The Frailty of Man
“Your fathers, where are they?
And the prophets, do they live forever?”
Zechariah 1:5
We live in a day of sectarianism and personality cults within the Body of Christ with a multitude of voices and ministries clamoring for followers and “supporters”. We have lost sight of the purpose of ministry; to bring each and every believer into a vital relationship with the Head, even Christ the Lord of all. Men live but a short time while the eternal priesthood of the Son abides forever. Man’s life is but a vapor; here for a moment and then gone. We cling to the temporal while ignoring that which will never pass away. It is far more important that we pay attention to that which will impart eternal value to the soul of every believer.
John the Baptist was focused on bringing men and women to the Son not to himself. Such should be the goal of every ministration of life in the body. We read in the scriptures that “in Him was life…” Every expression of HIS life that resides within any heart is the result of the Son being the source and sustainer of it. It is by abiding in Him that we have this eternal Life.
While there are many who desire the attention and even the affection of the people of God, true ministry seeks to “make” disciples of The Lord Jesus Christ not “have” disciples. The difference between making disciples and having disciples is an issue of life and death; life and death not only to the ministers of God but also to the people of God. “Having” disciples creates schisms and division within the Body of Christ and tears at the very fabric of the one wine-skin. Those who “make” disciples unto Christ ultimately reveal the beauty of the unity of Him in the earth for men to see. For such a unity the Son prayed and died and more importantly rose again.
Purity of heart is the requirement for all those who would serve The Lord unto this end. Men with impure motives seek followers, disciples and adherents to their “ministry”. The end of such a thing will be spiritual death and the judgement of God.
He that speaks of or from himself seeks his own glory. The people of God in Corinth had become carnal in their sectarian ways by choosing one ministration over another. “I am of Paul” said some, while others chose Peter or Apollos. To this Paul replied, “Are you not carnal? Who are Paul, Peter or Apollos but servants of God by whom you have believed. I plant, Apollos waters and it is God who gives the increase.”
Shallow men and weak believers cling to men failing to recognize that whether we live or die it is unto God not unto men. We can read in the scriptures of Dathan, Korah, Balaam and others who sought to usurp God’s way in order to draw attention to themselves. What was the end of them and their followers? Let us receive warning and instruction from their example.
“Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples:
and they are written for our admonition,
upon whom the ends of the world are come.
Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth
take heed lest he fall”
1Corinthians 10:11-12.
The desire of all true ministrations of the life of the Son is to have Him increase while we ourselves decrease. For of His Glory there will be no end. Man is but for a moment but HE is forever.
Brian Troxel