of bearing witness (ACT 1:8). Therefore, its high time we develop a “soldier mentality” and eradicate all hindrances (2TI 2:3-4). 2. We must accept the terms of service. It is Christ who has enlisted us in His service, and He alone can determine the conditions of our service. In “taking up the cross” (LUK 9:23), we commit to a three-fold tour of duty. Each of us is a priest of God (1Pe 2:5-9). It is the function of a priest to intercede for men. We should take our cue from the high-priestly prayer of Jesus in John 17. All effective evangelism is the end result of prayer (1TI 2:1-6). We are also ambassadors of Christ (2CO 5:20). As such, we are to represent Him in every word and deed of our life. We are to carry the message of God’s good will, based on the cross. Additionally, we are ministers to one another (ROM 12:3-8;1CO 12:4-7; EPH 4:11-16). 3. We must be spiritually motivated to win souls. The Proverbs tell us, “He who wins souls is wise.” (PRO 11:30). Jesus Christ declared, “The Son of man has come to seek and save that which was lost.” LUK 19:10. The Apostle Paul summarised his life-mission, “I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” 1CO 9:22. As Paul introduces his theme in the book of Romans, he conveys to us the inner fire that kept him moving as a spiritual nomad and servant of Christ (Rom 1:14-17). A. He was moved by a sense of indebtedness. Would to God that we were more indebted to the grace of God! True understanding of grace produces zealousness, not laziness. This is the same word found in HEB 5:12 “For by this time you ought to be teachers.” B. He approached men without partiality. Whether to a sophisticated Greek or a crude barbarian, Paul “regarded no one according to the flesh.” (2CO 5:16). He saw men through the eyes of Christ, not as they were, but as God could transform them in Christ. C. He lived in a state of readiness. “I am ready” was the watchword of his life. The word means much more than just eagerness. It suggests preparedness to the highest degree. Because he lived in a state of vigilance, when opportunities to speak for his Savior came along, he seized them. By contrast how often we see chances to be a witness come and go, and say, “If only I had been ready!” Later, I will develop a simple plan for readiness. D. He was not ashamed of the Gospel (ROM 1:16-17). This suggests two things. First, he knew his message, and could not be put to shame by the opposition. Secondly, for him there was nothing but glory in being identified with Christ, even in persecution. Paul learned and lived by the principle he saw in his Lord; the cross must precede the crown. E. He knew he had a solution everyone needed. The world has no real solutions for its dilemmas. But Paul recognized in the work of Christ the answer to all human troubles. He had also reduced the totality of God’s undertaking for man and how we are to gain it into one word - FAITH! The spiritual life begins and ends with faith. And every step along the way is “from faith to faith” ROM 1:17, and it is by this means alone that we go “from strength to strength” PSA 84:7. 4. We must learn to stick to the message “If the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle?” (1CO 14:8). All too often the message conveyed to the world is so jumbled that no one is sure exactly what is required for salvation. Part of the reason for this is that Christians themselves have not gained a clear, concise grip of the facts. A. The Content, 1CO 15:1-4. Here Paul sets forth the Gospel. Paul says it is the same Gospel “which I also received.” It was also received by the Corinthians (by believing - JOH 1:12) and by its power they found stability. “Unless you believed in vain” refers to some who denied part of it, that is, that Christ was bodily raised from the dead (cf. vs.12-14). The essence of the gospel is contained in three historical facts. 1) Christ died for our sins. That is, His death was substitutional. He died in our place, and bore our judgment. 2) He was buried. This assures us of the certainty of His death. 3) He rose again the third day. Death could not hold Him, nor can it hold those who believe in Him (Joh11:24-25; 1CO 15:51-57). B. The Invitation, JOH 1:12; ACT 16:31. All through the Scripture we hear the call, “Believe”. Abraham was made righteous by his faith (GEN 15:6, Ro.4:3). “The just shall live by faith” (HAB 2:4, Ro.1:17, GAL 3:11, HEB 10:38). People must be made to see that God values faith above all things, because it alone is consistent with His word and promises. “Whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.” (ISA 28:16, Ro.10:11). C. The Illustration, 1CO 12:13; ACT 2:38. Every single one who believes in Christ is instantly united with Jesus in the benefits of His death, burial and resurrection as set forth in the Gospel. This union is a spiritual “engrafting” (ROM 6:5), accomplished by the Holy Spirit. As a public witness to this truth, the facts of the Gospel as the sole basis of our hope are portrayed in water baptism. There is absolutely no saving or sanctifying power in the act of baptism. Its significance has been confused by the use of the word “sacrament”, wrongly defined by Romanism and others who teach baptismal regeneration, as a “means or channel of receiving grace.” In reality, it is a “sacrament” in the true historical sense of the Latin word, Sacramentum, which meant “A soldier’s oath of loyalty.” Taken this way, it is an oath by a soldier of the cross to not stray from the truth of the Gospel, nor live by any other power. It is an oath of fidelity to boldly proclaim its saving truth to the world. 5. We must step into the arena and engage the enemy. This step draws the line between the spectators and the gladiators! Our way-faring as spiritual nomads is fundamental to warfaring as soldiers of Christ. We are “born for battle”. We must quickly adopt the tactics of Christ if we are to prevail in our personal warfare. What are those tactics? A. Let go of all but the mission, PHI 2:5-9. A soldier cannot maintain unnecessary entanglements (2TI 2:4). The dictum of spiritual life is “Let go all, and you shall find all” (MAT 16:25). Live by the power of divine love, 2CO 5:14-21. It is the love of God that has provided our salvation (JOH 3:16; ROM 5:8). His love for mankind was revealed in Christ in every way. By means of the indwelling and filling of His Spirit, we are to be empowered by that same divine love (ROM 5:5; GAL 5:22-23). Note that Paul, in 2Cor 5:14-15 says “the love of Christ compels us.” If we are not compelled, driven to reach the lost, it can only be because of our carnal, self-centred lifestyle. Recognize that the way up in God’s plan is down, PHI 3:7-14. Jesus made it clear that the way into greatness is the way of selfless service (JOH 13:14-15). Only as we humble ourselves can God lift us up (JAM 4:10). The world is full of opportunity for one who knows how to do the common task uncommonly well. We never stand so tall as when we stoop to serve! Labor in the work of intercession, 1TH 5:17. Earlier I mentioned a plan for being in a constant state of readiness. I have practiced this, and passed it on to my students, with thrilling results. Begin to pray for lost ones you are burdened for by name, daily. Carry them to Christ, and let nothing stand in your way (MAR 2:1-5). Pray for, and trust in, the convicting ministry of the Spirit (JOH 16:7-11). Only the Spirit of God can open the eyes of the soul and give light. Pray for other workers in the field of harvest (LUK 10:2). Ask God to bring others into their lives who will reinforce your witness. Ask God for an open door to give the Gospel, and be ready (ROM 1:15). When Paul said he was ready, it was not by chance, but by thorough preparation. Memorize clear salvation verses, and prepare a statement of the Gospel in your own words. This is crucial. If you have a simple, brief, clear statement ready, you will not find those opportunities pass because you couldn’t think of what to say. Out with it! Never give up on anyone! Keep praying for them, even if initially they reject the Gospel. Once the seed has been planted, water it with your prayers, and any further chance to follow it up. Above all, beware of forcing the issue. Shoving the Bible down people’s throats never works, and in fact is detrimental, as they only harden their hearts. Let God in His grace draw them! Prepare for and expect persecution, MAT 5:10-12; 2TI 3:12. We need to be ready to accept the world’s penalty for following Christ. The price of persecution is the prize of the spiritual warrior (PHI 1:29;1PE 4:13-14). We must learn from Christ how to “despise the shame” (HEB 12:2). Never be surprised by the antagonism of this world, rather accept it as identification with Jesus Christ (1PE 4:12).
Posted on: Wed, 09 Jul 2014 10:54:50 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015