WE have been going through The Realization of Spiritual Growth, Part 4 inThe Complete Green Letters. We just completed Chapter 43 – Spirit-applied Reckoning. Previously we reviewed Chapter 42 – Knowledge of Reckoning; Chapter 41 – The Three Steps in Reckoning – 1) Know and Reckon, 2) Abide and Rest, and 3) Depend and Walk; and Chapter 40 – Principles of Reckoning. Our author goes forward now to expand on this theme in Chapter 44 – Service and Reckoning.
AS I read this portion of our text, I can only smile in acknowledgement of the truth contained here. I’m going to restrain myself from any further comment at this point, reserving that for later after you have had some time to read and think upon what our author has to say. So for now, Chapter 44 – Service and Reckoning
In the inexorable riches of Christ,
Joe
Neh. 8:10, Isa 30:15, Jas 1:2; Prov. 21:30
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Chapter 44 – Service and Reckoning
The majority of active members in our sound churches today are primarily doers; their chief concern is to work for the Lord. But, service being the emphasis of their life, they are for the most part motivated by self. We must all learn, sooner or later, that the result of every form of self-effort is nothing but a barren waste, a spiritual Death Valley. Our growth is bound to falter and dry up when service is predominant in the life, especially in the formative years. Conversely, when growth in Christ is given first place, service will never suffer. Furthermore, our life-work will be accomplished in His time and way—and that without physical, mental, or spiritual breakdown.
The tragedy of the church is that the service-centered believer has little or no concern for spiritual growth, other than enough development and training for what he and others consider to be fruitful service. Naturally altruistic, he is appalled at the thought of placing growth ahead of outreach. The activist rarely seems to become aware of the sin of self, of the necessity of the cross in his life’ or of God’s purpose for him to be conformed to the image of Christ.
There are many believers who feel that the chief problem in our congregations is the existence of an overwhelming number of pew parasites. But, on the other hand, the vast army of busy-bee workers in our midst constitutes a comparable problem. Both doing nothing, and doing over-much, are a hindrance to God’s purpose. His will for the Christian is expressed in the word being, which in turn will result in effective doing.
The reason for this reversal of God’s order is plain to see. The emphasis of the average sound ministry is on salvation and service. Get saved, and get busy! This makes the new birth everything, and service its by-product. With this approach, the individual has practically reached his goal at the very outset. He is saved, and joins the church, then settles down to await his eternal reward. He attends sporadically but must constantly be “attended to.” On the other hand are those who do all the work, consequently having little time or hunger to “grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18).
Our Father’s ultimate purpose in saving us is that we might be conformed to the image of His Son, not simply to keep us out of hell and get us into heaven. We have been born into Christ that He may be our life, not just our Savior. “For we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son” (Rom. 8:28, 29).
When we realize that we have been born into the Lord Jesus so that His life “might be made manifest in our mortal flesh,” our heart-hunger is brought into harmony with that of the Spirit for us: “changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Cor. 3:18). “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3). Our burden for ourselves and others will be the same as the Holy Spirit placed upon Paul’s heart: “My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you” (Gal. 4:19). The emphasis of our life will be growth in Christ; the result of that growth will be fruitful and abiding service for His glory.
In our early years most of us place service far ahead of growth. It is true that there are “results” of a sort during this period, but the main lesson we learn in all this eager activity is how not to do things. We are quietly being taught and trained by the Spirit through failure. ….to be continued.
