The Power Of One
We live in a day when man glories in man. Man glories in his might, his power, his riches, in numbers, and in that which is approved of by man. But the Lord’s work operates differently: “That no flesh should glory in his presence.” 1 Corinthians 1:29
When it comes time that we are sensitive to our fleshly wants for recognition, Satan tempts us to think the church fails to hold us to be as important as we are. But when it comes time that we neglect God’s work to do our own thing, Satan tempts us to think what we fail to be or do isn’t really that important in or to the church.
But the truth is, the local New Testament Church is a Body, the Body of Christ, and what one member does or does not do, affects the entire Body. The power of one is clearly seen in a Body. If each member fulfills their function, fine. But if one member is injured or fails, the whole Body is affected.
The witness and testimony of the Church rests with each member. People view the church through what its members are or are not. Each member is the only Christian that someone has in view. They either see Christ living within us, or they see a profession of faith without works, which is dead.
Lost people are not won to the Lord because they are looking at the overall scope of the Church. They are reached through the testimony of the individual members. The Philippian jailor was drawn to Christ through the unwavering faithfulness of Paul and Silas (having seen the genuineness of their faith in a time of crisis,) and not by looking at some grand church there at Philippi (the church wasn’t in existence there yet.)
Let us remember that each member makes or breaks the success of the Body. “What would my church be if every member was just like me?”
There is nothing to be gained for a Christian to forsake the Lord’s Church, or their faithfulness to God’s work. The law of sowing and reaping comes into effect, determining the result of all that we do: “For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” (Galatians 6:7) The only way to change what we are reaping, is to change what we are sowing.
CHRISTIAN, WHAT ARE YOU SOWING?
SHARING
Submission
“Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.” 1 Peter 5:5
In the true sense, submission will not restrict us or deprive us, but rather it will greatly enlarge us. Adam and Eve greatly deprived themselves and their posterity by not being submissive in the Garden of Eden.
We will never know what we are missing until we obey God’s Word on being submissive. It allows for the greater things to be made possible in life, while overruling the impetuous. Submission allows the space we need to become considerate, wise, and well advised in what we are and do.
It is not the way of human nature to be submissive. It requires self-denial and deliberate faith to successfully undertake this virtue. Submission is a form of perfection. It takes us beyond just doing what we want to do, unto coming to understand and do what we should do.
Thus, submission should be made incorporate in our Christian character by faith and conviction. Without it, we will sow to the flesh and of the flesh reap corruption.
Submission does not render us despicable, but rather makes us respectable. To recognize in another that they are not enslaved to self-centeredness, stubbornness, temper, and unreasonableness will cause you to admire and respect them. People who demonstrate that they have the capacity to defer to the position of another while remaining in full control of themselves are known to be a person of strength and ability.
God has commanded that submission be employed where responsiveness unto His preachers and teachers are concerned: Hebrews 13:7,17. We all need what submission unto the preaching of God’s Word allows for. We need the disposition that will allow for our way to give way to God’s way. We need the subjectiveness that will permit the Holy Spirit to convict us of God’s will instead of our will. Apart from submission, we will just remain deadlocked against anything and everything except just doing what is right in our own eyes.
“There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Proverbs 16:25 Are you with, or without the needed benefits of submission?
SHARINGThere Is No Substitute For Modesty
THE BIBLE COMMANDS IT! “In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.” 1 Timothy 2:9-10
Just one good look, and a man gets a very good reading as to the kind of a woman he is looking at. Being naive about this only leads people into all kinds of trouble. When females dress so as to accent their sexual attractiveness, then that is what they attract the male unto. If they dress to be respected as a godly woman, then that is what they will impress upon the mind of the beholder. Granted, no amount of dress will make a person invincible to criminals, but Biblical standards are necessary in one’s defense against sin.
By nature, the male instinct is more aggressive while the female is more passive. The male instinct is to conquer. A female who shows off her body, thus presenting herself publicly before the male as being forward, is inviting the male to respond to what he sees with his own bodily instincts. This kind of presentation before the male will bring out the affections of the male for that end, a physical end.
On the other hand, a female whose dress is not to show off her body, whose disposition is sober and kind, rather than bold and forward, presents another kind of challenge for the male–to win her respect and favor. For a man to win the love of a principled woman, a woman of high values, he knows he has a woman of great value, in whom his heart can safely trust (Proverbs 21:10-12). But for a man to conquer a woman who has no real principles or values, this just puts her down in his eyes. Nothing is exploiting and debasing the woman any more than the sexual revolution our society is in the midst of.
It is said that more unmarried teens are sexually active than who are virgins. They are debasing themselves, destroying their self-respect and self-worth. They become just another “used” person without any special worth in the eyes of others. What could have been, is thrown away for a fitful indulgence of regretful consequences.
Forewarnings are the most difficult sounds for the fleshly ear to hear. But Christians are to have conviction of sin to deny self, and faith to hearken unto God. We are to have wisdom enough to avoid the fads and fashions of this world. We are to have a love for God unto honoring His way and seek to be more perfect in His ways. And we should have knowledge enough to know it is for our own success.
SHARINGThe Privilege Of Serving
“Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by the which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” Ephesians 4:13, 16
It is a God given honor to serve in a New Testament Church: “But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.” 1 Corinthians 12:18 When two people marry, they must change their thinking process and the way they do things to fully accommodate both parties individually, as well as jointly. To serve in the church, one must be fully minded and wise unto functioning as a member of Christ’s Body with the Body. Some suggestions are:
~Make all the decisions necessary to get yourself in good standing with the Lord and the church.
~Pray about what the Lord would have you do, unto reaching the point of being fully surrendered to Him for whatever it takes.
~Count the cost; be wise to the fact there will be challenges and things that seek to interfere with your serving faithfully, that you must overcome through firm resolve on your part.
~Be of the same mind with the church and it’s leadership. If you have questions, differences, be out in the open and settle them up front. Don’t ambush the leadership with an outbreak of rebellion, discord or offense by taking issue with established policies. Reconcile first before making the claim of being on board.
~Hold yourself accountable and responsible to faithfully perform any undertaking. Don’t take on anything you are not prepared to do faithfully. Should you be unable or unwilling to perform faithfully, remove yourself by stepping down.
~Look not for the praise of men. Do what you do as unto the Lord and not unto men. Look for your rewards in heaven, not on earth.
SHARINGTaking A Fresh Look At Christianity
Humanly speaking, Christianity is an impossibility. For example, it takes a miracle to save a soul. It takes the power of God to keep those whom He saves. Thus, we can see that when we look at Christianity from our human perspective, everything begins to pile in on us and it seems so impossible.
We need to remember that our Christianity will be measured, not according to the self-satisfaction that it brought to us, but from how we earnestly contended for the faith. God rewards us for our faithfulness to Him, not our circumstantial success.
Christianity operates in reverse order. The last shall be first with God. Those who are abased shall be exalted. We fail to see the glory of this process, due to the personal mortification involved. But rest assured, we are always indebted to our Lord.
Christian legacy does not originate from those who are the esteemed of men. The example the Bible gives of one who left his mark for Christianity, was one who knew not any favorable response from men. Abel’s legacy still stands as a testimony to mankind – Hebrews 11:4. All Abel saw for his efforts of being faithful and true was the hatred that slew him. But for almost 6000 years now, the legacy of his faith has continued to make him one of God’s jewels for which he will be richly rewarded.
The kingdom of Christianity is not of this world. Therefore, Christianity is not measured by our accomplishments down here. Rather, God directs us to the reality of doing all we can to “endure” while in our pilgrimage of life down here.
Christianity results in the scourging of, rather than the crowning of, our earthly person. Not that it is bad for man, but that because of blindness, men are bad towards Christians. This, too, shall greatly enrich us in the kingdom we will inherit with Christ – Matthew 5:10-12.
As Peter surrendered to Christ’s call to the worthy and noble vocation of feeding Christ’s sheep, he was shown that in his latter day, others would “carry thee whither thou wouldest not. This spake he (Christ) signifying by what death he (Peter) should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.” – John 21:18f-19.
Paul’s Christian ministry cost him his freedom and eventually his life. But in assessing his life in full view of this, he told the elders of Ephesus, at his meeting with them at Miletus (Acts 20): (1) That he was pure from the blood of all men, having not shunned to declare all the counsel of God, (2) He knew he was not to continue, so he poured out of himself to them, that they might perpetuate the gospel to others.
Our tour of duty is but for a season. As we sense the greatness of our troubles, may it help us to realize the magnitude of the glory that awaits us after the battle is over.
Yes, “heaven will surely be worth it all.”
SHARING
