Their Nature and Their Works

Transcription

1 Their Nature and Their Works Matthew 7: 16 23, Matthew 12:33, Matthew 23:27-28, Matthew 24: 1 5, 10 13, 24 26, Luke 13: 23 27, John 10: 1 18, 2 Corinthians 4: 1 2, 2 Corinthians 7:1, Ephesians 5: 25 28, 2 Timothy chapter 3, The epistles of Peter and of Jude. Figure 1, below shows the four kinds of situations we are encountering in Christianity today, with regards to the nature and works of leadership, or ministers and ministries. This also applies to individual believers. G: Genuine. This implies genuine call of God in the life of particular minister, when applied to their nature and their works. D: Dubious. This implies that the call of God is questionable, or that this person has not been called of God, or even been commissioned by the devil, when applied to their nature. When applied to works, it means that such is doing dubious works for the devil, or corrupting the work of God through the interjection of, and mixing of the genuine call with dubious works, or while having a genuine call, is involved in polluting the call with dubious activities. This represents dubious church leaders of dubious ministries. The works of seducing spirits are involved in this. G D G 1GG 2GD D 3DG 4DD Fig. 1. The four possible and observable combination of nature and works.

2 The above will be discussed in four parts, which are represented by the boxes: 1GG, 2GD, 3DG and 4DD respectively, which are obtained by crossing rows and columns. For instance, 1GG is produced by crossing the G of nature with the G of works. 1GG: This box represents those men and women of God, who are genuinely called of God into ministry, who therefore in this context, are genuine in nature. When these people are examined, it is found that that they are faithfully serving the Lord, and are using their positions for the advancement of the kingdom, without promoting questionable dealings, even on so-called compassionate ground. They are able to balance grace with truth, in the execution of their ministerial responsibilities. They do not sacrifice truth in promoting compassion, neither do they present truth void of compassion. This was how the Lord ministered when He was on earth. 2GD: These are those who are genuinely called of the Lord, but are using their ministry to pursue or encourage dubious dealings. They are gravitating towards the world system. In this group is found those who belong to the third group of person in the parable of the sower. Unfortunately a lot of churches and ministries, if not most of present day ministries and churches are now found in this group, because of the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and pride of life. They transform into enemies of God by increasingly becoming friendlier with the world. The more they admire the world, the more they transform into the world system. They are constantly beholding the world, more and more, and less and less of Christ. Therefore they are being transformed into the image of the world, the words of the Lord are increasingly becoming stranger to them, especially those having to do with consecration and separation from the world. 3DG: These are people who have not been called by the Lord. In this group are also found those who have been called by the devil himself. The people in this group present works which appears good in the eyes of men, but of no real value in the eyes of the Lord, because their motives are not to towards Him, even though their works are regarded as good in the eyes of people, under certain

3 circumstances. However as time goes on, their real nature become more manifest to those who are observing them, or those who are able to discern. In many instances, it is very difficult for the common people, both within and without the church to discern the difference between 2GD and 3DG in the everyday issues of life. This is the region where the genuine in nature who are getting more involved in shady activities are not easy to distinguish from the dubious in nature who are doing some good works. When either of these two are found out, the news media usually take the pleasure of muddling up the story so that even the faint line between both are completely erased in the war that the prince of the power of the air, who has a lot of control over present day media houses, is waging against the Lord. 4DD: This is the group wherein the players are dubious in nature and in works. This is the easiest to discern, of the four groups, for the keen observer. There are many pretentious churches and ministries in this category. For instance, in this group is found those who make their members experience king Nebuchadnezzar s humble pie, by deceiving them that it beings God s blessing to them, while the leader is living lavishly. Figure 2 below, illustrates the perception of the keen observer, the discerning in heart, as well as the confusion caused when the boundaries between what is strictly genuine 1GG, in region 1 and strictly dubious, 4DD, in region 3 is not discernible because of the existence of 2GD and 3 DG in a pool of activities in region 2. This means that there are genuine men of God doing dubious things and dubious men, who are doing seemingly genuine things, represented by region 2, in which their activities are mixed up to the confusion of many observers GG 2GD + 3DG 4DD Fig 2. The simplistic illustration of the groupings.

4 Fig 3. Between the blueness of heaven and the redness of hell. Figure 3 is the representation of the relationship between these four groups of leaders as it relates to their works. This is figure 2, in reality of life representation. As you will notice there is no real easily observable boundary, though there are actual boundaries. This is why B1 and B2 boundaries are represented by faint lines. The difficulty of mortal men to clearly define these boundaries in everyday issues allows for the tests and trials of life. This creates the situation in which life does not run on auto-pilot. Please remember that the Lord is coming for a church a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. Have you ever been concerned, or bothered, or applying yourself by careful attention to details, in finding out, or really knowing what spots, wrinkles and blemishes are in the body of Christ; in your life? In another sense, figure 3 illustrates the blueness of heaven, in one extreme end, and on the other extreme end, the redness of hell. In between these is the greenness of earth. Which direction are you heading? Which direction are your actions taking you? There are Christians who claim to know the Lord, but in works, that is, the way they live their lives, they deny Him. If they do not repent, it will not end will for them. This is the implication of 2 Cor. 10:1 14, 2 Peter chapter 2 and the epistle of Jude. Here is Titus 1:16. (AMP) They profess to know God [to recognize and be acquainted with Him], but by their actions they deny and disown Him...

5 Are you one of those who profess to know the Lord, but whose way of life denies and disowns Him? When all has been heard, the end of the matter is: fear God [worship Him with awe-filled reverence, knowing that He is almighty God] and keep His commandments, for this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, every hidden and secret thing, whether it is good or evil. Ecclesiastes 12: 14 (Amp) Therefore, since we have this ministry, just as we received mercy [from God, granting us salvation, opportunities, and blessings], we do not get discouraged nor lose our motivation. But we have renounced the disgraceful things hidden because of shame; not walking in trickery or adulterating the word of God, but by stating the truth [openly and plainly], we commend ourselves to everyone s conscience in the sight of God. 1 Cor. 4: 1-2. (Amp.) Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. 1 Cor. 4:1-2 (KJV) Maranatha!