When you got born again the Lord bought the clay, which is you. Now He works at making a product that is useful for Him. He removes anything that renders us ineffective. The only problem He has is that His clay has a free will and has to work with Him, which is why we are told to work out our own salvation. The Holy Spirit reveals something in us that needs removing or adding and is willing to guide us in how to do it. We, however, need to work along with Him. If we are content with being religious and materialistic, we obviously will either not hear His voice or ignore it. If, however, we desire to make a difference in this world and in the Kingdom, we will actively work with God at changing ourselves.
Why does he mention fear and trembling? As I look at the church, this passage in Matthew 7:13, 14 continuously comes to mind: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life and only a few find it.” Is your road narrow? When you work on a project for a boss or client with high standards, aren’t you a bit nervous to get it right. Every time the person walks in and inspects it, you’re looking for possible mistakes and shrinks at the thought of having to be told off.
Yes, the Lord is a loving God. My dad was also a loving dad, but he had his standards and we had to comply, which is why we are what we are today. I didn’t remain a baby in his lap forever. I had to be taught life and how to conduct – the narrow way. I had to take my chances and bear the consequences.
When you’re a newborn Christian, “you need to crave pure spiritual milk, like newborn babies, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation (1 Peter 2:2)”, but as you grow up in the Lord, He is going to teach (Psalm 32:8) and discipline you (Hebrew 12:4-14 - please read it) – feed you meat. If the church focuses more on training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16), equipping the saints for the ministry (Ephesians 4:11-15) and dealing with sin, we will be a force to be reckoned with.
But if each individual lamp gets itself cleaned to shine even brighter, if we get to work with the Lord to change us and make us useful and if we get involved in church and make a difference, soon all these bright lamps will become a powerful light unto the world.
Lord, please work in me to will and to work for your good purpose.
Wide is the road indeed, we look at all the churches in britain and wonder if 10% of them truly even preach the word of God, let alone follow God.
ReplyDelete“For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.”
We need to be careful to not think that we can only become shining lights later on in the life, once God has worked out everythign in our lives that he doesn't desire. We can have an attitude thats not complaintive or aurgumentative now, but its a daily battle. It requires Jesus' peace and presense in us- abiding in Jesus will quicken the process as well of being moulded into an instrument God can use. For a long time I got taught lessons the hard way- was shown my own pride in a brutal lesson, but it need not be that way. I will learn lessons the hard way if I do things in my own strength, but if I abide in Christ then I will draw on His strength and will rejoice when He points out my flaws, knowing that He's right there with me and is going to help me work through those flaws.
Everything we do comes down to abiding in Christ- if we don't abide in Christ then we're doing things on our own strength and will inevitably lose and gain for ourselves. Wherease if we abide in Christ it will be God working through us, and then no matter what it is we do, it will be us fulfilling our purpose in life- that of Glorifying God.