Enabled to Minister

A grown-up Christian can be enabled by God to minister. Jesus tells us that a seed of the Gospel should develop until a crop is produced. Until the seeds produce they are a failure to the purpose of their life. If a Christian does not minister to others they have failed their purpose in life. Many church people say that they don’t have the ability to spiritually produce a crop. They are totally correct. No person can produce spiritual fruits until they are enabled by the Spirit of God. It seems obvious that we must allow the Spirit to work through us.

Paul was a man that was used to minister in a great way. He stated it this way: I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him, 1 Timothy 1:12 (NLT). We should note that God completely trusted Paul to be reliable and honest about the Gospel message that he carried to other people. Immature people cannot be trusted to possess priceless items. People must pass many tests before they can be relied on to minister the Gospel correctly.

To be empowered by God is a great responsibility. The best known example of empowerment was given in the Old Testament. The Bible says: Then Samson prayed to the LORD, Sovereign LORD, remember me again. O God, please strengthen me just one more time… Judges 16:28.  When the Spirit of God came upon Samson he became a superman. Samson did a poor job of being responsible and he ended his own life. Paul and Samson were very different men but when the spirit of God worked through them great things happened.

Believers today have a huge advantage. We have the Spirit of our Savior living inside of us. Our spiritual life is guided by divinity. Paul said: I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. Philippians 4:12-13 (NLT). He was being empowered by what the Savior had done on the cross some years before. We also must find this holy power if we ever want to produce a crop for the Lord.

The idea of continually planting the seed but never seeing a harvest is being accepted as routine today. This is not acceptable to God and we must ask him to change our hearts and our behavior. To remain this way is surrendering to unbelief. We should have the kind of faith that Abraham had: Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. Romans 4:20-21 (NLT).

God is able to fulfill anything easily. But when it comes to dealing with people God’s plan is to engage us in his work through our individual faith. Christians must step forward and say “use me because I have faith in your empowerment”. When the new nation of Israel was told to fight the giants, all but two said we can’t do it. God was so unhappy with them that he sentenced all of them to die in the desert of unbelief. My friends don’t die in the desert of unbelief. Instead, ask for the faith to die doing anything that God has for you.

Christians Have Great Value

At times the world will attempt to overwhelm us with its noise and bright lights. And because a righteous person does not normally steal, lie and stab others in the back, it makes our life appear weak. The truth is very different when the results of our lives are studied. If all the Christians were suddenly removed from society, it would result in a dangerous, nasty mess for those left behind. Christians do have value on this earth.

This still begs the question, “Why would we have “great” value?” The simple answer is that God loves us and even lives inside of us. This makes us very different from the unsaved. God’s first level of love for humans is that we are His creation. Most of us have made things and we just love our own work; even if it’s ugly. But God values us for other reasons. Humans only have great value when God can make us useful in His purpose. 

The next proof of God’s love is an intricate plan for our redemption. This complex plan involves work on earth by both His Son and Spirit. The Bible says: …you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Cor 6:11 (NLT). Knowledge of the life and death of Jesus is overwhelming but then the Spirit continues to live in us; this certainly shows that we have unknown value.

A Christian life is tough while we live on this earth but we find our meaning in God’s work. While we are doing Kingdom work the Lord stays with us. There is much to learn about our new everlasting life. We learn the ways of God while spending time worshiping Him. Then of course it is a privilege to deal with the world as we attempt to spread the Good News. Living with other believers requires some wisdom.

Faith is needed to see the next reason why we are valuable. Paul says:  But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! … Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: Death is swallowed up in victory. 1 Cor 15:51,54 (NLT). God would not bring us to live with Him if we did not have great value. 

Transformation is only possible with the loving power of the Spirit. He is pure, holy and can bring godliness into our earthly body. A continuing faith is needed as we look forward to the day when our salvation is completed in a physical transformation. This wonderful new body that we will receive shows how truly we are valued. God is going to give our body a place with Him that will last forever. Wow!

On top of everything else we receive rewards. The Bible says: It is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. Heb 11:6 (NLT). The faithful child of God will meet Him someday and be granted a position in the Kingdom and receive the right to share in the inheritance of God’s only begotten Son. We have value because we are a member of God’s family.