Be Enlarged!
“…be YE also enlarged”
2 Corinthians 6:13 (NET)
The heartbeat of every true ministration of Christ should reverberate with this One desire. We are not here to enlarge “our” church or “our” congregation; nor are we to seek selfish gain or the approval of men. Our only desire must be to see the influence, the impact, and the fire of God filling His people with the overwhelming Love of God.
Be Enlarged
Paul was not satisfied with the status quo of his relationship with Christ. His life was one of pressing, seeking, and pursuing a greater depth of “knowing” His Lord. Those who truly “taste and see” the vastness of God’s Being cannot be complacent in their walk with Him.
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.”
Matthew 13:45-46
Too many have contented themselves with a belief, comfortable in knowing their sins are forgiven, all the while moving through life isolated and insulated from the battlefield of faith. Their hearts remain untouched and unmoved by the immensity of God’s beauty and the Love He holds for all creation. It is the one who in truth had “found” the ONE Pearl of Great Price who sold all to acquire its beauty. His “works” were to forsake all for Christ. His heart had no room for other things.
Love without passion, love without fervor, and love without sacrifice are impossible. Those who have seen the Christ cannot help but speak of Him and live in the joy and the desire to make Him known!
Peter and John, when threatened by the religious leaders of their day, declared with unflinching words:
“But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”
Acts 4:19-20
The unction and power of Christ within His own selflessly desires to see the people of God enlarged. Paul’s plea to the Church at Corinth was for their enlargement; that their faith would go beyond lukewarm living and apathetic confessions of faith. The Spirit of God is looking for firebrands, motivated by the pure love of God, who feel the same indebtedness to the ONE who first loved them.
“I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also”
Romans 1:14-15
The question becomes – what is in us? What is the fuel that ignites and burns within our hearts? True ministers of Christ have no interest in propagating themselves, their church, their ministry; they live to make Christ known. They plead with, they admonish, and they exhort the people of God toward the same heart as the merchant who in finding the Great Pearl sold everything to acquire its beauty. His desire is to so move in us that we become the full possession of Christ and He becomes our own.
“I am my beloved’s,
and my beloved is mine”
Song of songs 6:3
May we feel the fire of His heart for HIS people:
“…be YE also enlarged”
Brian Troxel
You have captured the true meaning of what it takes to be a follower of Christ. the no holds bar of walking in faith no matter what the consequence of the worlds view!!!! Paul really focused on His uncompromsing walk with His Saviour and never sought to please men, but only the Lord as we too who follow Him today.
For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. (Galatians 1:10-12).
God Bless You Always.
Julia
“For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ” That has been a marked scripture in my life. It is a costly one to walk out, but it is the road to freedom in Him.
There is a depth of fellowship which passes between those whose lives know in experience the truth of discipleship.
Blessings to you and your family.
BT
Love this! We cannot walk around thanking God for our salvation and that our sins are forgiven and then live our daily lives without the fire and purpose for which we are saved! Too many are sitting on the bench of faith and are not in the game. We have to be all in! Blessings to you…
Always encouraged by your comments. The days which are coming upon us will require much encouragement from one another.
Be always blessed.
BT
I once again this week had my salvation questioned by an evangelical Christian for living such a life.
It isn’t enough that I’m familiar with the bible and fully know that Jesus Christ IS who the scriptures declare Him to be.
“Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks”
I can handle and ponder another person’s opinion, but judging another’s salvation?
Some in the church would rather one conforms instead of being transformed.
There’s only Christ who can transform a person.
I’ll never understand judging another’s salvation. Doesn’t seem Graceful at all.
Blessings
Paul wrote to the Galatians “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel…” Galatians 1:6 and in other places Paul writes to the Church at Corinth for them to examine themselves to see if they are “in faith”. True ministry cares about the condition of God’s people. It is not a case of judging it is the purpose of ministry to cause His people to walk carefully and not to rely on a confession but to actually be in relationship with Christ in God. Jesus said “many” will say in that day to which Jesus will reply “I never knew you”. If we truly love one another we seek their good it is why the words “admonish, rebuke, reprove and exhortation are truths of our interactions with one another.
It is easy to have the thorns and thistles gradually choke out the life of the seed as good brothers and sisters we seek to desire others to keep us true and alive in Christ. There is no greater deception than self-deception. Paul warned Titus of such… “They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him…” It is impossible to hold the living faith of Christ within without its power producing in us expressions of His Life.
John 15:2 – “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away…” Those who love one another will do all they can to share the love of God with one another. I owe my brother and sister the truth by virtue of His love abiding within. The church today as a whole cares little for the actual condition of God’s people for a profession is all they care about. Such is not the truth of the New Covenant.
“Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.” 2 Corinthians 5:9-11
Paul preached the whole Gospel. a Gospel of blessing and accountability… he included himself in the above scriptures. Those who know their God walk carefully. They see to it that their profession is congruent with their walk.
“So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty” James 2:12 Please read the entire context of this scripture it is powerful and life changing.
Always good to hear from you.
Blessings to you and your family.
BT
Not so cut and dry as most things concerning the Kingdom of Heaven.
“True ministry cares about the condition of God’s people. It is not a case of judging it is the purpose of ministry to cause His people to walk carefully and not to rely on a confession but to actually be in relationship with Christ in God. Jesus said “many” will say in that day to which Jesus will reply “I never knew you”. If we truly love one another we seek their good it is why the words “admonish, rebuke, reprove and exhortation are truths of our interactions with one another.”
And yet, as you state
“There is no greater deception than self-deception.”
I think it’s safe to assume that there’s no shortage of self deceived people who make it their mission statement to “admonish, rebuke, reprove and exhortation are truths of our interactions with one another.”
Just my opinion, feel free to correct me.
When it comes to deception nothing is safe. A wise man receives correction, fools do not. (“rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee…” and “It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools”.
If Paul “knew the terror of the Lord” it would be safe for us to consider our walk and to welcome good brothers who would question us.
I don’t know the circumstances of the one who spoke to you but maybe there was something that would cause him to question things. It is always good for us to consider our ways.
Blessings
BT
Appreciate the response Brian
Blessings