Truthfulness in Ministry (part 1)
- Get link
- Other Apps
Criticism
of the gospel ministry is nothing new (ol’ Solomon was right, you know: there
is nothing new under the sun), so we can find great encouragement to remain
faithful in all we do out of love for the Lord by considering how the apostle
Paul rooted the defense of his ministry in truth. He writes:
“For the
Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy
and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes. For all the promises of
God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen
to God for his glory. And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and
has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in
our hearts as a guarantee. But I call God to witness against me--it was to
spare you that I refrained from coming again to Corinth. Not that we lord it
over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, for you stand firm in your
faith.” [2Co 1:19-24 ESV]
Paul is truthful in ministry because Jesus is truthful--and why not? He IS The
truth! Jesus is Paul’s message! Notice what he says: “For the Son of God,
Jesus Christ,” Paul uses the full title of Jesus, leaving no room for
doubt as to the content and authority of the message; “whom we proclaimed
among you” . Who is “we”? Me [Paul],
Silvanus, [aka Silas] and Timothy [people you know]. This congregation knew the messengers personally (they were not strangers) and the message they brought “was
not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes.” Nothing is more true than the Son
of God, Jesus Christ. “For all the promises of God in Him [are] Yes, and
in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.”
Test
anyone who says they are a minister of the gospel by examining their words and
works in the context of truth.
- Do they look out for themselves, surrounding themselves with body guards and "yes" men?
- Do they always talk about Jesus, or have a platform for other topics?
- Are their words and works supported by a God who cannot lie?
- Is Jesus the guarantee of every promise (Heb 7:22)?
- Can the Holy Spirit confirm that what they say is in fact, true?
You can
stand on God's promises because they are time-tested in the reality of Jesus’
presence on earth through an actual people who exist. Every time you watch the
news and hear the name “Israel,” you should be reminded of His promise given at
the fall of man in the garden of the coming redeemer.
You can
stand on the promises because Christ is the way it is with God. He is the Word
of God, made flesh and dwelt among us, and He is our solemn prayer to God.
Popular posts from this blog
“Men and women who saw God in the Bible: Why did they not all die?”
July 2004 I went to Kenya, Africa to speak in two Pastor’s Conferences on the subject of Man, Sin and Salvation. At the end of each day I left just over an hour for questions (half the time were questions touching the subject of my lectures, and the other half for “open questions”; that is, people could ask anything). For the next few weeks, I will be sharing the questions that were asked of me, and my answers—and believe me when I say these people really know how to think! Question from Kenya #1: “Men and women who saw God in the Bible: Why did they not all die?” [“ But He said, ‘You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live! ’” (Exodus 33:20) was the basis of the student’s question]. Answer: First, consider those who did see God—how did they respond when they saw Him? They were instantly aware of their sinfulness, and God’s holiness and righteousness (to name a few. And notice also that each responded in an attitude of worship, bowing down): Abraham built altars, wors
A Sonnet
“My God, where is that ancient heat towards thee, Wherewith whole shoals of martyrs once did burn, Besides their other flames? Doth poetry Wear Venus' livery? only serve her turn? Why are not sonnets made of thee? and lays Upon thine altar burnt? Cannot thy love Heighten a spirit to sound out thy praise As well as any she? Cannot thy Dove Outstrip their Cupid easily in flight? Or, since thy ways are deep, and still the fame, Will not a verse run smooth that bears thy name! Why doth that fire, which by thy power and might Each breast does feel, no braver fuel choose Than that, which one day, worms may chance refuse. Sure Lord, there is enough in thee to dry Oceans of ink; for, as the Deluge did Cover the earth, so doth thy Majesty: Each cloud distills thy praise, and doth forbid Poets to turn it to another use. Roses and lilies speak thee; and to make A pair of cheeks of them, is thy abuse Why should I women's eyes for crystal take? Such poor invention burns in their low mind Wh
Welcome, May!
The past few weeks have been stressful. Training new employees, dealing with difficult customers, not sleeping well, not exercising (I’ve gained 20 pounds in the last two years), getting through family drama (two life-threatening events in the same day, 2000 miles apart: my dad’s heart attack in NM and a 9 year grandchild starting the rest of his life with Type 1 Diabetes) . . . My CrossFit lifestyle withered into oblivion when I lost my job at the University in 2020, as Covid got going. Deep depression brought me to a standstill as I took a few months to try to reset. Since then, my physical status has been on steady decline. Now my daily schedule looks something like this: Work 3-11 pm (on a good day), Go to bed at 4 am, get up between 10:30 am and noon, get booted up and go back to work. If I get one day off a week I’m fortunate. At least I don’t have to work all night for now. That was the worst. So I haven’t had time or energy to do much, even read, much less write. And since my